The UM Center for Weight Management & Wellness

Patient Success Stories

Bariatric Surgery Patient Loses 130 Pounds, Regains "Control of My Body"

SUMMARY: Tanya Parker, a St. Mary’s County Maryland resident, found Dr. Mark Kligman, (director of the UM Center for Weight Management and Wellness) while searching the Internet. She liked the fact that he was a trauma surgeon who could handle any type of emergency in the OR. She was more drawn to him after attending the free weight loss surgery seminar sponsored by the Center -- she liked his honest approach, that he stressed self-compliance and put accountability on the patient. She says she feels like she is a “life patient of Dr. Kligman's just as he told me I would be three years ago at the seminar.” Read more about Tanya’s experience below.

How did you find out about Dr. Kligman and what made you decide to see him for a consultation?

I found Dr. Kligman through the Internet. I wanted to go to someone at the University of Maryland Medical System. When I learned Dr. Kligman used to be a trauma surgeon that clinched it for me. That was the deciding factor for a consultation.

I first met Dr. Kligman when I went to one of his weight loss surgery seminars in August of 2005. He had a dry sense of humor. He was very knowledgeable and seemed very concerned about the long-term commitment of his patients.

It was very important to me to be a lifetime patient and that’s what Dr. Kligman believes. He follows up with you after surgery, and you still have to periodically see him for care.

He wasn’t just a bariatric surgeon, but a physician who believed in long-term care for his patients, and that was very attractive to me. After the seminar, I scheduled an appointment for a consultation.

What happened at the consultation?

Prior to my appointment, I was given a packet to bring to the consultation. I saw him within three to four weeks. He evaluated my BMI, height and weight. We talked about my medical history and he decided I was a candidate for surgery. We talked about the process I’d have to go through. My insurance company required that I have certain medical tests. After that was done, I went back to him eight weeks later, and at that appointment he set the surgery date.


Before	After

When did you have your surgery?

November 17, 2005.

How much weight did you lose after the surgery?

After surgery, over the course of 12 months, I lost 130 pounds.

What was your life like before the surgery?

Before surgery, I weighed 330 pounds. I had been researching weight loss surgery for two years. My orthopaedic doctor suggested it. I had a horrible injury to my right foot, and my weight made it harder. The doctor said I only had 10 years left on the foot, so he suggested I look into gastric bypass surgery.

The weight made it harder; it compounded the foot problem and I couldn’t exercise. When I first had the injury I weighed 290, then gained weight over eight years.

It was impossible to lose weight. I tried everything – Weight Watchers, other diets, and exercise – but wasn’t losing anything. I couldn’t cut calories to that extent. Due to my foot injury, I was limited in my physical activity and that was a big problem.

How has your life changed since the surgery?

After surgery, I feel like I’m more in control of my body. It’s a good feeling. I’m physically active now, and I’m able to walk three miles a day. I couldn’t do that before the surgery. I go to amusement parks and can go on rides; I couldn’t do that before.

My lab work and blood pressure is good. Now I feel like I eat to live instead of living to eat. I get a lot more enjoyment from a little bit of quality food. I see Dr. Kligman once a year for life.

What do you like about Dr. Kligman?

Dr. Kligman gave me accountability. I sing his praises all the time. I’ve referred four patients to him. I love Dr. Kligman! He really does care. He gets the job done. I appreciate that. The results for his patients -- their long-term health and their compliance -- is very important to him. I think he embraces that weight loss surgery patients need to be compliant.

My weight loss and compliance was very good; I found my happy balance. The number on the scale does not control me. When I went for my two-year visit, my weight was the same as it was the first year. Now I’m able to maintain.

Weight loss is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental. You have to retrain yourself to exercise, drink water and eat right.

You also had follow-up plastic surgery, which is a common procedure after weight loss surgery. Can you talk more about that?

I started having back pain a year and a half after the weight loss surgery. Then my primary physician suggested getting the skin removed because the extra skin was causing pain because of the weight of it, and also rashes. I did my own research and consulted with Dr. Kligman, who told me about Dr. Ronald Silverman (associate professor of surgery in the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery). It was a collaborative effort. I wanted to stay with University of Maryland.

On September 10, 2007, I had an abdominoplasty with muscle tightening to get rid of the excess skin. It worked out very well. I could never have expected the aesthetic result I got. Dr. Silverman even uses my pictures in his lectures.

Dr. Silverman was absolutely wonderful. I couldn’t believe the results I got. My stomach is flat, and I had no post-op complications. Any questions I had he answered very promptly. I’ve even referred one patient to him.

This page was last updated on: May 13, 2009.

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