Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery
Lose weight. Gain health.
Call 530-642-SLIM (7546).
Let us help you take the steps toward health and wellbeing.
Obesity is a disease that can be treated through educational, medical, and surgical interventions. Our bariatric surgery program and our team of expert nutrition educators work together to maximize results and long-term success.
Our Bariatric Surgery Team
Our team includes of several specialists. It starts with our director and Metabolic Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Delandy McConnell. Our team of Registered Dietitians offer education to promote weight loss prior to surgery and give guidance to safely manage your nutritional needs after surgery.
We have nurses that assist navigating insurance requirements and scheduling appointments. Our surgical and post-operative nurses receive special training to provide safe care and swift recovery.
We work with primary care providers and specialists to make sure your unique health concerns are considered and a safe plan is in place. Our team works with in-house and community mental health care professionals to support all aspects of your wellness journey.
What surgeries are offered?
Our team performs the two most common surgeries for weight loss. Both have a proven track record of long-term safety and weight loss.
The first and most often performed is the sleeve gastrectomy.
What does it do? It removes a significant part of the stomach, leaving a much smaller pouch.
How does it work? It changes how fast you feel full and restricts overeating. It also affects some hormone levels to make people feel less hungry.
What other effects does it have? Studies have shown positive impacts on blood pressure, diabetes, heart health, sleep apnea, migraines, arthritis, and hormone issues affecting sexual health.
The second is also very common, the gastric bypass.
What does it do? It creates a bypass that skips a large part of the stomach and a portion of the small intestine.
How does it work? It changes how fast you feel full, and it also reduces the number of calories you absorb by shortening the path. It also affects some hormone levels to make people feel less hungry.
What other effects does it have? Like sleeve gastrectomy, studies show positive impacts on blood pressure, diabetes, heart health, sleep apnea, migraines, arthritis, and hormone issues affecting sexual health.
Is Bariatric Surgery safe?
Both operations are very safe. Complication rates are lower than common operations such as gallbladder removal, hysterectomy, and hip replacement. There are risks, but they are small. Some are common to all surgeries, and some are unique to bariatric procedures.
Standard surgery risks:
- Bleeding, infection, suture or staple leak, blood clots
Bariatric-specific risks:
- Vitamin deficiencies requiring supplementation.
- Dumping syndrome and/or dehydration, nausea.
Ways to reduce risks:
- Follow our nutritionists’ guidelines closely, before and after surgery.
- Follow the prescribed care pathway after surgery (it includes nurse and patient cooperation to track pain, nausea, and dehydration. It encourages movement after surgery early and often).
- Follow instructions to quit smoking before surgery
- All surgeries have risks. At our bariatric seminar and our surgical consult, we have open discussions about risk, and we remind people that individual results vary.
- Asking questions and following proven safety plans can help increase the odds of success, but it can’t guarantee the absence of complications.
- Our team will consider your unique health concerns and develop a tailored plan for each patient. We want to provide the best chance of successful and safe surgery.
Am I a candidate for bariatric surgery?
Most insurance companies share these same qualifications, and they are based on your Body Mass Index (BMI). To estimate yours, use the BMI tool below and enter your weight and height. General qualifications include:
- Any patient above 40 BMI
- Any patient above 35 BMI with some weight related medical issues Diabetes, High cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, and others.
- Some patients with a BMI of 30 and uncontrolled diabetes
Some health problems require additional clearances from specialists. For our program, hard stop requirements include:
- Must be able to walk 50 feet.
- Must not have a history of previous bariatric surgery.
- Must not have an organ transplant or be on a transplant list.
- Must be under 400 lbs. at the time of surgery.
- Must not have advanced organ failure.
This doesn’t mean surgery is impossible. There are specialty hospitals where you can be referred. Fill out an information request to learn more.
What results can I expect?
Most patients lose 50-80% of their excess weight. Patients frequently see improvement or remission of blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol issues. Greater activity tolerance is a commonly reported. With any life-changing health intervention, what you put in will have the largest effects on your results.
Keeping up with prescribed diet recommendations, exercise, and follow-up appointments are a recipe for success. Your surgeon will tailor a plan that meets your goals and your unique health requirements.
Use the tool below to estimate your BMI
What commitment is required to qualify?
Bariatric surgery requires life-long changes to be successful. Our bariatric program director wants to be sure patients are committed to success. Insurance providers also require things to demonstrate dedication.
Some requirements are:
- 4-6 months of regular appointments with the surgeon
- Adherence to a diet and exercise plan before surgery
- Attending diet and nutrition classes, including:
- General education and guidance on healthy eating
- Specialized education for diet after bariatric surgery
- Cessation of smoking prior to surgery
- Committing to a plan to prevent pregnancy for the first two years after surgery.
- Committing to follow in-hospital prescribed care pathways.
- Agreeing to respond to any concerns noted by our mental health evaluation team.
How can I get started?
Our program begins with an online Weight Loss Orientation class. Our team of Diabetes and Nutrition Educators provide information about all your options for professionally managed weight loss. They provide information about their 8-week nutrition class and specialized bariatric diet training.
A monthly online seminar is then arranged that will allow you to meet the surgeon, learn detailed pros and cons of each surgical option, and ask questions. After that, a personal surgical consult can be scheduled.
If you don’t qualify for surgery, these are still incredibly helpful classes! They have helped patients that were over the weight limit lose enough to qualify. They have helped some lose enough weight to no longer need bariatric surgery. A support group membership is included to provide the best chance of lasting success.