The need for professional services in obesity surgery is increasing. Also in Thun and the surrounding area. And so it was only a logical step that the clinic of Dr. Naef in Thun now became part of the network of specialized facilities of Swiss1Chirurgie. You can learn more about this in the article.
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With the new clinic in Brig, Swiss1Chirurgie, under the leadership of Professor Dr. Jörg Zehetner, has now also found a location in the Upper Valais. With the specialisation in obesity surgery, the treatment of abdominal hernias and reflux diseases, the population in the region is thus provided with a medical service that is probably unique in Valais in this specialisation.
Until now, Professor Dr. Zehetner’s specialist medical services were related to the catchment areas of Bern and, more recently, Solothurn. With the engagement in the medical centre Praxis Dr. Summermatter in Bahnhofstrasse 1 in Brig, the specialised surgeon now also provides his professional services directly in the Valais. This seems to be quite necessary, as the provision of such specialised services was rather meagre to non-existent.
The work in the new medical centre is supported by the specialist colleague Alejandro Metzger, MD, who also specialises in obesity and abdominal surgery. In this way, a professional service can be established in Valais under the banner of Swiss1Chirurgie. It is also interesting to note that a specialist in cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery has set up shop directly in the medical centre. This can be a complementary component in many cases of obesity surgery, ensuring the restoration of the patient’s complete health and aesthetic well-being. It also makes sense that Dr. Summermatter’s clinic also offers special nutritional counselling services. This closes a circle of medical competencies that are evidenced above all by Professor Dr Zehetner and his colleague Dr Metzger.
The fact that the services offered by the specialists for bariatric surgery meet with a high level of acceptance, especially here in the Upper Valais, was already evident at the opening of the clinic with an open day. For a whole eight hours, Professor Dr Zehetner and Dr Metzger answered the questions of the interested visitors and the invited expert colleagues. This proves that there is definitely a great demand here for the specialised services of obesity surgery and the treatment of reflux diseases, which can now be satisfied in the new treatment rooms of Swiss1Chirurgie.
Who doesn’t know them, the impressive pictures of Ironman Hawaii, which is considered the oldest triathlon in the world. Year after year, athletes meet here to determine their toughest and best in the triathlon of swimming, cycling and running.
Certainly a few numbers smaller but no less challenging, Ironman Zurich presents itself as a complete, internationally recognised Ironman Trial with the 3.8-kilometre swim course, the 180-kilometre bike course and the 42-kilometre run course. Anyone who wants to take part here as a hobby Ironman needs a long, good preparation, an iron will and of course the appropriate preparations.
Two years ago now, I discovered a video on YouTube about “Ironman motivation”. This video was the inspiration for me personally and probably the first step to try Ironman Triathlon myself. Of course, it was immediately clear to me that this could not go well from a standing start. But: Anything is possible!
After all, I had already gained a few years of experience on the mountain bike and the road bike, so at least the bike course shouldn’t be an insurmountable challenge. I can also swim and running is almost part of my daily programme. With a slightly above-average level of fitness, it should therefore be no problem to complete the Ironman 70.3 half-distance triathlon. So, after a year of training, in June 2018 I embarked on the Ironman adventure in the slimmed-down version. 1.9 kilometres of swimming, 90 kilometres of cycling and finally 21 kilometres of running brought me to my first intermediate goal on the way to the big Ironman. But the half-distance is not the whole Ironman and so I set a new goal in summer 2018. I wanted to tackle Ironman Zurich 2019.
Regardless of whether you are a professional or a hobby participant, if you want to complete the Ironman in its full internationally recognised distance, you have to expose yourself to regular and hard training. The only question is when and how. The recommendations speak of at least 10 to 15 hours a week, with all three disciplines equally represented if possible. That means at least two hours of training every day. And that alongside family, work, conferences, congresses and emergency missions.
It takes a lot of motivation, which can only be maintained over time if you know what you want and have the necessary support from your family. And, of course, this motivation also means overcoming your inner pig dog every day and removing the small and large obstacles in your self-motivation. Only if this succeeds is good and regular training possible. And of course it takes time.
