I initially had bariatric surgery because my sister had recommended me to Dr. Ganta – she had had the lap band and thought it might be a good option for me.

So I came in and consulted with Dr. Ganta, and after reviewing all the choice, he had actually recommended the gastric bypass. I was a little hesitant about that; it’s kind of scary option. So I went with the lap band and had that done and had some difficulties with it later on down the line. I came back in to discuss other options and we went with the gastric bypass that Dr. Ganta had originally suggested and I’m very pleased that I had this revision. It’s kind of scary thing as well and seemed like a big challenge for me. But I’ve just been very successful. I feel great and am off all my medications so I’m pleased I followed his advice.

From the first moment I started seeing Dr. Ganta and coming to his office, I have been very pleased with the staff. I’ve been pleased with Dr. Ganta especially. He always takes his time to listen to you. He has questions, making sure that he’s trying to find out what your life is like and some struggles you might have, because that is the only way he can better treat you and give you advice and suggestions for moving forward. The office has always been friendly, they get back to me quickly and I couldn’t be happier with that experience.

Obviously, some of the benefits of having this surgery is the weight loss. Losing 91 pounds is no small feat. My main benefit of this was my health. I was pretty diabetic. I had high cholesterol. I was diagnosed with arthritis in my knee and in my back. So the excess weight was not going to be good for me. Now I am only on one medication, am no longer pre-diabetic and that is one of the largest factors to my success. There are other things that I kind of call non-surgical victories. One of which is going shopping with my daughter last fall. She and I have never been able to shop in the same store before. She’s always either been an adolescent or I’ve had to go to plus sized stores. So it was really nice to hold up the same clothes and even get to try on the same style again. It was a very poignant moment for me. I can run after my grandchildren and not get out of breath. I feel more alive, like I’m 20 years younger. I haven’t really announced to people that I had the surgery – I’ve had more fun just seeing the people that I haven’t seen in a while at holidays, family events and class reunions. And I never hide the fact that I had bariatrics surgery. I explained to them I did. But I also explained to them that it is a tool and that it still requires a lot of hard work and a lot of being on your toes about what your body needs and what you need to do to maintain the weight loss. So I just really like the fun wow factor now of meeting the people that I’ve seen for years as a heavy person.

I think when you go to a doctor it is very important that you can have a rapport with a them. People talk about bedside manner and the doctor that jokes with you are funny. That’s nice – it’s icing on the cake. But that’s not what I look for in a doctor. I look for someone who is interested in me. When I was overweight. I’ve talked to so many doctors about what to do about my weight and they just said diet and exercise. And that was it. They just went on to the next thing. Dr. Ganta doesn’t do that. He listens, he wants to know what your life is like, what your challenges are and then apply that to the best possible outcome that he may have for you, and what he can offer you. He’ll tell you if he doesn’t think it’s right for you; honesty the knowledge is amazing. Another reason I really liked Dr. Ganta is when I did some research, I found his reviews are wonderful. He has very low percentages of complications. He’s also one of the foremost surgeons in this area was one of the first to do the belly button type of surgery where you don’t have as many scars. That lets me know that he’s up to date on the technology. I don’t go to a doctor who hasn’t changed his ways in the last 20 or 30 years. I want to go to somebody who is with today’s technology and knows what can be offered today.

Sometimes I see other people that are overweight and I wish that I could pull them aside and tell them all about Dr. Ganta and what he could do for them. I do have some family members that have had bariatric surgery or are considering it and they ask a lot of questions. My brother for one – every time he sees me he asks questions about the surgery and I give him the best information I can. I would definitely recommend them to Dr. Ganta because I know him so well. I’ve been working with him for a long time and he’s consistent. He hasn’t got one manner in the office and another manner in the hospital or from one visit to another. He’s always consistent and always willing to listen to you. So yes, I would definitely recommend anyone – relative, friend, even strangers to Dr. Ganta.