Page 144 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING vertical gastric sleeve surgery Happiness
FOUND
Weight loss leads to happy and healthy life
story by Alexis Williams Iphotos courtesy of Martha Contreras
t’s been just over six years since Martha Contreras had a surgery that changed her life and put her on the fast track to a happier and healthier way of living. After the birth of her
second child, she weighed around 160 pounds and maintained that weight for several years. She began taking hormone replacement injections and her weight ballooned to 290 pounds.
“The weight came on so fast,” says Contreras. “When I realized I had gained so much weight, I was almost 300 pounds. I became sick with high blood pressure and my sleep was less. I couldn’t find nice clothes to wear, felt ugly and my husband left me because of my weight.”
Contreras had tried dieting. She would lose weight, but ultimately would gain the pounds right back. With the support of her sister and three children, Contreras visited weight loss surgeon Dr. William “Pete” Avara at South Mississippi Surgical Weight Loss. Dr. Avara recommended Contreras undergo the vertical gastric sleeve surgery to reduce the size of her stomach and lose the unwanted and unhealthy extra weight.
The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy permanently reduces the size of the patient’s stomach, therefore limiting food intake and decreasing the sense of hunger. During surgery, the surgeon removes 60-80 percent of the patient’s stomach creating a new “sleeve” stomach, which can hold less food and ultimately promote weight loss.
144 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2017
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MARTHA CONTRERAS after losing almost half of her body weight, now weighing 150 pounds