And it was precisely the time for training that was a point where, in the end, it was not possible without renunciation. I didn’t want to give up life with my family and I didn’t want my patients to have to give up anything when it came to my professional commitment. All that was left was to give up sleep. And surprisingly, this works quite well despite or even because of the active sport.
In the preparation phase for Ironman Zurich 2019, I got up three times a week between half past four and five in the morning, set about cycling training, which I then also liked to repeat on the weekend as a 3-5 hour activity. Swimming for one and a half hours twice a week in the morning and running whenever possible in the evening. And that at any time of year, in any weather and in almost every place I have been in the last twelve months.
A balanced training always includes the appropriate rest days, which I limited to one or two days a week, depending on my workload and family plans. In the end, I felt better and better prepared for the big triathlon in Zurich and felt what good individual training can mean even for such big challenges as the Ironman.
After almost exactly one year of training, the time had come on 21 July 2019. The Ironman Zurich 2019 in the full distance was coming up and now there were no more doubts for me after the registration. I had to and would pass Ironman Zurich. The preparations are ready, wetsuit, bike and food are prepared. Here we go.
I didn’t feel any nervousness at the start itself, I just felt well prepared. After an early start of the day at five o’clock and the impressive start procedure for the professionals, it is then the turn of the amateur athletes. So also me. It all starts with the rolling start at the swim course, so that every few seconds five to ten swimmers start the race. Quickly a few nice words to the comrades-in-arms on the left and right, then we’re off. „See you at the finish line!“
With steady strokes I complete the 3.8 kilometre swim in the fresh Lake Zurich, then get out of the water dripping wet, almost directly onto the bike, which is now to be my friend for 180 kilometres on the ride along Lake Zurich, out of the city, through lush green meadows and small villages. Then it’s off to the running course, which runs four laps through the historic old town, and then it’s done. „You are an Ironman!“
After a total time of 10h31m58s I cross the finish line exhausted but happy and now I know one thing: I am an Ironman. And that’s thanks to good, consistent training, thanks to the support of my family, colleagues and friends and, above all, thanks to the motivation to achieve something that is exceptional. Now it’s time to relax! And, of course, time for the joy of my own performance, which was also always a journey to myself.
The opening of the new Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Brig was a real highlight for the guests, professional visitors and of course also for the team around Dr Jörg Zehetner. In a short speech, the medical specialist for abdominal surgery and reflux treatments praised the great achievements of the builders and was pleased with the successful implementation of the design ideas in the treatment rooms. Great praise for this also came from the visitors to the opening event, who were very enthusiastic not only during the tours of the rooms.
Those present were particularly interested in the medical services offered in the Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Brig. It was above all Dr. Jörg Zehetner who went from one conversation to the next and did not simply inform about the range of services, for example, in the surgical treatment of obesity. This is how the first individual questions came, combined with the first diagnoses and the scheduling of the upcoming consultations and interventions.
For all those who were able to attend the opening of the Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Brig on 26.08.2019, it was both an interesting and informative event. This is not least because a new medical service has been created in Brig, which has already met with great acceptance at the other Swiss1Chirurgie locations in line with a growing need.
Bahnhofstrasse 1, 3900 Brig, Schweiz
With the opening of the Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Solothurn on 28 November 2019, the medical offering for the entire spectrum of abdominal surgery, but especially obesity surgery and reflux treatment in Switzerland has now taken another step towards improved patient care.
After the existing clinics in Brig and Bern, the Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Solothurn is now the third location of the specialised medical practitioners. At the doctors’ aperitif on the occasion of the new opening of the Solothurn location, the head of Swiss1Chirurgie, Prof. Dr. med. Jörg Zehetner, emphasised that “in view of the increase in obesity problems and reflux disease, the needs of patients can thus be incorporated into medical practice much better than before”.
Swiss1Chirurgie Solothurn emerged from the visceral surgery clinic of Alejandro Metzger, MD. The expanded clinic in Solothurn and the additional location in Brig cover a large demand of an area that could not previously be served medically in this way.
