Metamor is a partnership between LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Our Lady of the Lake, the Office of the Governor of Louisiana, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), LSU's School of Medicine in New Orleans, and Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.
Metamor is uniquely focused on the advanced treatment of obesity and diabetes. Metamor is the first institute in the nation to offer an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to caring for individuals who suffer from these devastating diseases in a single facility at the world-renowned Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Our team utilizes a variety of treatment approaches, including lifestyle interventions, drug and combination therapies, and surgical procedures performed in state-of-the-art facilities at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Our Lady of the Lake Ascension.
Our Lady of the Lake is a Comprehensive Center with the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a joint program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Our Lady of the Lake has held this accreditation since 2010. Accreditation verifies that the bariatric surgery program at Our Lady of the Lake meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care. Learn more here.
Obesity is an epidemic not only in the United States, but also internationally. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than two-thirds of the US population is overweight, and nearly one third are diagnosed with severe (morbid) obesity. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 to 39. Severe obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 40 or greater. It has been shown that the higher the body mass index, the greater the risk for associated illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, sleep apnea, coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, and others. When patients with severe obesity have one or more of the above diseases, their risk of death increases, and their quality of life is severely diminished.
Metamor's research has shown that bariatric surgery is an effective intervention to achieve weight loss, with surgery patients achieving an average weight loss at one year after treatment of approximately 100 pounds (range: 60-120 lbs) and substantially improved quality of life. In addition, bariatric surgery substantially lowers health costs compared to those not receiving the surgery.
Combining forces to combat this increasingly present issue, Metamor provides a transdisciplinary approach to weight loss and the control of diabetes. Our Institute includes:
This destination program provides an integrated care model that brings world-class research and care to those we serve, both from Louisiana and beyond.
Metamor is specially equipped to manage some of the most difficult and challenging manifestations of obesity and diabetes. Experts in many medical specialties at Our Lady of the Lake including cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, anesthesia, pulmonary, sleep medicine, psychiatry, orthopedics, pediatrics, and others, assist our team in providing state-of-the-art care for the challenging conditions listed below:
