Weight Loss Surgery at St. John's

St. John's Center for Surgical Weight Loss

Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You?

According to the American College of Surgeons, weight loss surgery has been shown to be extremely effective, with the majority of patients keeping off excess weight five years after their surgery.

There are also additional health benefits to weight loss surgery:

• loss of significant amount of weight—between 70% and 80% of excess body weight in the first year
• partial or total relief from weight-related health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and degenerative arthritis pain
• improvement in overall health

St. John's Center for Surgical Weight Loss: A Center of Excellence

St. John’s Regional Medical Center has the largest and most established hospital-based surgical weight loss program in Ventura County. Our services include:

• free seminars
• extensive physical evaluation to minimize surgery risks
• psychological evaluation
• nutritional counseling
• active support groups
• individualized care
• post-operative visits and calls
• post-operative programs laboratory testing and monitoring
• nutrition and exercise guidance
• behavior modification exercises
• exercise program specifically designed for weight loss surgery patients

What Makes Our Program So Successful?

We are dedicated to meeting the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of our patients. From the initial consultation to many years after surgery, our patients get all the support they need to get healthy and stay healthy for the rest of their lives. 

Our Team

At St. John’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss, we follow a multi-disciplinary team approach with specially trained experts, including surgeons who have performed hundreds of procedures, anesthesiologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, nurses, nutritionists, psychotherapists, plastic surgeons, and a program coordinator.

Medical Director Helmuth Billy, MD is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Billy’s surgical expertise and dedicated approach to patient care have been instrumental in our program’s support group, education, and outreach efforts.

Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery)

The reasons for obesity are multiple and complex. It's not simply a result of overeating. In fact, research has shown that, in many cases, the underlying cause of obesity is genetic. Studies have also demonstrated that dieting and exercise programs have a limited ability to provide effective long-term relief. The fact of the matter is that obesity is a disease. That's why it is so important to understand that all current medical interventions, including weight loss surgery, should not be considered medical cures. However, weight loss surgery can help those who undergo the procedure to live a healthier, longer life.

The most common type of procedure is known as a gastric bypass. Other types include vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), the biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), and various gastric banding procedures. According to the American College of Surgeons, bariatric weight loss surgery has shown to be extremely effective, with lasting weight reduction in the majority of morbidly obese patients when assessed five years after the operation. There are also additional health benefits that are gained by undergoing weight loss surgery. 

How Surgery Reduces Weight

Surgeons first began to recognize the potential for surgical weight loss while performing operations that required the removal of large segments of a patient's stomach and intestine. After these surgeries, doctors noticed that many patients maintained a weight lower than their pre-surgery weight. With further study, surgeons were able to recommend similar modifications that could be safely used to produce weight loss in obese patients. Over the last few decades these procedures have been refined in order to improve results and minimize risks. When making the choice to have surgery, there are some basic facts that you need to familiarize yourself with, starting with surgery. 

Contact Us

Take That First Step to Change Your Life!

Attend a free seminar where our surgeons will be available to answer your questions and provide you with information about St. John’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Call St. John's Center for Surgical Weight Loss at (805) 981-7305 and find out if weight loss surgery is right for you.

St. John's Center for Surgical Weight Loss
Medical Plaza at St. John's (adjacent to St. John's Regional Medical Center)
1700 North Rose Avenue, Suite 380
Oxnard, CA  93030

Choosing Surgery

The goal is to live better, healthier and longer.

This is why you should make the decision to have weight loss surgery only after careful consideration and consultation with an experienced bariatric surgeon or a knowledgeable family physician. A qualified bariatric surgeon will be able to answer your questions and explain the exact details of the procedure, the extent of the recovery period and the reality of the required follow up care.

It is important to remember that there are no ironclad guarantees in any kind of medicine or surgery. There can be unexpected outcomes in even the simplest procedures. What can be said, however, is that weight loss surgery will only succeed when the patient makes a lifelong commitment. To help patients achieve their goals and adapt to the changes surgery and weight loss can bring, most bariatric surgeons offer follow-up care that includes support groups, dieticians, and other forms of continuing education.

Ultimately, the decision to have the procedure is entirely up to you. After having heard all the information, you must decide if the benefits outweigh the side effects and potential complications. This surgery is a tool, a starting point. Your ultimate success depends on strict adherence to the recommended dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes. The best preparation for weight loss surgery is to understand the benefits and potential risks and to closely follow your doctor's instructions. 

Preparing for Surgery

The best preparation for weight loss surgery is to understand the benefits and potential risks and to closely follow your doctor's instructions. To mentally prepare yourself: Understand the surgical process and what to expect afterwards. Talk to people who have had weight loss surgery.

Write a letter to yourself and your surgeon explaining your reasons for having the surgery and outlining your plans to maintain your weight loss after surgery. Start a journal about your experience. Record how you feel now, the obstacles you encounter, and the things you hope to be able to do after surgery. Get a letter of support from your family. It helps to know you have people behind you, waiting to help.

To physically prepare yourself, follow the guidelines provided by your surgeon. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Restricting yourself to a clear-liquid diet 24 hours before surgery.
• Stopping smoking for at least a month before surgery.
• Obtaining a medical clearance for bariatric surgery from your primary care physician.
• Starting on a regular exercise program.

Risks and Complications

As with any surgery, there are both operative and long-term complications and risks associated with weight loss surgical procedures. These should be discussed with your doctor.

Possible risks include, but are not limited to:

• Bleeding Complications due to anesthesia and medications
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Dehiscence
• Infections
• Leaks from staple line breakdown
• Marginal ulcers
• Pulmonary problems
• Spleen injury: removal of the spleen is necessary in about 0.3% of patients to control operative bleeding.
• Stenosis Death

Life After Surgery

There are certain rules that must be followed for patients after they have undergone weightloss surgery.

Diet
The modifications made to your gastrointestinal tract will require permanent changes in your eating habits that must be adhered to for successful weight loss. Post-surgery dietary guidelines will be given by your surgeon. The following are some of the generally accepted dietary guidelines for weight loss surgery patients to follow:

• When you start eating solid food, it is essential that you take small bites and chew thoroughly. You will not be able to eat steaks or other chunks of meat if they are not ground or chewed thoroughly.
• Don't drink fluids while eating. They will make you feel full before you have consumed enough food.
• Omit desserts, high calorie sweets and other items with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients.
• Omit carbonated drinks.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Do not snack between meals.

Exercise Program
An exercise program should be part of your bariatric surgery program. St. John's has a program designed specifically for its bariatric patients. 

Support Groups

Regular attendance at support groups is a necessary part of the process. Attending these groups builds camaraderie between you and other patients who are taking positive action to combat the difficulties associated with obesity. These groups will help you to build a support system. It's also a time to answer questions and concerns, and to acquire updates about your program and recent medical developments.

For the next scheduled weight loss support group at St. John's Regional Medical Center, please call (805) 981-7305.