Video: Baldwyn Man Gets New Lease On Life Through Weight Loss Surgery

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BALDWYN, MISS. (WCBI) –  Lance Grissom is passionate about life, and running. The 42 year old Baldwyn resident has run a half marathon and now is in training for a full marathon . But several years ago, it was a chore for Grissom to even get out of bed in the morning. His eating habits had taken a toll. “The portions I would eat were entirely too large and consume 5,000  or 6,000  calories a day,” Grissom recounted. His weight ballooned to 432 pounds. He knew something had to be done so he researched bariatric surgery. In April of 2009, Dr. Terry Pinson performed a procedure , known as Lapriscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy . “What we do, we go in with a video camera, lapriscopically, free up the whole stomach, put a little tube down, after patient’s asleep, put a tube down and on the outside edge of that we divide and take out that part of the stomach. That does two things right off the bat, you saw my stomach is a lot smaller, I can eat less, yes, that’s part of the operation,” Dr. Pinson said. It also decreases certain hormones that trigger hunger pains. For Grissom, the results have been life changing. He has lost 175 pounds since the surgery and now enjoys running and taking an active role in his kids’ lives. “I help coach my 11 year old son’s youth football team and before, after coming home from work there’s no way I would have felt like doing something like that so involved with him in sports, and we do a lot of hunting, and able to climb trees now, get in the woods and go where I need to go without being fatigued,” Grissom said. Dr Pinson emphasizes that gastric bypass surgery is a tool to help patients reclaim their health. But he also emphasizes personal responsibility. Doctor Pinson tells Lance and other patients that they must change their lifestyle, by eating healthy and exercising. For Grissom and hundreds of patients, it’s a recipe for success.

www.nmhs.net/bariatric_center