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How Gastric Bypass Surgery Can Help With Obesity

Obesity can cause life-threatening medical conditions, such as high blood sugar, hypertension, and sleep apnea.

Gastric bypass surgery allows you to lose excess body weight because the procedure restricts the amount of food you can take. This surgery also causes the malabsorption of food, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the amount of calories you can consume and absorb.

The Khalili Center specializes in weight loss procedures, like gastric bypass surgery, to help individuals who find it difficult to lose weight with traditional diet regimens and exercise. 

Long-term weight loss from this laparoscopic surgery (minimally-invasive procedure) can lead to the management and, in some cases, the reversal of life-threatening obesity-related health problems, including(1):

  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure 
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke 
  • Sleep apnea

After a gastric bypass procedure, the Khalili Center patients achieve a much healthier body mass index (BMI) and feel a sense of pride and newfound confidence because of their healthy weight.

We’ve helped our patients solve obesity and its related health issues. Check out our success stories below:

Angela’s Synopsis

Angela is a dedicated mother. She wanted to experience life’s greatest moments with her children.

Unfortunately, Angela’s weight was causing her to miss out on these moments. What would be a fun, adventurous, memorable day with her kids at the amusement park turned into Angela watching her children on the park rides. Always watching, never being able to join. She would have to ask a smaller friend to come and join her children on the rides, while Angela would take photos – for what soon would be a memory. Angela knew she was missing out, and she wanted to be a part of these memorable moments. It was because of these experiences that Angela took the first step in her weight loss journey and came to see Dr. Khalili. When Angela walked into the Center, she knew she was taking charge of her health not only for herself, but for her children. She knew that she would be supported by a team that would guide her into the best version of herself. Dr. Khalili met with Angela, providing an individualized, comprehensive weight loss plan for Angela’s goals that extended far after surgery. To have bariatric surgery is to change your nutrition and exercise habits. Dr. Khalili and our team of registered dietitians and therapists will guide patient’s post surgery and through each phase of their journey.

Weight loss surgery allowed Angela to be more present with her children, allowing her to lead by example on how to live a healthy life. Angela believes that weight loss surgery changed her life in a completely different direction. If Angela’s story resonates with you, we would love to hear from you.

Come meet Dr. Khalili and the rest of our team and learn more about bariatric surgery options.


The Khalili Center’s Other Weight Loss Surgery Options

Aside from gastric bypass surgery, we offer the following weight loss procedures:

  • Sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve surgery) – a laparoscopic procedure in which surgeons create a narrow tube or sleeve that empties food off the bottom of the stomach and into the small intestine
  • LAP-BAND® surgery – this adjustable gastric banding surgery makes use of a gastric band to create a two-compartment stomach
  • Revisional procedures – we also specialize in helping new clients revise or replace their previously-done ineffective or outdated weight loss procedures

How to Know if a Weight Loss Procedure Is Right for You?

At the core of the Khalili Center is the partnership between doctors and patients. Doctors first assess an individual’s healthcare needs, weight loss goals, and expectations before recommending a weight loss program or procedure.

Weight loss is a journey unique to each of our patients. No single procedure or diet program can cure obesity.

Our approach is multidisciplinary, assuring patients that they can get the most comprehensive care available.

How to Choose the Best Gastric Bypass Surgeon

Medical centers with weight loss programs that promise to help with excess weight have been opening in every part of California. The problem is that many of these surgeons may not have the experience of pioneers like Theodore Khalili, MD, FACS, founder of the Weight Loss Surgery of Southern California. 

To date, Dr. Khalili has helped transform over 8,783 lives, with successful bariatric surgeries. Together with his competent team, he can also help change your life. Working with the Khalili Center means working with some of the top surgeons in Los Angeles. Dr. Khalili and his partners have extensive experience managing weight loss surgery programs at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Backed by their collective experience, they opened a patient-centered and service-oriented facility that takes a holistic and comprehensive approach to bariatric treatment.

Esteemed surgeons who are authorities on general surgery, robotics, minimally-invasive surgery, and bariatric surgery make up the Khalili Center’s team. They have also been published extensively in several journals from medical communities in the United States.

Learn more about our doctors here and discover how they can make your gastric bypass surgery a success.

