Lose weight for better health and peace of mind
Bariatric surgeon Dr. Scott Perryman guides patients through a mindful approach to sustained weight loss.
Roxana Solorio, 36, is dedicated to her workout routine and is especially focused on lifting weights to sculpt her 145-pound frame. She watches her diet like a hawk and practices mindfulness to help deal with stress. A vision of youthful vitality and good health, she feels and looks great.
It wasn’t always this way. In the wake of the pandemic, Roxana began to feel deeply depressed. She turned to food to deal with her feelings and began to drink heavily. She felt terrible and developed diabetes.
“I was an overeater and an alcoholic,” she says. “At 5 feet 3 inches, my weight climbed to 220 pounds. My body mass index (BMI) was 39. I tried to lose weight with watching my calories and exercising, but I could never lose more than five pounds or so. Nothing was working.”
Things changed in 2023, when Roxana, who works as a receptionist at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center, was inspired by a workmate who’d recently had weight loss surgery (otherwise known as bariatric surgery). The positive changes were plain to see, and impressive. “I thought, ‘Why couldn’t I do that, too?’” she says.
Surgical weight loss options
Roxana made an appointment with Providence bariatric surgeon Scott Perryman, M.D. As CEO of Whole Health Weight Loss Institute, Dr. Perryman is passionate about his field.
“Obesity is always having an effect on your body — on your blood pressure, heart health and blood sugar level,” he says. “Did you know that obesity is the leading probable cause of cancer? And the second-largest cause of death in America? My goal is to help people make changes to reverse the disease of obesity and reclaim their health.”
Dr. Perryman’s practice is unique in that patients preparing for surgery are taught about the tools and lifestyle changes necessary for long-term success. These changes include a commitment to mindfulness to help patients understand whether they are nourishing their bodies or feeding their emotions.
Depending upon each patient’s specific situation, Dr. Perryman recommends one of three surgery options.
1. The Gastric Balloon
This is the least invasive procedure and is used to treat people with mild obesity. An endoscope (a flexible camera) is inserted through the mouth and down into the stomach to inspect its condition. Once fitness for surgery is confirmed, Dr. Perryman inserts a deflated balloon into the stomach and removes the camera. There are no incisions.
2. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
This procedure is often used to treat moderate to severely obese patients, like Roxana.
“This is real surgery,” Dr. Perryman says. “I enter the abdominal cavity and staple off about 80 percent to 90 percent of the stomach, which is then cut and removed. It leaves the stomach at the size of a banana, with a capacity of about six ounces, down from 40 ounces.”
Since the section of the stomach that is removed produces the main hunger hormone, it takes the edge off emotional eating.
3. The Gastric Bypass
“This is the grandfather of weight loss surgery, and it has been performed in the U.S. since the 1960s on morbidly obese patients,” Dr. Perryman says.
During this surgery, the stomach is stapled and left the size of an egg. A portion of the small intestine is cut and reattached to that egg. This means that food you eat enters an egg-size stomach and then bypasses a large portion of the intestine which reduces the amount of food you absorb. After surgery, patients must take vitamin supplements.
“It takes dedication and determination to stay fit, because it is possible to gain weight back if the stomach stretches,” Roxanna says. “At the same time, you have to be gentle with yourself—you just made a big life change and you’re a whole new person.
To learn whether you are a candidate for bariatric surgery, visit Providence.org/NCAWeightLoss
About Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center
The largest health care facility and one of the largest employers in Napa County, Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a nonprofit 208-bed acute care facility located in the city of Napa. Queen of the Valley is dedicated to bringing Napa Valley residents the best care possible, close to home.
