Our History and Goals
HRRH has been performing bariatric surgeries since 2000 and as such has built up a comprehensive and multidisciplinary team. Patients of this service are cared for by a compassionate and skilled team of Surgeons, Medical Internists, Anesthetists, RN’s, Social Workers and Dieticians who participate throughout the episode of care. Between 2000 and 2004, this team helped provide care for an average of 60 patients per year. In 2004/05, in keeping with best practice, surgeons at HRRH began performing these procedures using laparoscopic approach.
The Bariatric Program at Humber River Regional Hospital began in 2007 as an integrated surgical program for the care of obese and morbidly obese patients. Since 2005/2006 we have completed 1319 bariatric surgeries. By the completion of 2010, HRRH with St. Jospeh’s Toronto would have completed xxxx surgeries. The program plans to further expand in 2011.
We are currently funded by the Ministry of Health to perform the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and the Gastric Sleeve.
Gastric Banding is not funded by the Ministry of Health however, this procedure is offered at our centre. In addition, our centre will perform Revisional Bariatric surgeries.
We collaborate with the St. Joseph’s Health Centre (SJHC) in Toronto to deliver the best possible care for our patients. We are the regional assessment center for both the HRRH and St. Joseph’s – Toronto program.
We are a centre that has established telemedicine links with northern Ontario to assist with assessment and follow-up in remote sites. We are the first center in Ontario to complete clinical assessments using telemedicine.
We are the first Canadian centre currently in the process of acquiring accreditation certification / status through the American College of Surgeons – Bariatric Surgery Center Network (ACS - BSCN).
Our Team
Our health care team consists of Surgeons (link to bios), Internal Medicine Physicians, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Registered Nurses, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Dietitians, Psychiatrists, and Booking Secretaries.
The team meets weekly to plan programs offered, review cases, create education resources and ensure standards of care are being met.
Our Surgeons:
Humber River Regional Hospital
Dr. John Hagen, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. Lazar Klein, M.D., M.Sc, F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. Quoc Huynh, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. Herpreet Sohi, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. David Starr, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
St. Joseph’s Health Centre – Toronto
Dr. Paul Sullivan, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. David Lindsay, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Dr. Lloyd Smith, M.D., F.R.C.S(C)
Our Process
Each person who is thinking about having bariatric surgery must have a comprehensive assessment and screening completed by the interdisciplinary team before being accepted for surgery.
The criteria for surgery include the following:
- Body Mass Index (BMI) between 40 and 60
- BMI above 35 if you have medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.
- Weight under 273 kilograms or 600 pounds
- Tried many weight loss methods
- Motivated and willing to make eating and lifestyle changes
- Psychologically and medically fit for surgery
- Must commit to post surgical follow-up for 5 years by the team
Pre-surgery Process
Once we receive your referral through the Ontario Bariatric Network, you will be mailed out a package with a questionnaire that you must complete and bring to your patient information session. Also, the doctor who refers you to our program will receive a doctor questionnaire. These questionnaires are used to collect all your medical information. Once all this information is collected, you will be sent a package to help you prepare for your appointments. This package will include, ‘Getting Started Tips’, a requisition for blood-work and your Clinical Pathway card, which will tell you all your appointments and tests that you must complete before your surgery. You MUST bring your clinical pathway card to all your appointments, so that together, we can keep track of all your appointments and consultations.
Once you have met with the dietitians, social workers, medical internist and surgeon in preparation for your surgery, you will also see the nurse and anesthetist to help you prepare for surgery.
Length of hospital stay:
- You stay in the hospital for a total of 2 - 3 days on average.
Post-Surgery Process
Post-surgical follow-up appointments may include the Surgeon, Registered Nurse, Dietitian, Social Worker and Psychiatrist. Patients will have a minimum of 6 visits to the HRRH – Bariatric Clinic for follow-up in the first year after surgery and once yearly for the following 4 years. The bariatric team is also available to answer any questions or address concerns by e-mail or telephone. You may also, call Telehealth Ontario if you are experiencing any unexpected symptoms to help you determine your next steps.
Your Role
If you are a candidate for surgery you must complete the tests and appointments listed on your clinical pathway card. These appointments and tests are done to make sure you are safe and ready for surgery.
Some of the tests you may be scheduled for include:
You must also attend 2 education classes. The first class describes the Bariatric program and expectations that you need to meet; this is our Patient Information Session. If you decide to have surgery you attend a second class that prepares you for surgery, the dietary phases and what to expect before, during and after surgery.
GUIDELINES
Guidelines you must follow before surgery:
- Stop smoking 6 months before surgery
- 2 months before surgery:
- no caffeine
- no alcohol, beer or wine
- no carbonated beverages
- start taking multivitamin and mineral supplement
- 2 weeks before surgery;
- you follow a special diet
- you are given an education book to follow
Having bariatric surgery is not an easy decision. We believe in a person (patient/client) centered approach. Our focus is on helping each person take control of his or her life and making a commitment to a lifelong change in lifestyle.
Click here for directions to Humber River Regional Hospital.
Bariatric Clinic
Humber River Regional Hospital
2115 Finch Avenue West Suite 106
Toronto, ON M3N 2V6
Click here for directions to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto.
30 The Queensway
Toronto, Ontario
M6R 1B5
Canada