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Weight Loss Institute

Surgical Weight Loss Institute


Why Choose The Surgical Weight Loss Institute

When you struggle with weight issues, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by your weight loss options and dismayed by setbacks. At the Surgical Weight Loss Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), we see you as a person with a complex chronic disease that requires treatment and a person who deserves compassionate care and respect. Our program enhances quality of life and our comprehensive multidisciplinary team focuses on treating the whole person.

The Surgical Weight Loss Institute’s Bariatric Surgery program at Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of WMCHealth, has earned Comprehensive Center accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). This accreditation formally acknowledges our program’s commitment to providing exceptional care through national standards of practice and the delivery of safe, high-quality metabolic and bariatric surgical care. Patients participate in a multidisciplinary program, not just a surgical procedure, to improve outcomes and achieve long-term success. Our accredited Comprehensive Center offers pre-operative assessment and preparation, excellent surgical care, and life-long post-operative care and support, designed specifically for severely obese patients.

ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

View our Informational Seminar to learn more about the Surgical Weight Loss Institute

“House Calls” on WRCR-1700 AM

If you’re struggling to find success on your weight loss journey, you might consider bariatric surgery. Ramon Rivera, MD, Bariatric Surgical Director of Good Samaritan Hospital’s Surgical Weight Loss Institute,  discusses weight loss strategies, popular weight loss medications and bariatric surgery options on WRCR Radio’s “House Calls.”


A suite at the Good Samaritan Hospital Weight Loss Institute A suite at the Good Samaritan Hospital Weight Loss Institute 
 The 6,000-square-foot Bariatric Surgery Center includes seven private suite rooms designed for accessibility, sensitivity and safety. Extra space is allotted in each room, doorway and hallway to allow for safe movement and transportation, and rooms are equipped with digital monitoring equipment and modern accommodations.

  

Hear from Our Patients, Meet Our Team and Learn About the Surgical Weight Loss Institute  


Stories of Success 

Tricia's story
Weight loss surgery not only enhanced this woman’s appearance, but drastically reduced her cardiac issues and transformed her life.

Maria's Story:

 

Rocky's Story:

 

Teri's Story:


The Good Samaritan Hospital Surgical Weight-Loss Institute Team

 

Our team of compassionate and competent professionals is deeply committed to your long-term success in your journey towards weight loss and a healthier, longer life.  We are here to help you every step of the way.  It is certainly a difficult process, but with our help, good health is achievable. 

Our Team:

Rivera, Ramon E., MD
  • Surgery, Bariatric Surgery
  • General Surgery
Chirumamilla, Vasu, MD
  • General Surgery

Maria Scaffidi, MPA, RD, CDN
Bariatric Coordinator
Maria.Scaffidi@wmchealth.org 
845.368.5285

 Dr. Susan Epstein

Susan Epstein, MS, RD, CDN
Bariatric Dietitian
Susan.Epstein@wmchealth.org 
845.368.5739


Types of Weight-Loss Surgery 

Types of Weight Loss Surgery from WMCHealth on Vimeo.

Research has shown that Bariatric Surgery (also called Weight-Loss Surgery or Obesity Surgery) is the BEST method for permanent weight loss. Additionally permanent loss of excess weight, can lead to a reduction or even elimination of many serious health problems, including diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Surgical Weight Loss Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital offers a unique team approach to weight loss. Our program offers personal intensive pre-operative assessment, and continues to support patients beyond surgery. Our surgeons, dietitians, physician assistants, psychologists, and nurses work with you to insure a successful outcome.

Good Samaritan Hospital’s Bloodless Medicine Surgery Program is also available for individuals undergoing Bariatric Surgery when blood transfusion is not an option due to personal preferences, religious beliefs or biological conditions.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

  • Also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, is a combination metabolic procedure that slows the absorption of food and decreases calorie intake by creating a small stomach pouch that gets connected to the small intestine.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

  • Also known as Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, is a restrictive metabolic procedure that removes a portion of the stomach that produces ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger. The smaller stomach size reduces food intake and decreases calorie consumption.

Revision and Conversion Procedures

  • Involves additional Bariatric Surgery should you not achieve lasting weight loss or experience complications from prior procedures. A revision retains or modifies your existing procedure, while a conversion replaces an unsatisfactory procedure with a different one — both can usually be performed minimally invasively.

Robotic Bariatric Surgery

  • Good Samaritan Hospital offers robotic bariatric surgery using the county’s only Da Vinci robot to perform the surgery.
  • This offers A 3D HD view inside your body, wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand and enhanced vision, precision and control

 

For candidates planning on having Weight-Loss surgery we are pleased to announce we are now offering a free online webinar.


Your Journey Towards Good Health Can Start Here

The Surgical Weight Loss Institute provides patients seeking surgical treatment for severe obesity and its related conditions a high-quality therapy choice at a nationally accredited program that meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality of care in the Tri-State Area and Hudson Valley. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), in partnership with the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), have awarded Comprehensive Center accreditation to Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

For information and appointments call: 845.368.5285

MBSAQIP Accredited CenterBariatric Surgery Five-Star Recipient 2020

 


You may be eligible for weight-loss surgery if:

  • Your BMI is 40 or more
  • Your BMI is 35 or more and you have one or more serious medical conditions associated with obesity (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea) 
  • You have been overweight for more than five years
  • Your serious weight-loss attempts have had only short-term success 
  • You are not suffering from any other diseases that may have caused your obesity 
  • You are willing to continue to be monitored by the specialists treating you 

Click here to calculate your BMI

Insurance options

Most insurance companies now cover weight-loss surgery for severely obese patients, but each insurance plan has its own specific set of requirements.  Our insurance specialist can assist you in all matters regarding your insurance.  

If you find that your plan does not cover weight-loss surgery, we offer financial programs. You can call 845.368.5285 to find out more. 

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW

Surgical Weight Loss Institute Informational Seminar

Additional Education:

American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery 
http://www.asmbs.org/