Bariatric Surgery Program

At University of Michigan Health, we offer a program that is unique to each patient where we safely perform surgery and help you meet your goals.

Appointments & Referrals A bariatric physician talks to a patient inside a clinical setting.
  • About
  • Approach
  • Types of Surgery
  • Appointments
  • FAQ
  • Locations
  • Doctors
  • Providers

    • At University of Michigan Health, we offer customized programs to help you meet your weight-loss goals through safe surgery, medications and dietary counseling. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery or metabolic and bariatric surgery, helps people lose weight by performing surgery on the stomach and digestive tract. Surgery is offered when individuals are unable to lose weight with diet and exercise, medications, or when serious health problems occur because of their weight.  

    We base the success of bariatric surgery on improvement or resolution of weight-related medical problems, improved life expectancy, and an improved quality of life, not just numbers on a scale.    

    See our Bariatric Surgery page for more details about bariatric surgery and its benefits, risks and other considerations

    Our Approach

    Our accredited bariatric program features an efficient enrollment process and guides patients through their entire journey, from deciding which procedure is best, to care and counseling after surgery. 

    Our team includes surgeons certified in obesity medicine, physician assistants, registered dieticians, psychologists, endocrinologists and nurses, all working together to come up with a plan that works for you. 

    We know that losing weight isn’t due to a lack of willpower, and we partner with all patients on effective solutions for weight loss without judgment. We also understand that significant weight loss is a lifelong commitment, and we are here for patients every step of the way. While the journey will look a little different for every individual, each patient has access to:

    • An individual consultation to discuss their weight-loss goals and options
    • Online learning resources for an enhanced, convenient patient experience
    • A customized plan for surgery and pre-surgical counseling
    • If needed, pre-surgical weight-loss support, including use of GLP-1 drugs to support weight loss if appropriate
    • Post-surgery support to maintain weight loss
    • Lifelong follow-up with the Michigan Medicine team

    This thorough approach is streamlined to minimize the number of appointments patients must make. 

    Types of Surgery

    We offer the following surgical options for qualifying patients:

    • Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y): Gastric bypass surgery involves dividing the stomach to create a gastric pouch and surgically connecting the small intestine to the pouch.
    • Sleeve Gastrectomy: Sleeve gastrectomy surgery involves the surgical division and removal of approximately 80-85% of the stomach.
    • Other options: For information on endoscopic bariatric procedures, like the gastric balloon, contact your gastroenterologist.

    Appointments & Referrals

    Call 734-936-5738 to schedule a new patient consultation at our Ann Arbor or Chelsea location.

    For referring physicians: Call M-LINE for appointments, consultations and inquiries at 800-962-3555 or fill out this form to refer a patient. 

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Our team can help you understand whether bariatric surgery is right for you. Typically, a certain body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related health conditions like diabetes make individuals candidates for bariatric surgery.

    Yes, our team offers medical weight management options, and can prescribe GLP-1 weight-loss medications for eligible patients. Some patients may use these medications to help them lose weight before surgery, and discontinue taking them after surgery. Some patients may find that they are satisfied with their weight loss after taking the drugs and decide not to pursue surgery. 

    That depends on the patient. For some, weight-loss medications work very well, so they decide to not pursue surgery. Other patients may find the medications difficult to tolerate long-term or less effective for weight loss. In some cases, patients might have surgery and use the drugs to help them reach their weight loss goals. Our team will work closely with you to create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs.

    Most health insurance plans do cover bariatric surgery. Coverage for weight-loss medications like GLP-1 drugs is variable. Our team will work with you to understand what your plan will cover.

    Many patients see benefits far beyond weight loss after they have bariatric surgery, including resolution of diabetes, as well as improvement in conditions such as sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. Patients who have bariatric surgery also have a lower risk for heart disease and stroke, as well as certain cancers.

    We make enrolling in the program easy. You may be referred by a physician or contact us directly to enroll. Call 734-936-5738 to schedule an appointment.

