St. Luke Hospitals: Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center

What would it be like to shed 100 pounds—the weight of 10 bowling balls—off your body, and be able to keep it off? Would you be healthier? More active? Would you live longer?

The Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center at The St. Luke Hospitals has been designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (COE) by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). The American Society of Bariatric Surgery grants the designation to bariatric surgery centers that have the best patient results across the country.

The Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center has improved the quality of life for over 350 patients not only through weight loss, but also by improving and/or resolving diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea, to name a few conditions.

Tom Sonnanstine, M.D.

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for viewing our Web site. You can learn how our Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center at The St. Luke Hospitals may be able to help you take control of your weight—and your life! For people suffering from severe obesity and related health conditions, weight loss surgery may be the solution they have been searching for. Studies show that weight loss surgery, as compared to non-surgical treatments, yields the longest period of continued weight loss in patients who have not had success with other therapies. In addition, laparoscopic weight loss surgery, which is minimally invasive, has been proven to have many benefits over open surgeries.

To achieve the best results, patients need to actively participate in a multidisciplinary weight loss program that includes an experienced bariatric surgeon as well as experts to provide nutritional, emotional and exercise support. The highly-trained team at The St. Luke Hospitals is committed to providing the highest level of patient care every step of the way. My name is Tom Sonnanstine, M.D., and I am the medical director of the Center. I am the first board certified surgeon in Northern Kentucky who is fellowship-trained in bariatric (weight loss) surgery. I trained at Tufts-New England Medical Center and have performed over 650 laparoscopic gastric bypasses, over 150 LAP-BAND® procedures, and over 70 Revisional Bariatric operations. I am looking forward to working with you and our other team members to develop a weight loss program that works for you.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, which is based on a ratio of weight and height. Once you determine your BMI you can tell if you are a candidate for bariatric (weight loss) surgery. A BMI over 40 is morbidly obese.

If you would like to arrange a consultation, call us at 859-212-GOAL, and we will be happy to schedule one for you. Once you have an appointment scheduled, we will send you a welcome packet that provides forms and more information about what you need to bring with you to the appointment. Below are some of the items:

Copy of insurance plan coverage booklet
Copy of insurance card
List of medications related to obesity-related health conditions
Documentation of prior supervised weight-loss attempts (i.e. copies of sign-in sheet, canceled checks for commercial weight-loss programs, etc.)
Documentation of days missed from work due to weight-related conditions
Records from primary care physicians regarding treatment for obesity-related conditions
Operative reports from prior surgery (if applicable)

Please note that weight loss surgery is not an overnight process. There are many required steps that involve multiple parties. We will make every effort to expedite this process for you and will keep you informed along the way.

We look forward to helping you achieve your health goals.

Sincerely,

Tom Sonnanstine, M.D.
Medical Director
Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center
The St. Luke Hospitals

The Most Advanced Surgical Techniques

The Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center specializes in the laparoscopic approach to weight loss surgery. This is the most advanced type of weight loss surgery available, as it is minimally-invasive. The surgeon only needs to make a small incision, rather than a large opening, to perform laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery also has many benefits over open surgery, including:

In addition, wound complications such as hernias and infections are reduced from almost 30 percent with open surgeries to less than 1 percent with laparoscopic techniques.

Because laparoscopic weight loss surgery is more technically advanced, it is important to have a surgeon who is experienced in the technique. Dr. Sonnanstine at St. Luke specializes in laparoscopic weight loss surgery and has completed more than 260 laparoscopic weight loss procedures.

State-of-the-Art Hospital Facilities

It's reassuring to know that the Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center is located in St. Luke Hospital West, a full-service hospital that provides the most advanced technology and services for all of your health care needs.

There are many benefits to having your weight loss surgery performed in a full-service hospital setting. Our patients are treated in state-of-the-art surgical suites and provided with excellent inpatient care. In addition, you can get all of your care in one facility. If you have other medical needs, such as diabetes treatment or physical therapy, we can coordinate these services with your surgical weight loss care.

Other Weight Loss Options

The St. Luke Hospitals offer several other weight loss services that may also be used separately or in conjunction with surgical weight loss treatment. Our experts can help find a weight loss program that is right for you. Visit our Weight Treatment Pages for more details. Some of our services include:

Helpful Links

Know someone who wants to lose weight?

Are you ready to start the new year off with a new look? For some people who are overweight, dieting and exercising just don’t work. Is weight loss surgery the solution? Come find out more at the FREE information sessions with leading bariatric surgeon Tom Sonnanstine, M.D. of the Tristate Surgical Weight Loss Center at The St. Luke Hospitals.

Registration is required. Please call 859-212-4625. Space is limited, so make your reservation now! Information sessions are held the first Thursday of each month.