FPG’s Bariatric and Metabolic Health Center provides a comprehensive program to help patients lose weight safely and resolve many of the health conditions associated with obesity, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and lipid disorders like high cholesterol or triglycerides.
Lead by surgeon Arundathi Rao, MD, our highly experienced surgery and support team guides program participants during every step of their journey toward better health – from pre-surgery counseling to long-term follow-up care and support. If surgery is determined to be the best option, our surgeon will review all of the latest technologies, advancements and procedures available to ensure the best outcome and lasting wight-loss results.
For patients who do not undergo surgery, our Medical Weight Loss Program team is available to build a comprehensive weight loss plan unique to the patient’s individual health and lifestyle.
Who Qualifies for Bariatric Surgery?
Weight-loss surgery is not the perfect fit for everyone looking to lose weight. But if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater (or 35 to 39, if you have a diagnosed, obesity-related health problem), and have tried multiple times to lose the weight on your own with little success, then surgery can be a safe and effective tool to achieve sustained weight loss and reverse related health risks.
Physicians recommend bariatric surgery when:
- All other attempts at weight loss have failed.
- Health conditions have created a medical need for surgery.
- Surgery seems to be the only option to achieve necessary weight loss.
- The patient is physically and mentally stable enough for major surgery.
Click here to learn more from Dr. Rao as she discusses Weight Loss Surgery 101 in a HealthCast podcast.
Find Out If You Qualify
To begin, please use this calculator provided by the CDC to determine your BMI.
Then return to this page and fill out the assessment below:
Complete Assessment
Our Sarasota Memorial based program is accredited as a higher level “Comprehensive Center” under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. The designation recognizes that the program meets the highest national standards for patient care and that its surgeons have the specialized skills, experience and successful outcomes to manage patients with complex disease.
For more information on weight-loss surgery or the Medical Weight Loss Program, contact the First Physician Group Bariatric and Metabolic Health Center at 941-917-4753.
