Today I was thinking...

Being a bariatric surgeon is a very special privilege. The patients are so very grateful for the work I do for them. Last night I went to the hospital in the evening to see one of my patients. Her brother was there with her and I recognized him as one of my patients! I had performed laparoscopic gastric bypass on him 2 years ago and he has lost 160 pounds. He is very happy with his result and looks great. You would never know he had been heavy in the past. He was so thankful and it made me very pleased to be doing what I do. My patients are not just "patients" they often become very special friends and often feel like family. Their effort to become healthier inspire me to keep helping persons of size. A bariatric surgeon is not just a surgeon that does weight loss surgery. We are different than many surgeons since we are involved in our patients lives for many years and help with a lot of their medical care, probably much more than most surgeons. Sometimes it seems we are both surgeon and family doctor for a while. We get very close to our patients. There is nothing I would rather be doing at this time of my life. I am now 57 years old and I think this is the most fun I have had in my career. I just love it. It feels like I was made to be a bariatric surgeon. I will say it again. Being a bariatric surgeon is a very special privilege.