We understand your struggle with weight loss and obesity. A decision on whether to have weight loss surgery or address it through a medical weight loss approach is one in which professionals should be consulted. United Regional Solutions employs the latest advancements in scientific weight loss approaches – both surgical and non-surgical – that give our patients the best chance to achieve the long-term, permanent results they are searching for.
Our Wichita Falls office is a recognized leader in minimally invasive surgery and serves Wichita Falls and the surrounding area.
Accredited Bariatric Center
United Regional Solutions includes monthly support group meetings and a bariatric program coordinator to assist with the daily challenges of this lifestyle change. United Regional is an accredited Bariatric Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) through their combined national bariatric surgery accreditation program, the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
United Regional offers a specialized bariatric unit for surgical patients with staff dedicated to the care of the bariatric patient.
Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery
In 1991, a National Institute of Health Consensus Conference stated that “only surgery has proven effective over the long term for most patients with clinically severe obesity.”
In the time since that report was issued, surgical weight loss has made tremendous advancements that have decreased recovery time and lowered the overall risk to those undergoing surgery. Both of these developments have helped countless patients feel more comfortable and confident with the procedures.
Surgery for clinically severe obesity has been endorsed by several leading medical organizations:
- The National Institutes of Health
- The American Medical Association
- The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- American Association of Family Practitioners
Factors associated with laparoscopic weight loss surgery
- Less post-op pain and patients are typically mobile much earlier than with open surgery
- Significantly reduced incidence of wound complications
- Minimal hospitalization of 1-2 days
- Patients typically return to work in 1-2 weeks
If you are considering any weight loss surgical procedure, call United Regional Solutions at 940-764-5400 for more information and consultation.
Click to learn more about Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Click to learn more about Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass
Meet Our Bariatric Health Team
United Regional Solutions is proud and fortunate to have an experienced weight loss surgeon to guide our practice. Christopher Finnell, MD, has achieved certification by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). He performs the latest techniques in laparoscopic procedures.
Christopher Finnell, MD, grew up in Holliday, Texas and is an honors graduate of Midwestern State University. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Following residency, Dr. Finnell did a fellowship in laparoscopic gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery at the renowned bariatric facility Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Dr. Finnell has studied under some of the leaders in bariatric weight loss surgery and performs the latest techniques in laparoscopic procedures.
“I became interested in bariatric surgery early in my medical education. I saw so many people suffering from the consequences of obesity. I wanted to enter a field where I could prevent problems before they start. Bariatric surgery is very rewarding because you are able to make such a positive impact on a patient’s life. I often meet patients who can barely walk into the office from their car and a few months after surgery they are signing up to do a 5K walk/run. I am so grateful that I am able to see these transformations.”
Dr. Finnell has been actively practicing bariatric and general surgery in Wichita Falls since 2008. He has performed hundreds of bariatric surgeries and is the director of United Regional’s bariatric surgery MBSAQIP center of excellence. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Other members of the health team include Emily Rusk, Program Coordinator, and Erika Gitchel, Nurse Practitioner and MediLoss Solutions medical weight loss guide.
Body Contouring Following Weight Loss Surgery
With significant weight loss over a relatively short period of time (usually 15-18 months), the remaining skin often does not retain the elastic qualities necessary to “shrink back down” to your new underlying shape. This often leaves patients with excessive amounts of hanging skin that creates problems such as daily hygiene and finding clothes that fit properly.
A comprehensive approach to the bariatric patient is necessary to achieve the optimal figure following weight loss.
Phillip Stephan, MD, understands that a bariatric patient must be treated differently from non-bariatric body contouring patients. What has worked well for many years on other patients simply does not provide adequate shaping and contouring for the bariatric patient. Dr. Stephan is a plastic surgeon with experience and expertise in body contouring surgery for bariatric patients.
To make an appointment for a free consultation, please call 940-264-2600.