June 2005 – General and Bariatric Surgeon Dr. John Dietrick has been named Medical Director of the Surgical Weight Loss Center at University Community Hospital. The center specializes in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity, which is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy, and/or increased health problems.
Weight-loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, has been shown to reduce or eliminate most of the co-morbid conditions associated with morbid obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, heart disease, and other problems. Dr. Dietrick performs both gastric banding surgery (LapBand, Realize band), and gastric bypass surgery; and also conducts informational seminars for those interested in learning more about their options.
“A majority of people are overweight in America, and statistically, one in twenty is morbidly obese,” said Dietrick. “Yo-yo dieting, exercise, and medical weight-loss have not yielded the long-term success we see with surgical intervention.”
The Surgical Weight Loss Center is located at 3000 Medical Park Dr., Suite 340 in Tampa, near the intersection of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Phone: 813-615-7077.
