Centegra surgeon uses personalized approach to weight-loss surgery

HUNTLEY - When deciding which type of weight-loss surgery is best for a patient, Dr. Amir Heydari has to do more than review his medical chart. Heydari, a surgeon with Centegra Physician Care and the medical director of the Centegra Healthy Living Institute, said the most important information can only be discovered through honest conversations with patients like Kevin Masters, who had weight-loss surgery in 2011.

"My doctor told me I needed to do something or I wasn't going to be around," Masters said. "I had gone to a festival with my wife and I was walking up a hill and I turned to her and I said, 'I want to do this and I never want to go back.'"

Masters talked to Heydari, who recommended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery as the best way to achieve lasting weight loss.

"I tailor every surgery according to the individual patient's goals," Heydari said. "I must understand how much weight he wants to lose and what lifestyle changes he's willing to take before I decide which type of surgery to recommend. Some patients have more weight to lose than others, and some have already started to eat better and move more to have the best outcomes possible."

Heydari performs many minimally invasive weight-loss surgery procedures including the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and lap band surgery, which is the only adjustable, reversible bariatric surgery that does not require cutting and stapling of the stomach, the bypass of normal digestion or revisional surgeries. He said these surgeries are life changing for people who want to improve their health and self-esteem.

"Studies have shown that weight-loss surgery is an effective and lasting treatment for Type 2 diabetes and obesity as well as a prolonged life," Heydari said. "Every day in my clinic I talk to patients who no longer have to take medications for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But it's not just medical conditions that are changed by this surgery and the proper followup - it's the mental and social well-being of people who have felt trapped in their bodies. This surgery helps them lead the lives they've always wanted."

Masters' life was forever changed by his weight-loss surgery. Since his surgery, he has lost 266 pounds, 30 inches in his waist and he has completed several triathlons. In the fall of 2014 he also completed his first half marathon. It wasn't easy, but Masters said he knew what he wanted to accomplish through surgery and lifestyle changes.

"I wanted to be there for my friends and family and my wife Nancy, who was there for me through all of this hard work," Masters said. He has advice for anyone who wants to get healthy in 2015.

"Set a goal and let that get burned into your heart and mind and chase that goal," Masters said.

More information about weight-loss surgery will be available at the Centegra Healthy Living Event from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 23 at Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center-Huntley, 10450 Algonquin Road. The event will improve guests' knowledge about fitness, nutrition, weight-loss options, healthy lifestyle choices and personal wellness. Doctors, nurses and other clinical team members will offer workshops and exhibits, a cooking demonstration and a free physician lecture. To register for the free event, visit centegra.org/healthyliving or call (877) CENTEGRA (236-8347) to register.

Centegra Health System is committed to meeting the health care needs of the residents of greater McHenry County and to making services available in multiple and convenient locations, including hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock, Immediate and Physician Care Centers, Centegra Sage Cancer Center, Health Bridge Fitness Centers and the highly anticipated Centegra Hospital-Huntley.

As the region's leading health care provider, Centegra Health System continues to bring the latest treatments and technology, along with the skills of nearly 4,000 associates, to meet the needs of the growing McHenry County community. For more information about Centegra Health System, visit centegra.org, search Centegra Health System on Facebook and Twitter or call (877) CENTEGRA (877-236-8347).