Understanding Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
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Why bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery can help you lose weight when other methods have produced limited results.
With diet, exercise, and physician support alone, the success rate for people with a BMI greater than 30 kg/m to keep weight off for at least 5 years is approximately 6%. In contrast, the success rate following bariatric surgery is 80%. Most studies show that bariatric surgery can help someone lose 60-70% of their excess weight.
Patients who receive bariatric surgery can benefit from improvement or resolution of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. They also have a reduced risk of developing cancers and heart diseases.
Named a Center of Excellence by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program Center, the bariatric surgery program at Banner - University Medicine provides patients in Tucson and Southern Arizona with the excellent care and resources to set them up for success.
Bariatric surgery can help improve medical problems like:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Sleep apnea
- Arthritis and many more
What is Obesity?
Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease. In the U.S., 41.9% of the population was considered obese from 2017 to March 2020. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes and certain types of cancer. These are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
Obesity is a condition defined by “Body Mass Index,” or BMI. The National Institutes of Health defines obesity as a BMI of 30 and above.
Obesity is considered clinically severe when serious medical conditions occur as a direct result of excess weight. Someone is considered morbidly obese if their BMI is greater than 40, or if their BMI is greater than 35 with simultaneous medical conditions including Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Here in Arizona, the prevalence of obesity is 36.4%. It is a multifactorial disease and a metabolic disease associated with genetics, physiology, behavior, social and neurohormonal factors. Therefore, the treatment of obesity requires a multifactorial and multidisciplinary approach.
Am I eligible for bariatric surgery?
We encourage patients to meet with one of one of our experienced bariatric surgeons for a complimentary consultation with if they are experiencing one or more of the following:
- BMI of 40 or greater
- 85 lbs over ideal body weight or BMI of 35 or greater with two or more comorbidities such as:
- Diabetes Mellitus type II
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
- Hypertension
Virtual Information Sessions
Hear from our experienced surgeons about what you can expect from bariatric surgery, including pre and post-operative care, by joining one of our free virtual information sessions.
Types of bariatric surgery
Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass is a procedure in which the surgeon creates a pouch out of the upper portion of the stomach. The surgeon then connects the pouch to the small intestine. This way you eat small amounts of food and still feel full. It also restricts the amount of nutrition your body can absorb, and it limits production of hormones that cause hunger.
Gastric bypass allows for better diabetes control and heartburn relief, and it is considered a gold standard procedure in bariatric surgery.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
During a sleeve gastrectomy procedure, 80% of the stomach is removed. This portion of the stomach produces ghrelin (the hunger hormone), so removing this section reduces hunger.
The remaining stomach looks like a banana, or sleeve, which restricts the amount of food you can eat before you feel full. Sleeve gastrectomy has rapidly become a popular bariatric operation that allows for weight loss and improvement in associated medical problems.
Revisional Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery is an effective tool to assist in weight loss, improve medical problems and improve your quality of life. Sometimes, there certain situations in which bariatric surgery revision may need to be performed. This may happen if a person experiences weight regain, an inability to achieve a weight loss goal, or acid reflux. Other criteria for bariatric surgery revision are discussed on a case by case basis.
Our surgeons perform revisional surgery for appropriate patients.
"Bariatric surgery is a team sport. It’s not just the surgeon, but a whole group of people who care for the patient and get them through a safe surgery. Seeing patients who had difficulty walking or other medical problems go on to lose weight, be more active, improve their health and then come back to us smiling is a very gratifying experience."
Saad Ajmal, MBBS, FACS, FACS, Diplomat American Board of Obesity Medicine
Assistant Professor of Minimally Invasive, Robotic and Bariatric Surgery
Our Bariatric Surgery Program
Why Banner - University Medicine
Minimally invasive robotic surgery
Our program is one of the few in Arizona to utilize the Da Vinci Robot for minimally invasive bariatric surgery procedures. This allows our surgeons to perform complex bariatric surgeries with more precision and control than is possible with conventional laparoscopic techniques.
Quality assurance and excellent outcomes
Dr. Iman Ghaderi and Dr. Saad Ajmal are leaders in national quality assurance and outcomes research, placing patient safety as their first and foremost priority. By grounding their work in evidence-based care, Dr. Ghaderi and Dr. Ajmal have created a practice that has fewer complications and better outcomes than the national average.
Our Team
Banner - University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, has an MBSAQIP accredited bariatric surgery program. The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) is a national accreditation program that provides Center of Excellence designation.
We are proud to be considered a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, which means we have all the resources under the same program to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
- Bariatric Care Coordinator: Antonia Cervantes
- Bariatric Insurance Coordinator: Guadalupe Minjarez
- Bariatric Referral Specialist: Alicia Valencia
- Registered Dietician: Brianne Herber, RD
- Bariatric Nurses: Emily Snavely, RN; Michele Adams, RN; Adam Browne, LPN
- Clinical Psychologists: Kyle Suhr, PhD; Joanna Katsanis, PhD
Meet Our Providers
Iman Ghaderi, MD, MSc, MHPE, FRCSC, FACS, FASMBS
Dr. Ghaderi completed his general surgery residency training at the Western University in London, Canada. He then went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed a 2-year research and clinical fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. He specializes in minimally invasive general surgery and bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional bariatric surgery.
Dr. Ghaderi’s clinical research focuses on preoperative risk reduction, the management of upper GI and bariatric patients, and outcomes of various minimally invasive foregut and bariatric procedures.
Saad Ajmal, MBBS, FACS, FACS, Diplomat American Board of Obesity Medicine
Dr. Ajmal completed his internship and general surgery residency at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. He completed a bariatric/minimally invasive surgery fellowship at Highland Hospital with the University of Rochester in New York, where he was also appointed as a faculty fellow in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery.
Dr. Ajmal’s clinical interests include minimally invasive foregut/hiatal surgery, general surger and bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revisional bariatric surgery.
Susan Messenger, FNP
Susan Messenger, FNP, is an ANCC board certified family nurse practitioner who specializes in bariatric surgery, weight loss and metabolic surgery. She received her FNP degree from the University of Phoenix - School of Nursing. She gives her full attention to each patient and strives to bring them the expert care for their individual needs.
Take the first steps of your weight loss journey
Bariatric surgery is accompanied by a commitment to long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals, opening the door to a more vibrant, active and healthy life.
Because of the commitment that comes with bariatric surgery, we want you to be informed so you have the knowledge and power to determine what is the best option for you. That is why we have a 2-step process to help set you up for long-term success following your bariatric surgery.
Attend a virtual information session
Offered regularly each month, our virtual information sessions will provide you with an introduction to weight loss surgery, our providers, and our philosophy for working with you to achieve your lifestyle goals.
Meet with a provider.
Consult with one of our providers to decide which option is best for you.
Do you have questions about bariatric surgery at Banner – University Medical Center?
Email TucsonBariatric@bannerhealth.com or call 520-694-6720.
Make an Appointment
For the best surgical care in Tucson, Southern Arizona or the Southwest, make an appointment by calling
(520) 694-8888.
Contact Us
University of Arizona Department of Surgery
Division of General Surgery
PO Box 245131
Tucson, AZ 85724-5131
Office Phone: (520) 626-2635
Fax: (520) 626-1411