The main focus of Swiss1Chirurgie at the Bern, Brig and Solothurn sites is on abdominal surgery as a whole, but especially on obesity surgery and the treatment of reflux diseases. While obesity surgery, after thorough individual diagnoses and consultations, often focuses on modern minimally invasive stomach operations in the sense of stomach reductions (tube stomach) or gastric bypass and the subsequent aftercare, reflux surgery deals primarily with the complaints associated with chronic heartburn, acid regurgitation and the subsequent impairment of quality of life. With the LINX Reflux Management System, Dr. Jörg Zehetner is one of the leading Swiss doctors in this field and also enjoys the highest recognition abroad, even in the USA and Saudi Arabia. Dr Alejandro Metzger is a proven specialist in visceral surgery and bariatric surgery.
The Swiss1Chirurgie team includes PD Dr. med. Rudolf Steffen, who as a specialist in visceral surgery covers the entire treatment spectrum of abdominal surgery at the Bern site.
At the opening of the Swiss1Chirurgie clinic in Solothurn, medical specialists and also practising general practitioners met at the doctors’ aperitif to find out in detail about the treatment methods and surgical techniques used by the specialists from Swiss1Chirurgie and the ZfbC (Centre for Bariatric Surgery in Bern). The lively exchange and the great interest show that with Swiss1Chirurgie a network of specialist medical services has been created that meets the needs of existing and potential patients. And it also offers general practitioners in the region a new point of contact, especially for patients with morbid obesity and reflux diseases.
For more information on Swiss1Chirurgie, the centre for bariatric surgery and the specialist doctors and treatment fields involved, please visit www.swiss1chirurgie.ch.
With its first magazine, Swiss1Chirurgie addresses all patients and those hungry for information who want to learn more about the topics of morbid obesity or about reflux disease.
We work our way forward in interesting articles on these topics and also provide interesting information about our clinics and the Centre for Bariatric Surgery (ZfbC).
You can find out more about the magazine itself and the contents in detail in the detailed article.
You can pick up a printed copy of the magazine in the Swiss1Chirurgie clinics. Those who can no longer get a copy or prefer to read online can obtain the magazine via the following link: https://v.calameo.com/?bkcode=006115199635078f16024&mode=mini&clickto=embed&autoflip=4
We hope you enjoy reading and look forward to your feedback or meeting you in person at one of our locations in Brig, Bern or Solothurn.
Your Swiss1Chirurgie
Dr. Jörg Zehetner
The first edition of the Swiss1Chirurgie magazine is out. The magazine is now available as a printed copy in our clinics in Brig, Bern and Solothurn. For those who prefer to read the first Swiss1Chirurgie magazine online, it is also available for download via the Swiss1Chirurgie app or on the Swiss1Chirurgie website.
We are happy to inform you now, more or less in advance, about the thematic focal points of the magazine in the March 2020 edition.
A major focus is morbid obesity. From stigmatisation to treatment options, you will learn a lot in the magazine that is worth knowing, new, interesting and particularly informative for those affected. In this way, we do not simply want to disseminate scientific findings, but above all to show the individual path to change. In an easily understandable yet correct form.
To this end, we have approached this still very difficult topic in the magazine with various articles, statements, reports and testimonials. We hope that this will pave a new way for overweight people in particular to get informed and ultimately take the right steps to treat their morbid obesity.
At this point, the reports by and about Sina Gossweiler, also known as Sina Lark in the music scene, should be of particular interest. The young woman is not only known from the show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (DSDS), but has also been fighting against morbid obesity for a long time. Obviously with success.
Another main topic in the first Swiss1Chirurgie magazine is reflux disease. Persistent, chronic acid regurgitation is not only unpleasant and annoying, it can also have real medical significance. Especially when the oesophagus is attacked by the constant confrontation with stomach acid. Consequential symptoms can extend to oesophageal cancer.
Here we also take the opportunity to present different medical and surgical procedures for the treatment of reflux disease in a little more detail.
The first issue of the Swiss1Chirurgie magazine also gives us the opportunity to present our locations in Brig, Solothurn and Berne in more detail. You will not only learn interesting facts about the clinics themselves, but also about the doctors who are there for you every day.
We will also focus on the Centre for Bariatric Surgery Bern (ZfbC) and show you how the scientific work is being further developed there. A number of different specialist papers and support for bariatric surgery worldwide shows the expertise with which this centre is equipped.
