Marina Hospital and L.A Bariatrics patient Roger Moore is “not James Bond,” he says, chuckling. Although he hasn’t thwarted any Russian spy rings lately, he has made an even more meaningful personal conquest: he has rediscovered his youthful health and fitness after having cutting-edge surgery to encourage weight loss.
A gastric plication operation has enabled Mr. Moore, an Orange County businessman, to stop the yo-yo pattern his weight had been on for a decade.
“I feel awesome,” he said. “I have had people tell me I look ten years younger. I told them I feel ten years younger. It’s incredible.”
Mr. Moore was motivated in part by his whole family’s love of sports. Earlier in life, Mr. Moore had played college baseball. His oldest son is now a high-school baseball coach; his youngest son plays the game for his school.
More recently, however, Mr. Moore had found it difficult to get his weight under control and keep it at a healthy level. At his heaviest, he was a few pounds shy of 300.
When a doctor diagnosed Mr. Moore with pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, and severe sleep apnea, it was the last straw.
“I decided right then and there I needed to do something to get my life back,” he said.
Fortunately, Mr. Moore had a starting point: Dr. Jeremy Korman’s Marina Weight Loss office, located at Marina Del Rey Hospital.
Mr. Moore’s wife, Tammara, had gastric bypass surgery with Dr. Korman six years ago and has kept off the weight, he said. Her excellent experience with the surgery and the follow-up process, and her weight-loss success, were enough for Mr. Moore to call Dr. Korman first. Once meeting with the doctor, Mr. Moore was satisfied that he had found his weight loss surgery partner.
After six months of consultations and the insurance approval process, Mr. Moore had gastric plication surgery. On Dec. 12, 2011, his surgery date, Mr. Moore weighed 296 pounds, with a goal weight of 220. Now, five months later, he weighs 215.
Gastric plication is when the surgeon folds the stomach over itself and then sutures the fold. Our standard analogy is a paper shopping bag: normally, it can hold a lot of groceries, but if you roll it up most of the way from the bottom and staple the fold shut, the smaller bag fills up with just a few pieces of fruit. Likewise, the gastric plication surgery enables the patient to feel full after just a small meal, enabling the patient to control portions and lose weight.
Dr. Korman is a specialist in bariatric surgery and in minimally invasive surgery methods, which means less risk of complication and quicker recovery. Mr. Moore said he recovered very quickly, and has had no problems since.
Roger says that he has already leveled off his weight loss and begun the maintenance phase. Any thinner would be too thin, he said, because of his athletic build. Dr. Korman agrees that he is at a healthy weight for him. He is able to exercise several times a week now, and he finds it surprisingly easy to eat three daily healthy meals in reasonable portions, incorporating all types of food.
“It’s kind of been really easily, actually,” he said, adding that health concerns put things into perspective for him.
He doesn’t have trouble avoiding snacks and unhealthy choices, and he hasn’t had bad reactions to any foods.
Looking back on his success so far and his satisfaction with the weight-loss surgery experience, Mr. Moore offered some advice to those considering obesity surgery.
“If you’re struggling with your weight, definitely consult Dr. Korman,” he said. “Dr. Korman is a fabulous doctor and he gave me my life back. I appreciate it very much.”
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