You do not have to sit on a long wait for a surgery date. Once your testing is done, dates often open within the same month with Dr. Reza Keshavarzi, a board-certified bariatric surgeon who guides your care from a complimentary consultation through your first year of follow-up.
Each pair is one of our own patients, photographed before surgery and again after weight loss. Results vary from patient to patient.
Bariatric surgery, 1 of 6
Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach, and some procedures also reroute part of the digestive tract. Smaller meals leave you satisfied, and hunger tends to ease. Dr. K uses minimally invasive methods with small incisions.
Skipping a long wait for a surgery date is easier than it sounds. From Bryn Mawr, it is about 27 minutes via I-476 S to Philadelphia International, then a nonstop flight of just under 3 hours to Miami. Our South Miami office sits about 17 minutes (12 miles) from the airport.
There is no single bariatric operation that fits everyone. Dr. K offers surgical, endoscopic and nonsurgical paths, so what he recommends is shaped by your health, not by one favored method.
| Procedure | Approach | How It Works | Often Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric Sleeve | Surgical | Removes most of the stomach, leaving a narrow sleeve that holds less food and produces less of the hormone that drives hunger. | Adults with obesity and related conditions such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea. |
| Low BMI "Mini Sleeve" | Surgical | A sleeve gastrectomy planned for patients carrying less excess weight. | Patients with a BMI of 25 to 30. |
| Teen Gastric Sleeve | Surgical | A sleeve gastrectomy with care planned around a body that is still growing. | Adolescents aged 14 to 17. |
| Gastric Bypass | Surgical | Creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes part of the small intestine, limiting both how much you eat and how much you absorb. | Patients with more weight to lose, severe reflux or harder-to-control diabetes. |
| Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty | Endoscopic | Stitches the stomach smaller from the inside with an endoscope passed through the mouth, with no external incisions. | Patients who want a smaller stomach without surgery. |
| ORBERA Gastric Balloon | Endoscopic | A temporary balloon placed in the stomach so you feel full sooner while new habits take hold. | Patients who want a nonsurgical start. |
| Medical Weight Loss | Nonsurgical | Personalized plans from our weight loss specialists that can include weight loss injections. | Patients not ready for a procedure, or who want support before or after one. |
Your weight alone does not decide whether you qualify. Dr. K reviews how your weight has changed over time, any related health conditions, the approaches you have tried and how ready you feel for the new way of eating after surgery.
For some people, the right start is something else, like bringing a health condition under control first. Medical weight loss or an endoscopic procedure may come before surgery.
Patients call him Dr. K. Dr. Keshavarzi is a board-certified bariatric surgeon and serves as lead surgeon at Miami VIP Surgery. He performs the surgical and endoscopic procedures described above and directs our medical weight loss program.
He earned his medical degree with High Distinction from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine after graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Louisville. He completed his surgical residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital and a fellowship in laparoscopic, bariatric and robotic surgery at Jackson South Medical Center.
Several reviews describe Dr. K handing out his own cell number and following up after patients got home. That kind of access helps when you are healing back on the Main Line, somewhere between Haverford and Villanova, instead of down the street.
Share your history, goals and questions with Dr. K. Consultations can be virtual, so you can start before booking any flight.
You will need medical clearances and an upper endoscopy, known as an EGD. These can be done with us or at an outside facility closer to home. When ordered through our Miami clinic, results return within 48 hours.
A pre-surgery diet comes next, and any weight loss injections must stop at least two weeks before surgery. Our team walks with you through it all, and once testing is done, dates often open within the same month.
Dr. K performs your procedure and visits you during your hospital stay. Before you fly home to Pennsylvania, our team lets you know how long to stay in the Miami area.
Most people are back at work 4 to 7 days after surgery and keep any lifting under 20 pounds while healing. You can find diet plans for each stage on our website, and Dr. K remains reachable by phone and text.
Your first year of follow-up visits comes with the gastric sleeve package, so the surgeon who performed your operation keeps watching your progress.
Our gastric sleeve price is posted openly, so you can budget before you ever call. For other procedures, cost depends on your plan and is covered at your consultation.
One price covering:
Patients who find the cost of surgery difficult can ask about a special package that starts at $12,500.
Your consultation with Dr. K is complimentary.
★★★★★4.9 average from 96 Google reviews
"Dr. Keshavarzi explained every detail of the surgery from getting prepared, to the actual day of surgery, and beyond."
Hannah S., Google review
"Dr. Keshavarzi was with us throughout the whole process and was even contacting us once home to see if everything was running smoothly."
Yerandis L., Google review
"From my 1st visit he made me feel at ease with my decision to pursue bariatric surgery."
Yesi, Google review
Not at all. Consultations can be virtual, so you can meet Dr. K without leaving home. The trip to South Miami is for the surgery itself, after your plan and testing are complete.
Our gastric sleeve package costs $14,000 and includes the hospital stay and first-year follow-up. Cherry financing is offered, and pricing for other procedures is reviewed at your consultation.
Rarely does one factor rule you out. Dr. K looks at your medical history, the medications you take, your clearances and how prepared you are for the eating changes after surgery. When surgery is not the best place to begin, medical weight loss or an endoscopic procedure can come first.
You can. The required medical clearances and upper endoscopy may be done with us or at an outside facility closer to home. Our team explains which tests you need and goes over the results with Dr. K.
That depends on your starting weight, which procedure you have and how well you stick to the post-surgery diet. Most weight tends to come off in the early months after surgery. At your consultation, Dr. K shares a realistic estimate for your procedure.
Those injections need to stop at least two weeks before surgery. Dr. K can also help you decide whether medication, surgery or a mix of both suits your goals.
Ready to stop waiting on a surgery date? Book a complimentary consultation from Bryn Mawr, near Lancaster Avenue and the Paoli/Thorndale Line, and learn which procedure fits, which tests you need and when surgery could happen.