We would also be pleased to introduce you to the new Swiss1Chirurgie app. Many people already know them and may also use them to read this article. Anyone who is not yet familiar with the new Swiss1Chirurgie app is expressly invited here to download and use it free of charge.
A wealth of information, a direct line to the medical specialist and support before, during and after treatment are just some of the many benefits that you can enjoy with the Swiss1Chirurgie app.
Take advantage of this opportunity and simply pick up your print copy of the Swiss1Chirurgie magazine in the clinic or download the online version to your device.
I hope you enjoy reading
Your Swiss1Chirurgie
Dr. Jörg Zehetner
Fatty liver, non-alcoholic fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, hepatitis as infection of the liver and many other liver diseases are common. It is estimated that the proportion of people diagnosed with fatty liver in developed European countries is around 20 percent, with a certain number of unreported cases, as mild and symptom-free courses of the disease are hardly recognised.
A distinction is made between three degrees of severity of fatty liver, initially regardless of whether it is alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Fatty liver cells result from the storage of fat in the liver cells, which ultimately significantly impairs the function of the liver as an important organ. Consequential diseases or concomitant diseases such as diabetes are not excluded, but are often a complication caused by the disturbed fat metabolism in the liver.
The severity of fatty liver disease can be determined by examining a tissue sample from the liver. In the process, a tiny part is taken from the organ and subjected to a fine-tissue examination. Examinations of the cholesterol level or the blood lipid values also provide valuable information.
Many liver diseases are diagnosed in close association with the excessive consumption of alcohol. Anyone who is more familiar with the chemical composition of alcohol knows that it is a modified form of sugar, i.e. carbohydrates. An excess of carbohydrates is deposited in the body as fat and finds its place especially in the liver. Accordingly, many chronic alcoholics are affected by liver diseases up to severe forms.
But also, and this should be a cause for concern, a large proportion of non-alcohol-related liver diseases are spreading in society. Such manifestations of fatty liver are mainly due to wrong eating and living habits, which are mainly represented by excessively fatty and sugary diets. What the body cannot process, it not only deposits in the fat depots of the lower skin layers, but also in the liver, which then leads to fatty liver.
Once an alcoholic fatty liver has been diagnosed, the only thing that helps is a strict
and consistent renunciation of alcohol. Only the radical renunciation of alcoholic beverages can still offer a spark of hope that the consequences of alcohol abuse on liver health can still be mitigated.
In the case of non-alcoholic fatty liver, the chances of recovery are relatively good, depending on the severity. What is important is a consistent change in diet combined with more active exercise. This change can be supported by so-called liver fasting, which we will look at in more detail in a separate section. In principle, it is always important to prevent scarring of the liver tissue, which is referred to in medical terminology as cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver is beyond repair and represents a dangerous structural change in the liver tissue that cannot be reversed.
Once a fatty liver has been diagnosed, depending on its severity, it is important to make actual changes to halt and, if possible, reverse the process of fatty liver. Half-hearted measures help relatively little. Also because a relapse into old lifestyle and dietary habits will always lead to progressive damage to the liver.
Treatment of fatty liver with medication or surgery is not possible. In the case of a fatty liver, the only thing that can help is to tackle the causes, which are to be found either in excessive alcohol consumption, in the wrong diet that is too rich in fat, or in a combination of both. Some rare forms of fatty liver are due to medication or other episodes, but are negligible in this paper.
If you follow the statistics, about 20 percent of our society is affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver. The age of patients ranges from 40 to 60 years, with women being affected by fatty liver slightly more often than men.
It is noteworthy that many patients with fatty liver are significantly overweight (obesity) or already suffer from diabetes in various stages. Elevated blood lipid levels are as common as the occurrence of metabolic syndrome.
Even if the actual causes of a fatty liver have not yet been fully researched, it can be assumed that there is basically a disproportion between energy intake and energy consumption. This means that in the long term or permanently, significantly more calories are supplied to the body than are actually consumed.
Even though fatty liver is often associated with alcohol abuse in the general perception, the proportion of non-alcoholic fatty liver is much higher than that of alcoholic fatty liver disease.
