Is Losing Weight Your Perpetual New Year's Resolution? It's Time to Consider Weight-Loss Surgery

Resolving to lose weight is a common January promise made by millions of Americans. In 2020 about half (49%) of Americans who made that promise stuck to it. Losing 10 pounds can be challenging despite your best efforts. Losing 100 pounds or more can seem impossible, even when the excess weight threatens your physical health.

Board-certified general and bariatric surgeon Dr. Amir Mehran is committed to helping you achieve your weight-loss goals. At University Bariatrics in Thousand Oaks and Northridge, California, he uses his extensive medical knowledge and surgical skill to provide Los Angeles area patients with the highest quality services throughout their journey to reach and maintain an ideal weight.

Are you considering weight-loss surgery? Here’s how it changes lives by turning the seemingly impossible into reality, maybe even before this brand new year ends.

When is weight-loss surgery an option?

Dr. Mehran considers each case individually before recommending weight-loss surgery. For instance, he may recommend surgery if your body mass index (BMI) is above 40 and you’ve sincerely tried but failed to lose weight by improving your diet and exercise habits.

He also might suggest surgery if your BMI is 30-39 and you’re struggling with chronic weight-related conditions that are threatening your physical health, such as:

• Diabetes
• Treatment-resistant high blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Sleep apnea
• Hyperlipidemia
• Fatty liver
• Severe arthritis of spine and joints

Excess weight significantly strains your musculoskeletal and circulatory systems, often severely compromising your joint, vein, and skin health. These issues may also factor into Dr. Mehran’s recommendations for weight-loss surgery.

How successful is weight-loss surgery?

Dr. Mehran recommends two types of bariatric surgery because of their high success rates and patient safety ratings: sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.

On average, patients who undergo sleeve gastrectomy lose 50-70% of their excess weight within the first year of their surgery. Gastric bypass is a more complex surgery, with a higher excess weight loss averaging 60-80%.

Both procedures alter stomach and other gastrointestinal hormones, helping you feel fuller longer by eliminating the “hunger hormone.” In addition, these surgeries can reverse Type 2 diabetes, even before you’ve noticed a significant weight loss. 

Both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass are amenable to laparoscopic surgery. Advantages of this minimally invasive surgical technique include smaller incision size, reduced tissue trauma, decreased risks of postsurgical complications, and faster healing. 

What happens during a weight-loss surgery consultation?

At University Bariatrics, your experience starts with a comprehensive evaluation. This initial assessment includes a physical exam, a detailed medical history review, and a sincere discussion of your previous weight loss attempts. Contact us by phone or online.