Watch the video

My name is Dr. Theodore Khalili, surgeon and founder of Weight Loss Surgery of Southern California. I founded the Center because I have dedicated my life-long professional work to patient care. My approach to patient-centric partnerships and service-oriented facilities offer a comprehensive and holistic approach to bariatric treatment – all in one place.

I believe that patient care does not end right after surgery – it’s only the beginning. I founded the Center to give patients access to a supportive community that guides them through each step of the weight loss journey. We work with a team of registered dieticians, psychologists and general doctors to create tailored, best-in-class care available.

I have performed over 8,000 bariatric surgeries…

Read more

Dr. Theodore M. Khalili,
Founder and Director
Khalili Center for Bariatric Care


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What Is Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric bypass surgery is characterized by the separation of the stomach into two unequal compartments, reducing the amount of food it can hold. 

Benefits of gastric bypass surgery include changing the stomach’s gut hormones, so you feel fuller and satisfied longer. This procedure also restricts the calories and nutrients absorbed by the body. With the Khalili Center’s cutting-edge facilities and our team’s multidisciplinary approach, you can get the best gastric bypass surgery possible.

Gastric bypass surgery is most qualifying to patients who have reached a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more. The inability to achieve weight loss is also a qualifying factor for the surgery(12).

How Gastric Bypass Surgery Works

During gastric bypass procedures, our experienced surgeons rearrange the digestive system, the stomach, and the small intestine, to modify how these organs absorb and digest food. Surgeons performing the major surgery divide the small intestine 18 inches below the stomach.

Part of the small intestine is modified to provide an outlet to the small stomach and maintain digestive juices. Part of the stomach, the lower portion, in particular, is bypassed. This process ensures that food enters the second part of the small bowel 10 minutes after starting your meal.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) Surgery

This surgical procedure is the gold standard of bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery. The methods involved in your gastric bypass surgery depend on the comprehensive assessment of our surgeons.

Some surgical procedures involve making large incisions in the abdomen. However, most weight loss operations can be done laparoscopically. 

During laparoscopic roux-en-y gastric bypass, surgeons insert instruments through several small incisions in the abdomen. 

Bariatric surgeons create a small stomach pouch by diving the top portion of the stomach from the rest of the stomach.The surgeon divides part of your small intestine and connects the bottom end to the newer and smaller stomach pouch. Meanwhile, the small intestine’s top portion is connected to the small intestine’s lower portion.

This rerouting ensures that the bypassed stomach’s acids and digestive enzymes still mix with food. Based on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), RYGB surgery is the most performed bariatric procedure in the world(2). 

How To Prepare for Gastric Bypass Surgery

After our surgeons evaluate your condition, we determine if you are a potential candidate for surgery. Our registered nurses then discuss the details of the tests and consultations necessary to accomplish before you can undergo surgery.

We also ask our clients to check with their primary healthcare providers if their medical insurance can cover these tests’ costs. Your assigned surgeon then performs a series of diagnostic examinations and consultations to ensure that the surgery goes well. 

What to Expect After the Surgery

Hospital stay is short after gastric bypass surgery with us. Usually, we release the patients one to two days after the procedure. Patients fresh from surgery should refrain from eating solid food. We prescribe a liquid diet for one to two weeks, then soft foods, or pureed foods, are introduced. 

After surgery, individuals should take medications for pain and acid reflux. To avoid mineral deficiencies, they should also add mineral supplements and multivitamins with calcium, iron, and vitamin B12 to their regimen.

A week after the surgery, you should be ready to get back to work and engage in non-strenuous physical activities.

To manage weight gain, you should apply lifestyle changes. These adjustments ensure that you eat less food and get fewer calories. 

Most patients from the Khalili Center experience a smooth recovery. We remind our patients that one’s weight loss journey is unique from others’. Therefore, some patients  may experience side effects, such as nausea, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, and regurgitation.

These medical conditions are expected. However, we encourage that you consult with your assigned doctor or weight loss surgeon if you observe any of these symptoms. We also require follow-up blood work, check-ups, and weight management sessions. 

Recovering From Gastric Bypass Surgery

What sets the Khalili Center apart from other weight loss surgery centers is our Unique Care Support Program tailored to our patient’s needs.