A liver fast according to Dr. Worm is an effective means of individually and successfully combating fatty liver. Even without a specific medical diagnosis, but especially after a diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver, liver fasting according to Dr. Worm offers excellent possibilities for a targeted and healthy defatting of the liver without overtaxing the organism. However, it must also be said that any form of dietary nutrition, including liver fasting according to Dr. Worm, does not work without renunciation and one’s own will.
Dr. Nicolai Worm is one of the best-known nutritionists of our time. Based on years of experience in nutritional counselling and supported by current scientific findings, Dr. Worm has developed liver fasting with Hepafast together with the nutritional physician Dr. Hardy Walle, MD. Such a diet is by no means new territory, but is based on the experience of many decades of research, science and practice.
The special thing about the Hepafast cure is that it specifically addresses the requirements and physical circumstances related to a fatty liver. This means that with the targeted Hepafast liver fasting cure, which is limited to a few weeks, the fat levels of the liver can be specifically influenced.
If the liver fasting cure according to Dr. Worm is carried out correctly, the fat metabolism is naturally influenced, which in the majority of cases also leads to a general weight loss. Both the blood fat values and the liver fat values recover noticeably, the success of liver fasting can be observed and experienced by the person doing it. Unlike many other diets, the feared yo-yo effect is not to be expected, as the Dr. Worm liver fast is not a starvation diet, but is accompanied by valuable ingredients in an easy-to-prepare drink.
Of course, liver fasting with Hepafast makes no sense if the diet and lifestyle in general are not changed at the same time. However, as Hepafast works naturally and is filling, continued excessive food intake is neither felt nor factually necessary. The affected persons therefore eat more sensibly and healthily, do not have to starve themselves and simply supplement their diet with Hepafast. This leads to a significant decrease in fat levels and thus to improved health, which is also noticeable in performance after just a few weeks.
In principle, liver fasting according to Dr. Worm always makes sense at the latest when symptoms of a fatty liver are noticed. However, a fatty liver in the first degree of severity is not associated with any individual complaints and is therefore usually not even noticed.
It is good that liver fasting according to Dr. Worm can also be carried out preventively, without deficiency symptoms or too abrupt changes in lifestyle. Step by step, users can familiarise themselves with the mode of action of liver fasting and are then guided themselves to make their lifestyle and eating habits more sensible.
Liver fasting according to Dr. Worm is particularly recommended after the cold season. In winter, most people exercise a little less anyway, rich and fatty food is often part of everyday life in winter, and around Christmas and spring is the best time to activate the body again. Especially since Lent is in full swing then anyway. In addition, liver fasting according to Dr. Worm with Hepafast can be used practically any time of the year.
In many years of nutritional research, Dr. Nicolai Worm and Dr. Hardy Walle, MD, have put together a formula that has a measurably positive effect on liver fat values. The special composition and easy handling of the Hepafast liver cure helps to boost fat burning and successfully reduce the storage of fat in the liver cells. Finally, the ingredients of the Hepafast cure also have an effect on the fats already stored in the liver and can effectively break them down.
A prerequisite for a successful liver fasting cure with Hepafast remains a sensible change in lifestyle and dietary habits. Hepafast is not a miracle cure, but a nutritionally compounded support for defatting the liver and for overall better eating habits. Accordingly, Hepafast is not a food supplement, but replaces part of the diet with liver-active components when used as intended.
In concrete terms, this may mean that lunch or another meal is replaced by a Hepafast Shake prepared as intended. There is no need to fear a feeling of hunger, as Hepafast is satiating and at the same time can break down fat molecules in the body. The fear of an unbalanced diet or malnutrition is also not justified, as other meals can also be taken when using Hepafast, which then contain the substances required by the body. A Bodymed Hepafast liver cure is not a diet that focuses primarily on renunciation, but rather a targeted influence on fat burning in the body. Ideally, Hepafast not only helps burn fat cells, but can also promote weight loss. In addition, the effects of liver fasting with Hepafast boost the body’s own forces and energies, which can generally lead to an improved sense of well-being and higher performance. It is important to know that in liver fasting according to Dr. Worm, the focus is not on radical or large-scale weight loss, but on naturally flawless liver function.
