Transform Your Health

Total health transformation

Combined with lifestyle changes, surgery can help you lose weight — and gain quality of life.

When it comes to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, there are many things we can do: Eat nutrient-dense foods, consume less sugar and move our bodies every day. For people who are obese, this list might also include bariatric surgery.

“Surgery is a very strong tool when coupled with dietary improvements and healthy lifestyle choices,” says Tarig Samarkandy, MD, medical director of the Dameron Hospital bariatrics program. “People who opt for weight-loss surgery often see weight-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension resolve.”

The support to succeed

Whether it is your first or 50th time trying to make healthy changes and lose weight, Dr. Samarkandy and his team are prepared to guide you through your weight-loss journey.

“When a person is ready to lose weight, they start by having a consultation with me and my nurse practitioner,” Dr. Samarkandy says. “We take time to go through their weight-related health concerns and set up a plan to solve them.”

Choosing the right path

Dr. Samarkandy offers two options for surgery: sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. In a sleeve gastrectomy, about 75 percent of the stomach is removed, leaving a “sleeve” with much less volume. People feel fuller faster and have less desire to eat.

With a gastric bypass, a small portion of the stomach is stapled, leaving a pouch. The small intestine is connected to the pouch, so what a person eats bypasses most of the stomach and reduces the calories and nutrients absorbed by the body.

“Depending on a person’s medical conditions, we determine which procedure is more appropriate for them,” Dr. Samarkandy explains. “I tell them the pros and cons of each, and we make a decision together.”

Both procedures are done using a surgical robot — Dr. Samarkandy’s surgical skill is translated into precise movements in real time, resulting in smaller incisions and greatly reduced recovery time.

Results for a lifetime

Dr. Samarkandy says many people experience results that go beyond weight. “They have better self-esteem and more confidence, and most people no longer need to take medication to manage weight-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea.”

The most rewarding thing for Dr. Samarkandy and his team: “Being part of a person’s journey to better health, especially when you see someone who is free of medication and living a more active life,” he says. “With the grace of God and the great medical team we have, it really makes us feel like we’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life.”