Medical and surgical weight loss: Weight loss options

The disease is associated with numerous health conditions, including diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, liver disease and joint problems, and is life-threatening. Our Medical and Surgical Weight Management Program is here to help with surgical and nonsurgical options.

Successfully achieving and maintaining weight loss requires preparation, commitment and dedication to lifelong diet and behavior changes. Whether you are on the medical or surgical path, you will have a full team of experts behind you. Our team of surgeons and obesity medicine doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners, psychologists, nutritionists and support staff is here to guide you through every step of the process. They will develop a long-term plan for a healthier weight and a happier you.

When you’re thinking about losing weight, there are many options to help you achieve your goals. Our program is comprehensive, so we offer medical options (medications, lifestyle changes, and other strategies) in addition to non-invasive procedures and surgery options.

Non-invasive procedures and surgery options

Our surgical weight loss program is accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center. Learn more about what this means

Many have found diets or medications unsuccessful, regaining most, if not all the weight lost. Many people are choosing a surgical solution to weight loss to achieve improved health and quality of life. Bariatric surgery is known to be the most effective and longest-lasting treatment for severe obesity and many related conditions and can help patients for life.

We currently offer the following procedures for weight loss: Roux-en-Y (gastric bypass) surgery and sleeve gastrectomy. We also offer revisional surgery. All our surgical procedures are done using minimally invasive laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques. These techniques use advanced technology for safer, less painful surgery.

Medical weight loss

Building new habits is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle long-term. Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help with a variety of health conditions as well as improve your quality of life. This can be done by focusing on small but important changes in your nutrition and activity.

Our Medical Weight Management team will help you develop a plan using a combination of tactics that may include:

• Carbohydrate restriction to promote a low-calorie lifestyle

• Intermittent fasting

• Weight-loss medications (prescribed by your primary care provider)

• Promoting proteins and healthy fats

• Mindful eating

• Body-friendly exercises

We work with any food allergies, intolerances, or special diets you may follow, including gluten-free, FODMAPS, vegetarian or vegan.

Surgical Weight Loss Support Group

Education and the support of others who know what you’re going through can be a source of inspiration, motivation and hope. Our free monthly support group provides all of this. The group is for people who have had weight loss surgery or nonsurgical therapy and those who are considering these treatments.

We begin with a 30-minute interactive presentation on weight management topics. The remaining 60 minutes are dedicated to interacting with and gaining support from patients and professionals who are involved or interested in our surgical weight management program.

Meeting details

• Price: Free

• Meeting time: 5 p.m. (unless noted)

2026 dates and topics

Oct. 12

• Topic: Plastic surgery

• Facilitators: Jeffrey Larson, MD, and Wendy Hahn, RD

• Location: Virtual

Dec. 14

• Topic: Managing holiday eating, social gatherings and stress

• Facilitators: Kimberly Fleischmann, PhD, and Julianne Truman, RDN.

• Location: East Madison Hospital, Room 1660.

Medical Weight Management Support Group

Weight loss efforts can be confusing and lonely, but it can help to have others to talk to for ideas, encouragement and support. We have a support group for those who are part of our metabolic, non-surgical weight loss program and who are looking for extra support for their lower carbohydrate lifestyle.

Meeting details

• Price: Free

• Meeting time: 5–6 p.m.

2026 dates and topics

Oct. 12

• Topic: Plastic surgery

• Facilitators: Jeffrey Larson, MD, and Wendy Hahn, RD

• Location: Virtual.

Dec. 14

• Topic: Managing holiday eating, social gatherings and stress

• Facilitators: Kimberly Fleischmann, PhD, and Julianne Truman, RDN.

• Location: East Madison Hospital, Room 1660.

Bariatric Cooking Series

Meeting details

• Price: Free

• Meeting time: 3 - 4:30 p.m.

2026 dates and topics

Oct. 28

• Topic: Post-Op Purees

• Facilitators: Wendy Hahn, RD

• Location: East Madison Hospital, The Learning Kitchen, room 1900

• Registration: Register here

Nov. 25

• Topic: Post-Op Soft Foods

• Facilitators: Wendy Hahn, RD

• Location: East Madison Hospital, The Learning Kitchen, room 1900

• Registration: Register here

Frequently asked questions

The following information is intended to help answer common questions about our medical weight loss program and the surgical and non-invasive procedures we offer.

The surgeons and doctors who head our program are leaders in the field. They’re up to date on the latest surgical techniques and tuned to your needs.

Others who might support you in this major life change include:

• Health psychologists

• Nurse practitioners/physician assistants

• Program/clinical managers

• Program/medical assistants

• Registered dietitians

• Registered nurses

• Patient scheduling coordinators