    Locations
    • General Surgery Clinic | Chelsea Professional Office Building 14650 E Old US Highway 12 Ste 201
      Chelsea Multispecialty Clinic
      Chelsea, MI 48118-1801       Get Directions
    • General Surgery Clinic | Taubman Center 1500 E Medical Center Dr
      Floor 2 Reception C
      Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5331       Get Directions

    Doctors

     Search for a U-M Health doctor     Justin Brigham Dimick, MD

    Justin Brigham Dimick, MD

    Professor

    Surgery

    Anne Pugel Ehlers, MD

    Assistant Professor

    Surgery

    Nazanene Helen Esfandiari, MD

    Clinical Professor

    Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

    labcoat

    Nada Fanous, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

    Jonathan Ford Finks, MD

    Clinical Professor

    Surgery

    Ryan Abram Howard, MD

    Ryan Abram Howard, MD

    Assistant Professor

    Surgery

    Hope Tiffany Jackson, MD

    Hope Tiffany Jackson, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Surgery

    Shafaq Khairi, MD

    Shafaq Khairi, MBBS

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

    Andrew Timothy Kraftson, MD

    Andrew Timothy Kraftson, MD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

    Merve Kutahyalioglu, MD

    Merve Kutahyalioglu, MD

    Clinical Assistant Professor

    Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

    Show All Doctors

    Providers

     Search for a U-M Health provider     David Francis Marshall, PhD

    David Francis Marshall, PhD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology

    Jennifer Beth Norman, PA-C

    Jennifer Beth Norman, PA-C

    Physician Assistant

    Physician Assistant

    Kristen Loeher Votruba, PhD

    Kristen Loeher Votruba, PhD

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology

    Michigan Photo

    Amanda Marie Wright, PA-C

    Physician Assistant

    Physician Assistant

    Bariatric Dietitians

    • Amy Lockwood, MPH, RDN - Lead Dietitian
    • Suzanna Al-Bacha, MPH, RDN -Dietitian
    • Elizabeth Zaebst, MPH, RDN -Dietitian

    Psychologists

    Bariatric Nurses

    • Jennifer Butman, BSN, RN, CBN
    • Kate Stacey, BSN, RN

    Team Coordinators

    • Audra Mahler - Surgery Scheduling Supervisor
    • Cathy Rayburn - Bariatric Surgery Insurance Verification
    • Stephen Whitaker – Surgery Scheduler
    • Kelly Kirby – Surgery Scheduler

    News & Stories

         Health Lab Podcast in brackets with a background with a dark blue translucent layers over cells
    Health Lab Podcast

    Medicare's New GLP-1 Bridge Program

    An obesity expert welcomes new Medicare option for access to effective weight loss medication, and shares the new program’s limitations.
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    Health Lab

    Adding obesity experts to primary care clinics improves patients’ weight loss outcomes

    A weight navigation program for primary care patients with obesity led to more use of proven weight management strategies and more weight loss
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    Health Lab

    Bariatric surgery may slow cognitive decline for people with obesity

    Investigators found that people with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery had stable cognition two years later. Researchers say it suggests that bariatric surgery may mitigate the natural history of cognitive decline expected in people with obesity.
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    Health Lab

    Bariatric surgery may reverse diabetes complications for people with obesity

    Recent research from the University of Michigan Health suggests that bariatric surgery may reverse diabetes complications for people with obesity. Learn more about this groundbreaking study and its potential implications for diabetes treatment.
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    Health Lab

    Bariatric endoscopy for weight loss: What is it and how does it work?

    A gastroenterologist discusses several non-invasive therapies for treating obesity
         Health Lab Podcast in brackets with a background with a dark blue translucent layers over cells
    Health Lab Podcast

    How Obesity Treatment is Changing

    What will it take to transform obesity care? New primary care models, increased access to medications and surgery, and more clinical training may help more patients.