Your plan is overseen by Dr. Reza Keshavarzi, a board-certified bariatric surgeon who also performs every endoscopic and surgical option, so your treatment can change as your body does.
Medical weight loss is a doctor-supervised program that treats excess weight as a medical condition rather than a willpower problem.
Instead of a generic diet, you get an evaluation, a written plan and, when it fits, prescription medication, with check-ins that adjust the plan as you lose. Dr. Keshavarzi oversees every medical weight loss plan, and our weight loss team builds each one around your health history and goals.
We review your weight history, current medications and conditions such as high blood pressure, blood sugar or joint pain, and order lab work when it is needed to plan safely.
For patients who qualify, GLP-1 class injections help quiet appetite and keep you full on smaller portions. Dr. K decides whether a medication fits and adjusts the dose over time.
A practical eating plan built around protein and portion control, plus movement you can keep up. Our diet plans give you structure between visits.
Regular visits track your weight, labs and how you feel, and change the plan when progress stalls or your goals shift.
A medical plan suits adults who want real support to lose weight without surgery, and patients who want to keep the results of a procedure. The right starting point depends on how much you want to lose and on your health, not on a one-size program.
Some patients need more help than a prescription can give. Because Dr. K performs these procedures himself, he can tell you plainly when a gastric balloon or a low BMI gastric sleeve would serve you better.
You can also combine approaches over time, starting with medication and adding a procedure later with the same doctor.
Dr. K offers all three paths, so your consultation is about fit rather than selling one treatment. Here is how medical weight loss sits beside the procedures patients most often ask about.
| Medical Weight Loss | Gastric Balloon or ESG | Gastric Sleeve | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Medication, nutrition and coaching reduce appetite and how much you eat | A balloon or internal stitches placed through the mouth make the stomach hold less | Most of the stomach is removed through small incisions, reducing hunger and capacity |
| Incisions | None | None, performed endoscopically | Small laparoscopic incisions |
| Often a fit for | A moderate amount of weight to lose, or not ready for a procedure | Patients who want more help than medication, without surgery | More weight to lose or weight-related disease, and a goal of the most durable result |
| Learn more | You are on this page | Gastric balloon and ESG | Gastric sleeve |
MD, FACS, FASMBS · Board-Certified Bariatric Surgeon
Dr. Keshavarzi, known to patients as Dr. K, is the lead surgeon at Miami VIP Surgery and personally oversees our medical weight loss program. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
He earned his medical degree with High Distinction from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, completed his surgical residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital and trained in laparoscopic, bariatric and robotic surgery during his fellowship at Jackson South Medical Center. A surgeon who treats weight at every stage can tell you honestly when medication is enough and when it is not.
"He returns all your text and calls as soon as he can."Liliet A., Google review
Every plan follows the same four stages, and the pace of each depends on your health and goals.
You discuss your weight history, what you have tried and what you want to change. You leave knowing which options fit you and why.
Lab work can be done at our clinic or at a facility you choose. Results from our recommended doctor usually come back within 48 hours.
You start your nutrition plan and, when appropriate, your medication at a starting dose, with clear guidance on meals, protein and activity.
Regular check-ins adjust your dose and plan. Between visits you can reply to our text messages for guidance on next steps.
Much of what patients have been told about weight loss makes it harder. These are the beliefs we correct most often at a first visit.
Needing medication means you failed.
Excess weight is driven partly by appetite hormones and metabolism. Medication treats that biology, while your habits do the rest.
Exercise alone will take the weight off.
Activity matters for health and for keeping weight off, but what and how much you eat drives most of the loss. Your plan covers both.
Weight loss injections work on their own.
Results hold up better when medication is paired with protein, portion control and movement, which is why coaching is built into every plan.
Surgery is the only route to serious weight loss.
Many patients do well with a medical plan. Others need a procedure, and since we offer both, nobody is pushed toward one.
"His timely communication and expert guidance were instrumental in helping me reach my health goals."Jeff D., Google review
"His staff is so helpful & nice. Thank you so much for helping me through my weight loss journey."A. Rodriguez, Google review
"The doctor was very straightforward and honest and extremely professional."Pat C., Google review
The cost of a medical weight loss plan depends on whether medication is part of it, which medication fits you and how often you are seen. We explain the full price of your plan at your consultation, before you commit to anything.
Financing is available through partners including Cherry, and our team walks you through the options during your visit.
No single medication is the right answer for everyone. GLP-1 class injections are the prescription option most patients ask about today because they reduce appetite and help you feel full on smaller portions. Whether one suits you depends on your health history, your other medications and your goals, and Dr. K reviews all of that before recommending anything.
It varies from person to person. GLP-1 doses are usually increased gradually over the first weeks, so weight loss often starts slowly and builds over several months. We track your progress at each follow-up and adjust the dose, nutrition plan or approach when your weight stalls.
At our office, the gastric sleeve package is $14,000. It covers the hospital stay, the surgeon's fee, all hospital-related fees and follow-up appointments for the first year after surgery. Financing is available, and medical weight loss pricing is explained at your consultation.
Yes. If you move from medication to a bariatric procedure, weight loss injections must be stopped at least 2 weeks before surgery. Because Dr. K manages both your medication and your procedure, he plans that transition with you.
Yes. Many patients start with a medical plan and never need a procedure. If you later decide you want more help, you continue with the same doctor, who already knows your history and can talk you through the gastric balloon, ESG or a sleeve.
Very fast loss from crash dieting is mostly water and is hard to keep off. Our plans aim for steady loss you can maintain, with enough protein to protect muscle. Dr. K sets a realistic pace for your body at your consultation.
Your first step is a conversation with the doctor who will oversee your plan from the first visit onward. Come see us in Miami, or call and our team will find a time that works for you.
