August 10, 2009 – Jacksonville, FL – Two women who are friends and share a lifelong struggle with obesity chose the latest option in laparascopic weight loss surgery, performed in back-to-back procedures at St. Luke's Hospital.  John DePeri, M.D. successfully completed the weight loss operation known as "gastric sleeve" using a single keyhole incision for each of the women.  This was the first time this minimally-invasive approach was used for a gastric sleeve surgery in Jacksonville.  Dr. DePeri performed the procedures at St. Luke's on Tuesday August 4, 2009.

"The single-incision option is great for patients for a number of reasons," Dr. DePeri explains.  "The incision is only about 5 centimeters, and that minimizes pain and scarring and speeds recovery.  Down the road, it's likely the incision will not be visible."

The two women who had the surgeries at St. Luke's Hospital are friends who chose to have the procedure at the same time so they can support one another.

"I was originally considering gastric banding," says Natalie Murray, a 35-year-old Lake City wife and mother of two small children.  "The newer gastric sleeve surgery will not leave a foreign object in my body.  If I had chosen the gastric band, frequent adjustments would have required a lot of driving back and forth from home.  With the sleeve, that won't be necessary."

"Natalie and I researched our options and came to the same conclusion," says Kayla Walker, a 26-year-old wife and mother of twins who is close friends with Natalie Murray.  "The more we studied, the more we felt that the gastric sleeve was right for us."

The gastric sleeve is a relatively new approach in bariatric surgery. It involves the removal of 80 to 90 percent of the stomach.  Although the stomach is smaller following the surgery, its function remains the same.  Dr. DePeri says Murray and Walker were excellent candidates for the single-incision approach because their body mass index levels (BMI) were approximately 40.

In the first stage of the operation, Dr. DePeri created a tube out of the stomach by using staples. The portion of the stomach that is stapled out is them removed. This results in a small sized stomach, which takes a shape of a "sleeve" or a "banana" or a "tube".
The surgery reduces the stomach size so it can no longer accommodate excess food.

Like other patients who choose to have weight loss surgery, Natalie Murray and Kayla Walker say they have struggled unsuccessfully with excess weight for their entire lives.  Murray has heart and vascular disease in her family history and currently takes medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  While Walker is not currently taking medication, she has heart disease and diabetes in her family history.  For both women, improvement in their physical appearance is secondary to their health.

"On the road I've been walking, I know I am a disaster waiting to happen," Walker says.  "There's no way I would wind up living a long and healthy life.  I have a husband and three-year-old twins.  For them and the rest of my family, getting my weight under control once and for all is something I had to do."

"Right now, I take five pills every single day for blood pressure and cholesterol," Murray says.  "My goal is to take that all the way down to zero pills each day.  With my weight down to where it should be, I hope my blood pressure and cholesterol levels will be where they should be, too.  For me, this is about my health, first and foremost."

Their surgeon says their philosophy is right on target.  "This is not about looking good," Dr. DePeri says.  "This is about living a healthy life.  Cosmetics are secondary.  However, as techniques have evolved, cosmesis can be taken into account."

The weight loss process for gastric sleeve patients – like gastric banding – is slower than what is experienced by gastric bypass patients.  Two years after the surgery, however, the amount of weight loss experienced by sleeve patients mirrors the pounds lost by gastric bypass patients. 

Natalie Murray's goal weight is 131 pounds.  She currently weighs 217 pounds.  Kayla Walker currently weighs 207 pounds but says she has no specific goal weight in her mind.  Reaching a level her doctor says is healthy for her is what will make her happy.
Both women understand that they will also have work to do in making sure they eat healthy foods and exercise.  With the combination of surgery and lifestyle changes, they are looking forward to smaller and healthier bodies.

In the weeks and months to come, Natalie and Kayla say they will stay close and support one another.  "We're in this together," Natalie says.  Kayla adds, "I am here for her, and she is here for me.  Together, we'll get there."