If independent treatments such as diet and exercise haven’t worked for you, or if you lost weight through a fitness regimen only to regain it, know that this is not the result of the wrong diet or a lack of willpower. When a patient has a body mass index greater than 35, their chances of reaching an average body weight for a lasting period of time is less than one percent. That is why surgery is often the ideal option for patients with severe obesity.
Bariatric surgery can provide permanent weight loss by making your stomach smaller, thus reducing your appetite. At Lompoc Valley Medical Center, we use the most advanced, minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgical techniques. This means bariatric surgery options with smaller incisions, fewer complications, and a quicker recovery time. Our team of specialists offers a full range of procedures, conveniently in town, and we will work with you to navigate the process from start to finish, helping you find the surgical option that best fits your needs. We’ve helped lots of people achieve their goals—let us help you too!
Through bariatric surgery, patients can lose weight for good. This permanent weight loss often reduces (or can even eliminate) a host of weight-related medical problems, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These health benefits also apply to conditions such as arthritis and acid reflux, which can be exacerbated by obesity. With bariatric procedures, you can also lower your chances of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Please don’t hesitate to find out if you’re eligible for bariatric surgery. Contact us today to start your medical weight loss journey.
Also known as the gastric sleeve, sleeve gastrectomy involves reducing the size of your stomach so you can eat less food in one sitting. This is a restrictive surgery, as it allows you to eat smaller food portions and feel full sooner.
About 80% of your stomach is cut away in gastric sleeve surgery. The remaining 20% of your stomach will be a vertical, banana-shaped pouch. Gastric sleeve surgery is permanent and non-reversible. This is because it involves the surgical removal of a portion of your stomach.
This surgery may also affect your body’s levels of leptin and ghrelin. Leptin and ghrelin are “hunger hormones” that regulate your appetite. Lower levels of these hormones may reduce your appetite and prevent you from overeating.
Gastric sleeve surgery is a life-long commitment. When you commit to this surgery, you also commit to eating less food and making healthier choices. You will also be expected to exercise regularly. All these behaviors can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery involves reducing the size of your stomach and rerouting part of your small intestine. A smaller stomach will allow you to eat smaller food portions and avoid overeating. Having your small intestine rerouted will enable your body to absorb fewer calories from the foods you eat. This weight-loss surgery is both a restrictive and malabsorptive procedure due to the way it restricts portion sizes and prevents your body from absorbing high amounts of calories.
During Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, we staple part of the stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch. Then, we cut part of the small intestine and attach it directly to the stomach pouch so food can bypass parts of the stomach and intestine that absorb the majority of calories.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is performed as a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, which means it is safer and far less invasive than open surgery. We make a few small incisions instead of one long incision and insert a tiny camera and other surgical tools that provide a clear and precise view of your stomach while we perform the procedure.
Weight-loss medications are prescription medications closely monitored by our physicians to help you reduce your appetite and improve your metabolism. We follow Food and Drug Administration guidelines and approvals to prescribe medications.
The medications used to treat obesity work in different ways. Some medications may help you feel less hungry or make you feel as if your stomach is full sooner than it would without medication. Some medications make it harder for your body to absorb fat from the foods you are eating. Weight-loss medications are used in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity regimen. Weight-loss results will vary depending on the individual and associated health concerns. Some patients may regain weight after ending the use of the prescriptions.
He completed his residency in general surgery at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, with work in general surgery, trauma, laparoscopy, and endoscopy. He completed a fellowship at North Shore University Hospital in Long Island, New York in minimally invasive and bariatric surgeries.
His specialties include advanced laparoscopic surgery, weight-loss surgery, endoscopy, anti-reflux surgery, and hernia repair.
When Danielle Cooper found herself unable to lose the weight she gained after back-to-back pregnancies, she tried diets, exercise, and limiting her food intake. Nothing seemed to work. And as she neared the end of her pregnancy leave, she had another major problem: as a medic and Sergeant with the U.S. Army Reserves, she also risked losing her job for being over her regulation weight. “I have to keep my physique being a Reservist,” the 36-year-old said. “I didn’t feel like myself. I wanted my body back.”
After speaking with her primary care provider, Physician Assistant Leslie Mori, she decided to make an appointment with Dr. Christopher Taglia, D.A.B.S., a general and weight loss surgeon at Lompoc Health. After discussing various options with Dr. Taglia, Danielle opted to try a medication weight loss program. By mid-November 2020, Danielle had dropped to 155 pounds, from her high of 217. “The medicine seemed to give me more energy and curb my cravings and basically restarted my metabolism, thankfully. That’s when I started seeing weight coming off.”
Danielle says she has more energy and stamina to keep up with her sons, Duncan, 2, and Milo, 1. She had support throughout the weight loss process from her husband Mike. “I feel like a whole different person,” Danielle says. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done. If I hadn’t done it when I did it, I would have only gotten worse and caused my body more detrimental long-term damage. And I would have just been unhappy with myself, especially with everything going on right now. If I hadn’t done it, and continued to gain, and been stuck at home through all this (pandemic), it would have gotten 10 times worse.”
Since childhood, Armando Rojas has always been a “big guy.” Three years ago, he weighed 407 pounds – the most he’d ever weighed. Even though he is 6-feet, 3-inches tall, that amount of weight put him at a BMI, or Body Mass Index, of 46. He was categorized as obese.
In November 2019, a strenuous five-mile hike with one of his sons changed his life. He and his son Dezmin were at an Astro Camp near Palm Springs and went on a grueling uphill hike to a scenic overlook. “We were able to oversee the entire valley,” Armando recalls. “People took a moment and sat in quiet, looking at the sunset. At that moment, it hit home. I need to do something to change my life around. I want to be around for my kids.” A month later, he began the process of weight loss surgery with Dr. Christopher Taglia. After his discussions with Dr. Taglia, Armando chose to have sleeve gastrectomy surgery. In that surgery, the stomach is turned into a pouch that looks like a long tube, or sleeve. About 80 percent of the stomach is removed during surgery. “The process wasn’t bad at all,” Armando says. “I enjoyed it. It had all of these different steps, so you have a better understanding of every aspect.”
The surgery was performed on May 28 at Lompoc Valley Medical Center. He weighed 374 pounds as he entered surgery. Within two weeks, he’d lost 46 pounds. By early July, he weighed 313. In mid-October, he had lost 90 pounds. He now weighs 265. He’s spent the time since the surgery learning to eat in a new way. “You find out what your body can tolerate, and what it can’t,” he says. “I’m retraining myself.” He admits he sometimes misses the sensation of biting into a juicy hamburger. “It was good,” he recalls. “But what did I get out of that? This (surgery) opens the door to different possibilities.”