Located in Beverly Hills, California, our facilities boast of bright, sleek, and modern spaces, reflecting the ease, openness, and convenience of the Khalili Center practice.

Even before surgery, our registered dietitian offers private nutrition counseling sessions to patients. Our psychologist, meanwhile, prepares clients for life after weight loss surgery through private psychological counseling sessions.

New patients are encouraged to join support groups before and after surgery. These sessions include other weight loss surgery patients to inspire and educate the newcomers.

We at the Khalili Center believe that surgery is only the beginning of one’s weight loss journey. We’ve planned special year-long events to keep patients active. Walk with your doctors, play softball with them, go spinning with them, or celebrate festive events with them during the holiday season. 

At the Khalili Center, we believe that aftercare is just as crucial as the actual weight loss surgery.

The Risks of Gastric Bypass Surgery

At the Khalili Center, our surgeons can perform laparoscopic gastric bypass on almost all morbidly obese patients. 

Like with any other medical weight loss surgery, during gastric bypass surgery, potential complications may arise. While complication rates in the Khalili Center are low, we believe that our clients should be made aware of any surgery risks.

 

Gastric bypass surgery may result in excessive bleeding, blood clots, infection, nutritional deficiencies, and dumping syndrome(3). Dumping syndrome is a health condition characterized by the rapid gastric emptying from the new stomach to the small bowel(4). 

If you feel that another procedure is more appropriate for you, the Khalili Center team would be more than happy to help. We will give you all the information to help you decide what type of surgery is best for you.

FAQs

Does Medi-Cal Cover Gastric Bypass Surgery?

For bariatric surgeries, like gastric bypass surgery, Medi-Cal’s coverage is limited to certain California counties(6). We suggest that you contact Medi-Cal to learn if your plan covers your county.

The Khalili Center offers free insurance verification. Several insurance companies cover the costs of your surgery if your BMI is 35 or above.

What Weight Loss Surgery Can You Have After Gastric Bypass?

Some weight loss surgeries, including gastric bypass, require revisions if they are ineffective, outdated, or causing complications, such as acid reflux.

If you are a new client with this type of problem, the Khalili Center is the right weight loss center for you. Dr. Khalili and his team specialize in revisional procedures. 

We can help improve our new client’s quality of life with the Khalili Center’s effective weight loss solutions.  

Can Gastric Bypass Surgery Shorten Your Life?

Bariatric surgery improves the life expectancy of severely obese patients with diabetes. However, these surgical procedures may reduce the life expectancy of individuals with morbid obesity, particularly those with BMIs over 62kg/m2(7).

Through our committed team, headed by Dr. Khalili, our unique and comprehensive approach to bariatric surgery, our patient-centered facilities, and our supportive community, you can begin your weight loss journey.

Call us at 310-246-9083. With the help of the Khalili Center, take control of your life today!

  1. Bariatric surgery. (2020, January 22). Retrieved from
    https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bariatric-surgery/about/pac-20394258
  2. Bypass Surgery. Retrieved from http://surgery.ucla.edu/bariatrics-gastric-bypass
  3. Gastric bypass(Roux-en-Y). (2017, December 28). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/gastric-bypass-surgery/about/pac-20385189
  4. Dumping Syndrome: Treatment, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Causes. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17835-dumping-syndrome
  5. Gastric bypass(Roux-en-Y). op. cit.
  6. Is Bariatric Surgery Covered by Insurance? Retrieved from
    https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/weight-loss/is-bariatric-surgery-covered-by-insurance
  7. Schauer, D. P., Arterburn, D. E., Livingston, E. H., Coleman, K. J., Sidney, S., Fisher, D., OʼConnor, P., Fischer, D., & Eckman, M. H. (2015). Impact of bariatric surgery on life expectancy in severely obese patients with diabetes: a decision analysis. Annals of surgery, 261(5), 914–919. https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000000907

Your Journey to Overcoming Obesity Starts Here.

Weight loss surgery is a tool to reset your life.

Our comprehensive program is everything you need to set you up for your new life and to keep the weight off. All you have to to find out if we’re right for you is to book an appointment.