Hoping to skip a long wait for a surgery date? From Saugatuck to Greens Farms, Westport neighbors travel to South Miami for surgery 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 shrinks 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, working through small incisions.
Once testing is done, surgery dates often open within the same month, which is a big reason people make this trip. From Westport, Westchester County Airport is about 34 minutes down CT-15 S, the Merritt Parkway. LaGuardia and JFK also have nonstop flights to Miami International, about 3 hours in the air.
There is no single bariatric operation. The term covers a whole group of procedures. Dr. K offers surgical, endoscopic and nonsurgical choices, so what he suggests is shaped by your health, not by one favorite 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. |
The scale is only part of the picture. Dr. K reviews your weight history, any health conditions linked to your weight, the approaches you have already tried and how ready you feel for the new eating habits surgery requires.
For some people, surgery is not the right first move. A medical condition may need to be brought under control, and an endoscopic procedure or medical weight loss can come before anything else.
Dr. Keshavarzi, whom patients call Dr. K, is a board-certified bariatric surgeon and lead surgeon at Miami VIP Surgery. He performs every surgical and endoscopic procedure listed 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.
Reviews often mention Dr. K giving out his own cell number and checking in after patients got home. That kind of contact helps a lot when you are healing back in Fairfield County, a flight away from his office.
Share your history, goals and options with Dr. K. Consultations can be virtual, so this first step happens from home before you book a flight.
You will need medical clearances and an upper endoscopy, known as an EGD. Complete them with us or at an outside facility closer to home. Results ordered through our Miami clinic come back within 48 hours.
A pre-surgery diet comes next, and any 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 lets you know how long to stay in the Miami area before you fly home.
Most patients are back at work 4 to 7 days after surgery and avoid lifting anything over 20 pounds while they heal. Diet plans for each stage are on our website, and Dr. K remains reachable by phone and text after you fly home.
Your first year of follow-up appointments comes with the gastric sleeve package. The surgeon who performed your operation is the same one who follows your progress.
Our gastric sleeve price is published openly, so you can budget before you ever call us. Costs for other procedures vary with your plan and are 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 are virtual, so you can meet Dr. K without leaving home. Your one trip to South Miami is for the surgery itself, after your plan and testing are complete.
$14,000 is the price of our gastric sleeve package. It covers the hospital stay, surgeon's fee, hospital fees and first-year follow-up, and Cherry financing is available. Pricing for other procedures is reviewed at your consultation.
Usually no one factor rules you out. Dr. K looks at your health history, the medications you take, your medical clearances and how prepared you are for the eating changes after surgery. When surgery is not the best place to start, an endoscopic procedure or medical weight loss may 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 explains which tests you need and goes over the results with Dr. K.
Several things shape this: your starting weight, which procedure you have and how carefully you stick to the post-surgery diet. The fastest loss usually happens in the first months after surgery. At your consultation, Dr. K gives you a realistic estimate for your procedure.
Plan to stop them at least two weeks before your operation. Dr. K can also help you decide whether medication, surgery or a combination suits your goals.
Ready to put a surgery date on the calendar sooner? Book a complimentary virtual consultation from home, whether you live near Compo Beach or just off the Merritt Parkway, and learn which procedure fits, which tests you need and when surgery could happen.
