Buffalo General Hospital announced today that the surgeons of the Kaleida Health Comprehensive Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program will provide a FREE educational seminar on morbid obesity (100 pounds overweight or more) and surgical options available for weight reduction on Saturday, November 7 from 10 a.m. – Noon at the Holiday Inn, St. Catharines—Niagara.

Alan Posner, M.D., Aaron Hoffman, M.D., and John Butsch, M.D., will focus on Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass Surgery and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, as well as explain who meets the requirements for surgery, the guidelines patients must follow before and after surgery, the lifestyle changes that are necessary following the surgery and what to expect from a physician consultation. The presentation will also discuss the multidisciplinary team involved with each bariatric patient and provide a Q&A session afterwards.

Pre-registration is required by calling 1-716-859-1168. Additional information can be found at www.kaleidahealthcanada.com

Obesity in Canada is a growing health concern, with health officials stating that it is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in Canada. According to Forbes, Canada ranks 35 on a 2007 list of fattest countries with a percentage of 61.1% of its citizens with an unhealthy weight.

Conveniently located just minutes away from the Fort Erie Peace Bridge, the Comprehensive Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Program at Buffalo General Hospital is located at 100 High Street in Buffalo, NY, USA. The program is recognized as an American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Center of Excellence (the highest level of hospital achievement in bariatric care). The program is also designated as a Preferred Provider by The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, so Ontario residents are eligible for complete coverage for bariatric surgery through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

As a designated program of excellence, Dr. Posner and his team are capable of managing the most challenging and complex bariatric patients in Canada and the U.S. with optimal opportunity for safe and effective outcomes. 

Alan Posner, M.D., is fellowship-trained in laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive surgical technique that offers safer, smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery times than traditional open surgery. He was one of the first surgeons in Western New York to offer bariatric surgery using this method.

Aaron Hoffman, M.D., joined the bariatric program in 2007. He is fellowship trained in the laparoscopic surgery technique and bariatric surgery.

John Butch, M.D., joined the bariatric program in 2009. He had been performing laparoscopic bariatric surgery for several years in Chicago prior to joining the program at Buffalo General.

SEMINAR LOCATION
Holiday Inn St. Catharines-Niagara
2 North Service Road
St. Catharines, ON

About Buffalo General Hospital for Canadians (www.kaleidahealthcanada.com)
Buffalo General Hospital, a Kaleida Health hospital, is located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo, New York, USA. A major teaching affiliate of the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo General offers a number of diverse self-pay package options for Canadian residents in need of MRI services, joint replacement surgery, colonoscopy and heart care. The Comprehensive Weight-Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program is designated as a Preferred Provider by The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, so Ontario residents are eligible for complete coverage through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

About Kaleida Health (www.kaleidahealth.org)
Kaleida Health is the largest health care provider in Western New York in the USA. More than one million patient visits are recorded annually at the Buffalo General Hospital, DeGraff Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, plus the health system’s 99 clinics and community health care centers.  It also includes the Deaconess Center and Waterfront long-term care facilities, plus the nation’s oldest – and original - Visiting Nursing Association.

Kaleida Health's economic impact on Western New York exceeds $2.2 billion annually.

Contact Information:
Dan Cefaratti
Phone: 716-859-1687
dcefaratti@kaleidahealth.org