As the problem of obesity in Philadelphia, PA and across this nation continues to contribute to growing health care costs and poor public health, both patients and health care professionals are realizing the benefits of weight loss surgery such as the Lap Band® or gastric bypass. If you are thinking about gastric bypass surgery or Lap Band® surgery (both types of bariatric surgery) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, you should talk to your surgeon to find out what procedure is best for you. Having a 40 or above BMI (and, in some cases, a BMI of 35 or above and a serious health condition like hypertension or diabetes) may qualify you for gastric banding, bypass surgery, or other types of obesity help from weight loss surgery.

With a population of 1.4 million, Philadelphia (sometimes nicknamed “The City of Brotherly Love”) is an excellent place to have weight loss surgery (that is, bariatric surgery) performed.   Gastric bypass surgery or Lap Band® surgery may take place at one of the cities many medical centers including the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, or Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

If you travel to southeastern Pennsylvania for bariatric surgery, go a bit early to take in some of the historic places in Philadelphia.  Visit the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, Betsy Ross House, Carpenters Hall, the First Bank of the United States, the Liberty Bell, or Valley Forge National Historical Park. Or, watch the Philadelphia Phillies play a popular American past-time: baseball!