UCDHSC Surgical Weight Loss Expert to Answer Online Chat Questions  

Those who wonder whether gastric bypass surgery and other weight-loss procedures are the answer to obesity will be able to pose questions to a board-certified physician during a University of Colorado Hospital online chat session.  

The interactive session Weight Loss Surgery: Is it Right for You? will take place 1 p.m. - 2 p.m., Sept. 20, and will be free and available to anyone with Internet access. Those who log on with questions will get immediate responses from Jonathan A. Schoen, MD, chief surgeon and director of the new University of Colorado Hospital Surgical Weight Loss Center.  

Schoen will discuss laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, any attendant implications and risks, and responsibilities patients must assume once the procedure has been performed.  

“Obesity has become a national epidemic, and there are great health risks associated with it, including heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity-related arthritis and joint pain,” Schoen said. “This session is a prime opportunity for me to answer questions from the public, and it might help people decide whether such surgeries are right for them.”  

For more details about the online chat, and to submit a question in advance, participants should visit www.uch.edu. Transcripts of the chat session will be available at the hospital Web site within 72 hours after the session has ended.  

Participants can join the chat by visiting www.uch.edu about 10 minutes before the start time or anytime during the interactive session by clicking on the “Join Now” link on the home page and following instructions. Participants will remain anonymous due to the private nature of questions about health and medical issues.  

The University of Colorado Hospital Surgical Weight Loss Center offers a full suite of pre- and post-surgical services to patients. For more information about the center, visit www.uch.edu/swl.  

University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's leading academic tertiary care and referral center, and has been recognized as one of the United States’ best hospitals, according to U.S.News & World Report. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the hospital is part of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, in the University of Colorado system.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.uch.edu.