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Kevin M. Reavis, M.D.
Surgeon

With the start of a new year, people are looking to make positive changes to improve their lives – including achieving a healthy weight. Approximately two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and almost one-third are obese.

Excess weight and obesity have been linked to serious health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high-blood pressure and cancer. Weight loss can be achieved through diet and exercise. Unfortunately, traditional diets have a poor success rate among those who are significantly overweight (100 pounds or more, or twice their ideal body weight).

UC Irvine Healthcare’s bariatric surgery team offers the latest options for people contemplating weight-loss surgery. Our team specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic approaches to bariatric surgery, including the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the LAP-BAND® techniques.

If you are considering weight loss surgery, Kevin Reavis, M.D, bariatric surgeon for UC Irvine Healthcare, suggests following the steps below:

• Find out if you are a candidate for surgery.
  
  A good candidate for bariatric surgery is a person who is 100 pounds over ideal body weight; or has a BMI (body mass index) of 40 or greater; or 35 or greater with coexisting conditions such as arthritis, sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and GERD.
   
• Attend an information session.
  
  UC Irvine Healthcare offers an informational meeting for patients considering bariatric surgery. The meeting allows individuals to learn about the procedure firsthand from postoperative patients.
   
• Organize your medical records.
  
  Document weight-loss attempts from the past five years. Write down specific weight-loss programs or strategies utilized and indicate how much weight was lost during or after each attempt.
   
• Schedule a consultation.
  
  Call our office at 888.717.GIMD (4463) to schedule a consultation with one of our bariatric surgeons.

Dr. Reavis reminds people that weight-loss surgery should not be viewed as a quick-fix solution; but instead, as a springboard to a healthier lifestyle. Before the procedure, patients should commit to permanent lifestyle changes including exercise and healthy eating. He also cautions patients that dietary habits will become radically different after surgery and that maintaining a healthy diet will become a major part of everyday life.

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