Pacific Bariatric Performs 10,000th Procedure

Surgeons at Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group (PBSMG, http://www.pbsmg.com) and Scripps Mercy Hospital recently performed their 10,000th bariatric surgical procedure. This milestone has been reached by only a handful of bariatric surgery programs in the world.

San Diego (PRWEB) July 5, 2007 -- Surgeons at Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group (PBSMG, http://www.pbsmg.com) and Scripps Mercy Hospital recently performed their 10,000th bariatric surgical procedure. This milestone has been reached by only a handful of bariatric surgery programs in the world.

Surgeons with the practice have been performing weight-loss surgery on adult and adolescent patients at Scripps Mercy Hospital since 1993. As a result of outstanding aftercare programs and support groups, patients at Pacific Bariatric see a success rate of slightly higher than the national average.

"This is a tremendous achievement for our practice, and we are proud of our continued legacy of caring and commitment to our patients," said Laurence Tanaka, M.D., F.A.C.S., surgeon at Scripps Mercy Hospital and Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group. "This accomplishment helps to reaffirm the trust our patients have in our ability to safely offer them the best quality services available today."

Surgeons at PBSMG (http://www.pbsmg.com) have recently started using LAP-BAND®, an adjustable gastric band designed to reduce the stomach's capacity, thereby restricting the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. The procedure does not require stomach cutting, stapling or gastrointestinal re-routing to bypass normal digestion and can be removed at any time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 66 percent of U.S. adults and 17 percent of U.S. children are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Bariatric surgery or other medical interventions are often the only long-lasting weight loss solution for clinically obese individuals.

Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group, Inc. and Scripps Mercy Hospital are nationally designated by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery as a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery. Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group, also known as Hillcrest Surgical Medical Group, Inc., has an 80-year tradition of surgical excellence and leadership in San Diego County. For more information, visit http://www.pbsmg.com.

Established in 1890 by the Sisters of Mercy, Scripps Mercy Hospital serves the San Diego and Chula Vista communities. With 700 licensed beds, more than 3,000 employees and 1,300 physicians, Scripps Mercy Hospital is San Diego's longest established and only Catholic hospital. With two campuses, Scripps Mercy Hospital is the largest hospital in San Diego County and one of the 10 largest in California. For more information, visit www.scripps.org.

Press Contact: Kristin Reinhardt
Company Name: Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group
Email: Email Us Here: http://www.prweb.com/emailmember.php?prid=537667
Phone: (619) 686-3787
Website: http://www.pbsmg.com

Press Release Source: EMediaWire