Years after the first introduction of liver fasting according to Dr. Worm, there are thousands of enthusiastic and successful users who have not only been able to reduce the degree of liver fatty degeneration, but also to take preventive action against possible liver fatty degeneration. And that with relatively little effort and sacrifice, but a liver-healthy dietary pattern that is excellently supported by Hepafast.
In the Swiss1Chirurgie clinics, we also support and recommend liver fasting out of the knowledge that overweight people in particular often suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver, even if they do not always feel it immediately. Healthy liver function plays a significant role in well-being. Conversely, a balanced, varied and healthy diet always promotes liver health. This can be supported very well with Hepafast liver fasting according to Dr. Worm.
“As a player and as a coach, I have been paying a lot of attention to my diet for years.
I tried out many different ideas and projects to be able to talk to my players about performance optimisation.
3 years ago I consciously detoxified my liver for the first time on recommendation.
I was curious to see what the body would do to me.
14 days of iron discipline. Protein shake, vegetables, counting calories was the routine that accompanied me every day.
The result: 5 kilos lost, vital, motivated, dreams, fit in spirit, conscious handling of nutrition and real enjoyment.
Not once did I feel hungry. I was allowed to get to know many interesting, creative menus.
In short, “it was worth it.”
I can highly recommend liver fasting with a clear conscience.
Bottom line: do something good for yourself while you wait for happiness.”
Martin Andermatt, football player and coaching legend
“Thanks to liver fasting, I experienced unique things at the beginning of each of the last years.
Whether on a snowshoe tour through the Ottmar Hitzfeld GsponArena or in the home office, whether at the CSI event in Basel or the Lauberhorn Races in Wengen, 14 days changed
my consciousness with liver fasting. For 14 days, the perfect-tasting Bodymed shake was my faithful companion and made every single day a pleasure.
I was able to experience positive things: Better well-being, deeper sleep, reduced fatigue, healthy eating, weight loss. And liver fasting brings even more
welcoming side effect – it saves valuable time, is easy on the wallet and helps you learn new cooking habits.
“Liver fasting means 5 star health for me.”
And who knows, with a little luck, the intense dreams will come true thanks to liver fasting … “
Fabian Furrer
“I treat myself to a liver fasting course of Hepafast once or twice a year. With a BMI of 24, I do this not to regulate my weight, but because it means wellness for my body. I feel much fresher after the cure, which is also confirmed by my blood values (cholesterol and liver values).
The most important thing for me, however, is that I don’t have to go hungry at any time with the Hepafast cure! The shakes taste good and give a good feeling of satiety. The recommended meals are easy to prepare and bring a lot of variety into the diet. And last but not least: I’m on the road a lot, but I can easily take the shakes and vegetable snacks with me and prepare and enjoy them “on the go”.”
Markus Fuhrer
“I am very satisfied with the liver fasting according to Dr. Worm, Hepafast, which was prescribed to me by Dr. Jörg Zehetner, MD. My laboratory values, especially cholesterol, are now all at a good level and I have lost 15 kg in one year because my eating habits have changed after the fast. I will repeat the cure every spring to stay in shape.”
Erika Fuhrer
Now, the series of experiences with Hepafast and a liver fast according to Dr. Worm could be extended almost indefinitely. However, we are of the opinion that only one’s own trial and error with one’s own personal experiences in liver fasting is really useful and meaningful.
Accordingly, we at Swiss1Chirurgie recommend that you make your own experiences with liver fasting according to Dr. Worm. “Because there is nothing good unless you do it!”
You will receive appropriate professional and medical advice on liver fasting according to Dr. Worm with Hepafast gladly and in detail in every Swiss1Chirurgie clinic and also in the other affiliated clinics within Helvetia Holding AG.
Expert advice on liver fasting:
From 1.1.2022, patients and referring doctors will find a new Swiss1Chirurgie location at Bahnhofstrasse 20/22, 3904 Naters. This means that a specialised Swiss1Chirurgie centre is available in Valais especially for preventive medicine, diagnostics and follow-up care. You can read more about the topic here.
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