Los Robles Hospital Announces Opening of Center for Weight Loss Surgery

Co-Directors Drs. Amir Mehran and Donald Waldrep Spearhead Comprehensive Weight Loss Surgery Center for Morbidly Obese Patients

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Obesity continues to be a growing concern in the United States and has become a worldwide epidemic. It is estimated that by the year 2030 more than half of the population will be characterized as obese. Within that group, individuals diagnosed as morbidly obese have a higher risk of battling disabilities and other complications that are associated with this disease. With obesity rates on the rise, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center has developed a Center for Weight Loss Surgery to help provided qualified patient candidates with safe and effective surgical solutions.

The Center for Weight Loss Surgery is spearheaded by Co-directors and bariatric (weight-loss) surgeons Donald Waldrep, MD, FACS, FASMBS and Amir Mehran, MD, FACS, FASMBS. They have more than 20 years of combined experience and have performed more than 4,000 weight-loss surgeries. Drs. Waldrep and Mehran unite exceptional surgical outcomes with certified nutritional and psychosocial support for their patients. 

“We are excited to offer this comprehensive surgical weight-loss program to Ventura and Los Angeles Counties,” says Dr. Waldrep. “Our primary goal is to provide our patients the safest and most effective surgical solutions so that they can improve their health and regain their quality of life.”

Obesity is defined as excessive weight due to the accumulation of fat, above 30 percent of an individual’s ideal body weight based on age, gender and height. An individual is considered morbidly obese when he or she has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40kg/m2 or greater. However, in some patients, obesity associated metabolic disease can start with a BMI as low as 30kg/m2.

Obesity is not solely a cosmetic problem. Medical research has clearly indicated that it is a critical health concern that has reached epidemic proportions. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It causes devastating and costly health problems, reduces life expectancy, and is associated with stigma and discrimination. A multitude of factors contribute to obesity, including biological traits, environmental factors and behavioral issues.

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the successful treatment of morbid obesity is important because of obesity’s systemic and damaging health effects including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, infertility, and depression. The NIH recognizes bariatric surgery as the only effective treatment for people who are severely overweight.

The Center for Weight Loss Surgery offers several clinically proven weight-loss surgery options including gastric bypass (or Roux en-Y gastric bypass), sleeve gastrectomy (or “Gastric Sleeve”), gastric banding (using Lap Band® and Realize®), and revision surgery. Performed laparoscopically through small incisions, each procedure is designed to limit the amount of food that can be eaten and/or absorbed during a meal by reducing the size of the stomach. With a smaller stomach, patients feel full quickly and for a longer period of time, eliminating the need to eat larger quantities in more frequent intervals. The lower intake of calories will satisfy a patient’s appetite and will cause him or her to lose weight at the same time. During gastric bypass, a limited portion of the intestinal tract is bypassed, leading to immediate and weight-loss independent improvements in metabolic conditions such as diabetes.

“Weight-loss surgery is clinically proven to be a viable and effective treatment for qualified candidates suffering from morbid obesity and its adverse health such as diabetes and heart disease,” explains Dr. Mehran. “Combined with recent advancements in minimally-invasive weight-loss surgery treatments and post-operative nutrition plans and support groups, patients are accomplishing their weight-loss goals and living the life they have always dreamed about.”

 For more information about the Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-877-888-5746 or log on to www.losrobleshospital.com/service/line/center-for-weight-loss-surgery/.