DEPARTMENTS
Pass2Health
(Gastric Bypass Program)
1-866-735-PASS(7277)Arthur Valles, M.D.
Medical Director, Pass2Health Program
The Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass is the most common surgical procedure used for weight loss in the United States. The surgeon creates a small stomach pouch and bypasses part of the stomach and a small portion of the small intestine creating minimal malabsorption and restricting food intake, resulting in a feeling of fullness and satiation. The PASS surgeons perform both open and laparoscopic gastric bypass.
Supporting the surgical team is a very formidable and experienced medical group consisting of a cardiopulmonary specialist, a medical weight loss expert, medical internist, gastroenterologist, anesthesiologist, psychiatrist, and medical nutritionist. The nursing staff is made up of specially trained handpicked individuals who deal with bariatric patients from the time they are admitted to the hospital until the time of their discharge. The operating room and recovery room personnel, surgical intensive care and regular floor nurse insure the patients' comfort and well being during the different phases of their stay in the hospital.
Chief of Surgery and Medical Director, Pass2Health Program
Dr. Arthur Valles, Chief of Surgery at Los Angeles
Metropolitan Medical Center, has had
considerable experience in the field of bariatric surgery. During
his training as a general surgeon at Los Angeles County King Drew
Medical Center he had a first hand view of the evolutionary changes
that took place in the field of surgery for the morbidly obese. His
mentors are now considered pioneers in bariatric surgery. Dr. Valles
has been involved in gastric bypass cases as the primary surgeon
that number well into a thousand. He performs both the laparoscopic
and open gastric bypass procedures. Dr. Valles is also a trained
endoscopist, a skill he finds very helpful in the overall care of
his bariatric patients.
The rest of our specialized team includes:
Renetta Hatcher, M.D.
Bariatric Surgeon
Dr. Renetta Hatcher
Dr. Hatcher, Vice Chief of Surgery and Treasurer at Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, has performed bariatric surgeries since 2002 and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Hatcher received her Doctor of Medicine from Howard University College of Medicine. She completed her general surgery internship and residency at King Drew Medical Center, where she was Chief Resident. Her military background is impressive . Dr. Hatcher currently holds the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Reserves and has received numerous commendations during her years of service. Dr. Hatcher has been featured in the popular television show, "Trauma: Life in the ER".
Farid Besharat, M.D.
Pulmonologist and Internist
Dr. Besharat trained at UCLA for internal and pulmonary medicine. He will evaluate your lungs and overall health before surgery and will monitor you during your hospital stay. Dr. Besharat will help you quit smoking prior to your surgery and will help you stay smoke-free after your surgery. Dr. Besharat believes if you stop smoking you will have more energy, more stamina, and you will feel better during the day and sleep better at night.
Windgrove Daniel, M.D.
Cardiologist
Dr. Daniel received his Doctor of Medicine from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He completed his internship at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, his residency at Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida and his fellowship in Cardiology at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. Dr. Daniel has been in private practice since 1988 and on staff at Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center since 1987.
Michael Tolwin, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Dr. Tolwin received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Wisconsin. He completed his internship and residency at USC. Dr. Tolwin has been in private practice since 1985. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the Southern California Psychiatric Society.
Complete success cannot be achieved without the presence and support of the medical institution where the procedures are performed. Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, which is situated in the center of Los Angeles, provides the necessary personnel and equipment utilized in the care of these very special patients. The smallest detail cannot be overlooked.
The entire surgical and medical personnel, the nursing and support staff, and the administrative staff of the hospital have directed their full attention to the needs of the bariatric patient to achieve complete success.
1-866-735-PASS
Call our 24 hour call center for more information.
