Dr. Reza Keshavarzi stays a phone call or text away after you fly home to Chapel Hill. He is a board-certified bariatric surgeon in South Miami who leads 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
Weight loss surgery reduces the size of the stomach, and some procedures also reroute part of the digestive tract. You feel full on much smaller portions, and hunger signals settle down. Dr. K uses minimally invasive techniques through small incisions.
Staying in touch with Dr. K by phone and text is what makes the distance easy. From Chapel Hill, it is about 23 minutes on I-40 E to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, then a nonstop flight of about 2 hours to Miami International. Our South Miami office is about 17 minutes from there.
There is no single bariatric operation. Dr. K offers surgical, endoscopic and nonsurgical approaches, so your recommendation is shaped by your health, not by one preferred technique.
| 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 are a candidate. Dr. K considers your weight history, the health conditions linked to your weight, what you have tried before and your readiness for the eating changes after surgery.
For some people, the right start looks different, such as getting a medical condition under control first. Medical weight loss or an endoscopic procedure may come before surgery.
Dr. Reza Keshavarzi, whom patients call Dr. K, is a board-certified bariatric surgeon and the lead surgeon at Miami VIP Surgery. He performs the surgical and endoscopic procedures above and oversees 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.
Reviews often bring up his availability. Several describe Dr. K sharing his own cell number and checking in after patients got home. That helps when you are healing near Franklin Street or out in Carrboro, a flight away from Miami.
Start with a conversation with Dr. K about your history, goals and options. Consultations can be virtual, so this happens from home before you book any flight.
You will need medical clearances and an upper endoscopy, also called an EGD. Complete them with us or at an outside facility closer to home. When ordered through our Miami clinic, results come back within 48 hours.
You follow a pre-surgery diet, and weight loss injections stop at least two weeks before your operation. Our team helps at every step, from lab coordination to hotel stays, and dates often open within the same month once testing is done.
Dr. K performs your procedure and visits you during your hospital stay. Our team tells you how long to stay in the Miami area before you catch your flight home to Raleigh-Durham.
Most people are back at work 4 to 7 days after surgery and avoid lifting anything over 20 pounds while healing. Our website lays out the diet stage by stage, and Dr. K remains reachable by phone and text.
Your first year of follow-up appointments comes with the gastric sleeve package, so the surgeon who performed your operation keeps tracking your progress.
Our gastric sleeve price is posted publicly, so you can budget before you ever pick up the phone. Other procedures are priced based on your plan and reviewed 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 for this step. Consultations are virtual, so your first conversation with Dr. K can happen from home in Chapel Hill. The flight to South Miami comes later, for the surgery itself, once your plan and testing are in place.
The gastric sleeve package is $14,000 and covers the hospital stay, surgeon's fee, hospital fees and first-year follow-up. Cherry financing is available, and pricing for other procedures is reviewed at your consultation.
Rarely does one factor rule you out. Dr. K looks at your health history, current medications, medical clearances and how ready you are for the eating changes after surgery. When surgery is not the best place to start, medical weight loss or an endoscopic procedure can come first.
You can. The required medical clearances and upper endoscopy can be done with us or at an outside facility closer to home. Our team lets you know which tests to schedule and goes over the results with Dr. K.
Results vary with your starting weight, your procedure and how closely you stick to the diet after surgery. Weight tends to come off fastest in the early months. At your consultation, Dr. K gives you a realistic estimate for your procedure.
Plan to stop them at least two weeks before surgery. Dr. K can also help you decide whether medication, surgery or both suits your goals.
Have a surgeon who keeps in touch by phone and text once you are back in Chapel Hill. Book a complimentary virtual consultation and leave knowing which procedure fits, which tests you need and when surgery could happen.
