ARC Bariatric Surgery

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss procedure that changes the size of your stomach to assist with weight loss, treats complications from obesity—such as joint pain, headaches, and reflux—and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Want to learn more? Call 512-421-4408 to learn more about our free educational bariatric surgery seminars.

If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher and are between the ages of 18-70, bariatric surgery could be the right treatment for you.

Watch Video

Meet our bariatric surgery team

Our bariatric surgery team has undergone extensive training, including Si/Xi robotic surgery certification, and Dr. Medina has performed hundreds of surgeries throughout the last five years. With the support of our registered dietitians, we work with you before and after the surgery to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Director, ARC Bariatric Surgery Department
Board Certified, General Surgery

Lorraine Castillo
Bariatric Coordinator
Staff Medical Assistant

Bariatric surgery options

ARC specializes in the following bariatric surgery procedures:

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy

This weight-loss surgery reduces the size of your stomach and limits the amount of food you can eat in one sitting. The route of digestion is preserved as part of the stomach is removed and the remaining is formed into a vertical sleeve. As a result, you will feel full sooner and longer.

Learn More

Roux-en-y gastric bypass

Gastric bypass surgery alters the way your stomach and small intestine process food. The surgeon creates a small pouch in the stomach and attaches it directly to a portion of the small intestine. The small pouch allows food to bypass a part of the small intestine and reduces the amount of fat and calories you absorb from the foods you eat.

Learn More

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG)

ESG is an incisionless, endoscopic approach to weight-loss surgery. During the ESG procedure, a flexible endoscope is inserted through your mouth into your stomach. While inside your stomach, the endoscope uses special suturing devices to create a series of permanent sutures. This reduces the size of your stomach, making it a smaller banana-shaped pouch. The smaller stomach size helps you control your appetite and limits the amount of food you can consume.

Learn More

Bariatric revision surgery

Revision surgery is a personalized approach that contemplates the correction or improvement of previous bariatric surgeries depending on the type of bariatric surgery that was previously performed.

We will start with an EGD (upper endoscopy) of the esophagus and stomach to evaluate the general shape of the anatomy. Once we have that information, we can see what options are right for you.

Gastric band removal is a common revision in our practice.

Additional details

• Am I a candidate?

  Bariatric surgery is right for you if:

  • You have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher
  • You are between the ages of 18-70

  Use our BMI calculator below to find out if weight-loss surgery is right for you.

  BMI calculator

  Height:

  Required

  Weight:

  Required

  Calculate Reset

  This information is not saved.

• Patient transformations

  We thank our patients for sharing their weight-loss transformations and are proud to have helped guide them step-by-step to a healthier lifestyle.

  A new lease on life

  Misty says she tried every diet in the book but found that she would always plateau at a certain point. Since her bariatric surgery, she says she feels better than ever.

  

• Initial bariatric surgery consultation

  After attending the seminar, we will book you an appointment with bariatric surgeon, Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS, to discuss your personalized care plan moving forward in the bariatric program. New patient appointments are focused on the individual patient and their health needs and concerns. You will also meet with the bariatric coordinator to discuss insurance-specific requirements for surgery and ask any questions that may have come up between the seminar and your appointment.

  Before this appointment, you will get a call from the financial counselor to discuss your insurance coverage. Bariatric surgery costs may be covered through some insurance plans.

• What to expect with bariatric surgery

  Before surgery

  • 3-6 months of preparation
  • Regular office visits with surgeons, psychological evaluations, sleep studies, and more
  • Workups for obesity and sleep apnea (OSA) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Nutrition education

  Around the time of surgery

  • Peri-operative visits
  • Nutrition education in preparation for surgery
  • Up to two nights in the hospital

  After surgery

  • Nutrition education and instructions post-surgery
  • Follow-up visit(s) with the bariatric surgeon
  • Improvements in blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels due to new weight loss
  • Increased energy and activity
  • Reduced weight of about 50-100 pounds five years after surgery with maintained diet and exercise

• Getting started

  If you are interested in bariatric surgery, call 512-421-4408 to RSVP to an upcoming seminar. Bariatric surgery costs may be covered through insurance plans or self-pay options. We can obtain your benefits after your first visit with our bariatric surgeon if the surgeon deems you a candidate.

• Patient Stories

  Healthier lifestyle after bariatric surgery program

  Her diabetes diagnosis set her off on a journey of healthier choices, bariatric surgery, and medication-free management.

  Read More

  February 28, 2024 2 min read

• Events

  ARC Bariatric Surgery Seminar

  In-person ARC Bariatric Surgery Seminars are held on the first Wednesday of every third month at 6pm.

  Read More

  January 15, 2024 < 1 min read

• Events

  ARC Bariatric Surgery Seminar

  In-person ARC Bariatric Surgery Seminars are held on the first Wednesday of every third month at 6pm.

  Read More

  January 15, 2024 < 1 min read