One planned trip to Miami is usually all it takes. Dr. Reza Keshavarzi, a board-certified bariatric surgeon, leads your care from a complimentary consultation through your first year of follow-up, while our team coordinates the travel details.
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
During bariatric surgery, the stomach is made smaller, and some procedures also reroute part of the digestive tract. Smaller portions leave you full, and hunger signals ease. Dr. K uses minimally invasive techniques with small incisions.
We plan your trip as a single visit. From Potomac Village, Washington Dulles International Airport is about 24 minutes via VA-267 W without traffic, and the nonstop flight to Miami International takes about two and a half hours. Our South Miami office sits about 17 minutes from MIA.
There is no single bariatric operation. Dr. K offers surgical, endoscopic and nonsurgical choices, so your recommendation is built around your health, not around one 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 candidacy. Dr. K considers your weight history, the health conditions linked to your weight, the approaches you have already tried and your readiness for the new way of eating after surgery.
For some patients, the first step looks different, like bringing a medical condition under control. 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 described 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.
Once you are back home, Dr. K stays reachable by phone and text. Several reviews describe him sharing his own cell number and checking in after patients got home, which helps when your recovery continues in Potomac or nearby Bethesda, a flight away from Miami.
Start with a virtual consultation. Share your history, goals and options with Dr. K from home, well before you book any flight.
You will need medical clearances and an upper endoscopy, also called an EGD. These can be done with us or at an outside facility closer to home. When tests are ordered through our Miami clinic, results come back within 48 hours.
Before surgery you follow a pre-surgery diet, and any weight loss injections stop at least two weeks ahead of your operation. Our team helps at every step, 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, our team tells you how long to plan to stay in the Miami area.
Most patients are back at work 4 to 7 days after surgery and avoid lifting anything over 20 pounds while healing. Our website has stage-by-stage diet plans, and Dr. K remains reachable by phone and text after you fly home.
Your first year of follow-up appointments is included in the gastric sleeve package, so the surgeon who performed your operation keeps tracking your progress.
Our gastric sleeve price is published up front, so you can budget before your first call. For other procedures, pricing depends on your plan and is reviewed during 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. Your first conversation with Dr. K is a virtual consultation you can join from home in Potomac. The trip to South Miami comes later, for the surgery itself, once your plan and testing are set.
The gastric sleeve package is $14,000 and includes the hospital stay 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 first step, medical weight loss or an endoscopic procedure can come first.
You can. The required medical clearances and upper endoscopy can be completed with us or at an outside facility closer to home. Our team lists the tests you need and reviews the results with Dr. K.
That varies with your starting weight, your procedure and how closely you stick to the post-surgery diet. Weight tends to come off fastest in the early months. At your consultation, Dr. K gives you 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 both suits your goals.
Plan one coordinated trip, starting from home. Book a complimentary consultation from Potomac or anywhere in Montgomery County and learn which procedure fits, which tests you need and when surgery could happen.
