At the Association of South Bay Surgeons, we've harnessed the collaborative power of multiple specialists and sub specialists into one comprehensive team of expert surgeons. For more than 10 years, we've provided quality care for our patients while paving the way for future medical innovations. Since the practice was formed in 1995, our surgeons have performed countless procedures. You can feel confident that our physicians have the experience needed to provide patients with the best possible care. And now, many of these surgeries can be performed using minimally-invasive techniques. This benefits patients in many ways - smaller scars, less bleeding, less pain and quicker recovery.

	Dr. Baghai completed her Doctor of Medicine and Internship at the University of California, San Francisco. Her general surgery training was completed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She then went on to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia where she completed two fellowships in Minimally Invasive Surgery. She is Board Certified in General Surgery. She is a candidate member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (ASBS). She has recently joined Association of South Bay Surgeons. Dr. Baghai's contribution to our Bariatric Program is her expertise in Laparoscopic surgery. She has extensive experience in performing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypasses.
	Dr. Klein is an active member of the Department of Surgery of a prestigious local University. He has in excess of twenty years experience in all aspects of the evaluation and surgical management of the obese patient. Dr. Klein is board certified in General, Vascular and Surgical Critical Care. Throughout his career, Dr. Klein has been active in teaching medical students, residents and other health professionals about the care and treatment of the obese patient. Dr. Klein has contributed to over 100 peer-reviewed publications including the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, and multiple others dealing with surgery for the digestive tract. Finally, Dr. Klein is consistently recognized by his patients as a compassionate, energetic and dedicated surgeon who is committed to excellence in the care of his patients.
	Dr. Takahashi completed her general surgery training at LA County + USC Medical Center. During her residency at USC she spent an additional year in fellowship training in Trauma and Critical Care. She then went on to UCLA where she spent a year focused on Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery. She is Board Certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. She is a Candidate member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (ASBS). She has recently joined Association of South Bay Surgeons. Dr. Takahashi's contribution to our Bariatric Program is her expertise in Laparoscopic surgery. She has extensive experience in performing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypasses.

Obesity is defined as a "life-long progressive, life-threatening, costly, genetically related, multi-factorial disease of excess fat storage." Severe obesity is a chronic condition that is difficult to treat through diet and exercise alone. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, obstructive sleep apnea, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, endometrial, breast, prostate, & colon cancers, poor female reproductive health, & depression. Obesity is estimated to lead to 400,000 deaths annually. Diet and exercise only works for 1 in 20 people. Gastrointestinal surgery is the best option for people who are severely obese and cannot lose weight by traditional means or who suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. The surgery promotes weight loss by restricting food intake and, in some operations, interrupting the digestive process. As in other treatments for obesity, the best results are achieved with healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity.

People who may consider gastrointestinal surgery include those with a body mass index (BMI) above 40—about 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds for women (see table 1 for a BMI conversion chart). People with a BMI between 35 and 40 who suffer from type 2 diabetes or life-threatening cardiopulmonary problems such as severe sleep apnea or obesity-related heart disease may also be candidates for surgery.

Table 1: Body Mass Index Find your weight on the bottom of the graph. Go straight up from that point until you come to the line that matches your height. Then look to find your weight group.

Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI =  weight(kg) height(m)2 World Health Organization Classification    BMI Ideal weight 20-24.9 Overweight 25-29.9 Moderate obesity (class I) 30-34.9 Severe obesity (class II) 35-39.9 Morbid obesity (class III) 40-49.9 (Super obesity) 50+

U.S. Obesity Prevalence

The concept of gastrointestinal surgery to control obesity grew out of results of operations for cancer or severe ulcers that removed large portions of the stomach or small intestine. Because patients undergoing these procedures tended to lose weight after surgery, some physicians began to use such operations to treat severe obesity. The first operation that was widely used for severe obesity was the intestinal bypass. This operation, first used 40 years ago, produced weight loss by causing malabsorption. The idea was that patients could eat large amounts of food, which would be poorly digested or passed along too fast for the body to absorb many calories. The problem with this surgery was that it caused a loss of essential nutrients and its side effects were unpredictable and sometimes fatal. The original form of the intestinal bypass operation is no longer used.

Normally, as food moves along the digestive tract, digestive juices and enzymes digest and absorb calories and nutrients (see figure 1). After we chew and swallow our food, it moves down the esophagus to the stomach, where a strong acid continues the digestive process. The stomach can hold about 3 pints of food at one time. When the stomach contents move to the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine, bile and pancreatic juice speed up digestion. Most of the iron and calcium in the foods we eat is absorbed in the duodenum. The jejunum and ileum, the remaining two segments of the nearly 20 feet of small intestine, complete the absorption of almost all calories and nutrients. The food particles that cannot be digested in the small intestine are stored in the large intestine until eliminated.

Gastrointestinal surgery for obesity, also called bariatric surgery, alters the digestive process. The operations promote weight loss by closing off parts of the stomach to make it smaller. Operations that only reduce stomach size are known as "restrictive operations" because they restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold.

Some operations combine stomach restriction with a partial bypass of the small intestine. These procedures create a direct connection from the stomach to the lower segment of the small intestine, literally bypassing portions of the digestive tract that absorb calories and nutrients. These are known as malabsorptive operations.

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