Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery - Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center

We perform these weight loss surgeries:

• Gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y): Reconnects your stomach and upper small intestines in a Y shape, helping you eat less and absorb fewer calories.

• Gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy): Removes up to 85% of your stomach, which helps you eat less without changing the amount of calories your body absorbs.  

Learn more about weight loss surgery

Requirements for medical clearance vary depending on your medical condition and insurance plan. Most patients need these clearances:

• Nutritional evaluation

• Primary care physician clearance

• Psychological evaluation

Some people may also need:

• Cardiac clearance

• Medical weight loss management

• Pulmonary clearance

• Upper GI exam

Your physician and surgical weight loss coordinator will guide you through the process to help make sure you get all of the clearances you need.

Our surgery weight loss center at St. Mary Medical Center typically recommends bariatric surgery for people who have not achieved lasting results with diet and exercise alone. You may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if you:

• Weigh more than 100 pounds over your ideal body weight

• Are ready to make a lifelong commitment to diet, exercise and behavioral changes

• Don’t have mental or behavioral disorders that may interfere with long-term weight loss

• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher (35 or higher along with certain conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea)

• Have tried multiple weight loss programs without lasting success

Yes. The weight loss surgery center at St. Mary Medical Center offers free virtual surgical weight loss support groups once a month for metabolic and bariatric patients. Our support groups can help you:

• Better understand surgical and non-surgical weight loss options

• Learn about what to expect as a patient, before and after surgery

For more information or to register for the group, call (562) 491-7935.

You can join us for a free, informative seminar about our bariatric weight loss program at St. Mary Medical Center. To sign up, please call (562) 491-7935.

You can also complete our online weight loss health questionnaire, which guides you through a few simple questions about your medical history and lifestyle. It provides information based on your responses and can help inform a discussion with your health care provider about whether weight loss surgery may be right for you.

Be sure to also watch our short patient testimonials to hear inspiring stories about how weight loss surgery has changed people's lives for the better. 

Take the health questionnaire

The weight loss surgery center at St. Mary Medical Center accepts many major health insurance plans. To ensure you have access to the care you need, we recommend confirming your insurance coverage, eligibility and benefits before your procedure. If you have questions about the plans we accept, please call our office at (562) 491-7935.