Page 110 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING gastric sleeve Trusting
HIS
INSTINCTS
MATTHEW MAVAR is now in top shape after his gastric sleeve surgery.
110 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2017
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Astory by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Matthew Mavar
fter spending the majority of his younger years overweight, Matthew Mavar decided it was time to make a change.
“I had spent my 20s and 30s being overweight and tried over and over again to lose the
weight, killing myself over every detail of my dieting only to go back to my routine after a month or two,” said Mavar, who lives in Biloxi.
After struggling to lose the weight on his own,
Mavar started seeking other options including surgical weight loss. “It came down to knowing a previous patient of Dr. Avara. The word of mouth from a friendly face made it an easier choice.”
After his decision was made, he opted for the gastric sleeve. “I saw no reason to have the bypass,” said Mavar regarding the surgery. “The way the sleeve works seemed to click with what I wanted to accomplish.”
The procedure was a trying one, but Mavar had the support of his friends and family, as well as the team at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss. “They made the whole process very smooth,” Mavar commented. “Though mentally I was torn in many different directions, I kept telling myself that this decision was mine and mine alone. I had to trust my instinct.”
As it turns out, Mavar’s instincts were correct. “I started my journey weighing 345 pounds,” he said.
“I had gotten down to 330 pounds before the surgery and now weigh 228 pounds after receiving the gastric sleeve.”