|
If you are significantly overweight, you may be at risk for a wide variety of health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, breathing problems and depression — and you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third of adults in America — more than 72 million people —are obese. If you have had trouble losing weight and/or keeping it off, surgical weight loss may be a solution. Considered one of the most effective and long-lasting treatments for morbid obesity and related illnesses, bariatric surgery may improve your health and quality of life.
Designated as a Center of Excellence (COE) for bariatric surgery since 2005, the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center provides a comprehensive program to help you achieve healthy, long-term weight loss. Our multidisciplinary weight management program features preoperative education, weight loss surgery, nutritional guidance and postoperative support — all designed to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.
Candidacy for weight loss surgery is determined by criteria published by the National Institutes of Health and is mostly based on an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a mathematical measurement of a person’s weight in relation to their height, and is used to determine if a person is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. Surgical candidates have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with one or more co-morbidities. A BMI of 35-40 is typically equivalent to 80-100 pounds of extra weight. Check your BMI now with our free online BMI calculator.
The Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center accepts most health insurance plans. Many insurance companies have strict criteria for assessing bariatric surgery coverage. We are happy to help you determine if our program meets your insurance guidelines. To learn more about the Bridges program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-248-5553 or register for our next FREE weight loss seminar.
Professional Health Care Team
The Bridges Center team at St. Luke’s Medical Center consists of knowledgeable health care professionals — all dedicated to making your experience a positive one by guiding and supporting you throughout every stage of your weight loss journey. In addition to a highly experienced team of board-certified bariatric surgeons, our staff includes a psychologist, registered nurse, registered dietitian, licensed practical nurse, physical therapist, and a team of patient advocates.
 Daniel T. Fang, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Board-certified COE Bariatric Surgeon, Abdominal Surgeons LTD
Board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Surgery, Daniel T. Fang, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a bariatric surgeon for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management. Dr. Fang has been recognized as an ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence surgeon since 2005 by the Surgical Review Corporation — an independent, non-profit organization that identifies surgeons who provide superior bariatric surgery patient care. In addition to serving as the medical co-director of the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Dr. Fang is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Applying the latest advancements in bariatric surgery, Dr. Fang has extensive laparoscopic surgery experience — specializing in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and endoscopic procedures. He also performs a broad spectrum of general laparoscopic surgeries.
Dr. Fang serves as a clinical instructor for the Phoenix Integrated Surgical Residency, a clinical assistant professor at A. T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, and an assistant professor at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University.
After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Dr. Fang received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed his residency at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals in Ohio.
 Hilario Juarez, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Board-certified COE Bariatric Surgeon, Abdominal Surgeons LTD
Board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American College of Surgeons, Hilario Juarez, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a bariatric surgeon for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management. A member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Dr. Juarez has been recognized as an ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence surgeon since 2005 by the Surgical Review Corporation — an independent, non-profit organization that identifies surgeons who provide superior bariatric surgery patient care. Dr. Juarez serves as the medical co-director of the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Dr. Juarez has provided surgical services in the Valley for more than 26 years. Applying his extensive experience and the latest advancements in bariatric surgery, Dr. Juarez specializes in laparoscopic surgical procedures, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and endoscopic procedures. He has extensive experience in general laparoscopic and trauma surgery.
Dr. Juarez completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming. He received his medical degree from the University of Colorado Medical School and completed an internship and his residency at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. Dr. Juarez established Abdominal Surgeons LTD in 1984, where he currently practices.
|
