Conveniently situated at 1161 Victory Blvd. and 4434 Amboy Road in Staten Island, the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute serves residents throughout Staten Island and beyond with a diverse range of surgical and medical weight loss services provided by a team of highly trained and experienced providers. If you are struggling with obesity or losing weight, look no further than our surgical and medical weight loss surgical services.
What is Bariatrics?
The bariatrics field is a medical specialty that explores the study and treatment of obesity through surgeries or other applicable methods.
We invite you to view the online seminar below presented by Dr. Alexander Barkan, Chief of Bariatric surgery and Vice Chair for the Department of Surgery at Richmond University Medical Center. During the seminar, Dr. Barkan will help you understand obesity and the various bariatric procedures that can change your life for the better. This is the first step in your journey towards weight loss and is required as part of our Comprehensive Surgery Work-up.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, please call 718-818-4020.
All bariatric and weight loss surgical procedures are performed at Richmond University Medical Center, which is designated by MBSAQIP (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program) as a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent and Obesity medicine qualifications, signifying our commitment to safe, high-quality care for bariatric patients.
Richmond Health Network’s Bariatric and Weight Loss team is comprised of knowledgeable medical professionals trained to perform a wide variety of bariatric procedures and services aimed at addressing obesity, including:
- Sleeve-Gastrectomy: 70-80% of the stomach is removed leaving a narrow, tube-shaped stomach. This smaller stomach limits food intake, reduces hunger hormones which helps decrease appetite.
- Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: This common procedure involves dividing the stomach into one small upper pouch and a bypass of approximately two feet of small bowel where food will not be digested.
- Bariatric Revision Surgery: Obesity is a long term and complex health condition. Some patients, even after successful surgery, may not achieve their target weight or may regain weight some over time. Some may consider a follow-up surgery to further help reach their weight loss goals.
- Robotic Surgery: RUMC uses the da Vinci Surgical System, the state-of the art robotic assisted surgical platform for world-class minimally invasive surgery.
- Medical Weight Management: Our comprehensive medical weight loss program is personalized and medically guided to address the unique needs of each patient.
Join our Bariatric Support Group
To help you throughout your weight-loss journey, Richmond Health Network’s Bariatric and Metabolic Institute Team offers a bariatric support group, setting you up for both short and long-term success. This support group is intended to connect patients with others who have also had weight-loss surgery or are considering surgery. Being able to lean on others who know exactly what you are going through can be incredibly valuable as you begin this new chapter in your life.
Our Support Group is open to anyone and everyone! You do not have to be a patient to attend. If you are just interested and want to learn more, we welcome you to join. Even those who have had surgery elsewhere are encouraged to attend.
Coping with the Changes
Having weight-loss surgery is a big change in someone’s life. It affects so many different aspects, from diet and fitness, to sleep and stress. Often, it also comes with many emotional, mental, social and financial burdens. While the reward of losing excess weight and enjoying a happier, healthier life is second to none, it can be challenging trying to cope with all these new life changes. Others find it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, along with weight management practices, and can benefit from having a support system to keep them on the right track.
Why Every Patient Should Join our Support Group
Whether you are struggling or not, everyone who undergoes weight-loss surgery can benefit from joining a support group. At the Richmond Health Network, you’ll have the opportunity to join a support group that sets you up for both short- and long-term success. During each visit, you’ll partake in Nutrition Classes to enhance your understanding, as well as topic-guided support group sessions with your peers.
Additionally, our bariatric support group is always a place where you can ask questions and share experiences. You will learn tips and tricks you have not thought of before and share your own insights in return. Plus, being surrounded by people who are on the same journey as you can help you stay committed to your lifestyle program and achieve ongoing physical and emotional success. Talking with peers almost always provides a fresh perspective that you cannot get from a book or doctor.
UPCOMING BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUPS
Our support groups are held virtually on the second Wednesday of every month, beginning at 11:45am. Please call 718-818-4020 for more information on how to join in.
Are You a Good Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?
If you have obesity and are struggling to shed weight through changes in diet and exercise, bariatric surgery or medical weight management may be right for you. Weight loss surgery has been proven to assist not only with weight loss, but with the treatment of several obesity-related conditions, too. Typically, patients who meet one of the following criteria are considered qualified for bariatric treatment:
- BMI is greater than 35
- BMI is greater than 30 with at least one obesity-related condition, including, but not limited to, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, or osteoarthritis.
- You may be considered for medical weight management with a BMI lower than 30. Please call 718-818-4020 for more information.
Think you are a good candidate for bariatric services? Call (718)-818-4020
Bariatric and Weight Loss Services Facility Addresses and Hours of Operation
For all appointments call 718-818-4020
South Shore Location
4434 Amboy Road
Monday: 9:00am-12:00pm
Tuesdays: 9:00am-12:00pm or 9:00am-2:00pm
Thursdays 9:00am-4:00pm
North Shore Location
1161 Victory Blvd
1st and 3rd Tuesday 9:00am-7:00pm
2nd and 4th Tuesday 2:00pm-7:00pm
Thursdays 1:00pm-5:00pm
Meet the Team
Dr. Barkan has performed thousands of bariatric surgery procedures since entering the field in 2006 and has also developed several cutting-edge procedures including robotic surgeries, ensuring that you will receive the most advanced bariatric care available. His expertise in robotic surgery, as well as bariatric procedures, has led to life-changing, positive outcomes for his patients. His skills and experience have helped position Richmond University Medical Center as one of the leading hospitals in New York City for the effective use of robotic surgical technology, and as the source for people seeking the latest procedures and treatments in the field of weight loss surgery.
Office Locations
Alexandra Bronis, NP graduated from Long Island University. She is a board-certified adult and gerontology nurse practitioner seeing patients ages 12 years and up. Her focus is obesity medicine and bariatric surgery. Treating metabolic disorders such as obesity is a passion that goes back many years. She focuses on treating patients comprehensively with medication and personalized diets, as well as treating obesity related co-morbid conditions. She personally prioritizes eating right, exercising and living an overall healthy lifestyle and strives for her patients to do the same. She believes that we put into our body matters a great deal and is the key to living longer and preventing diseases. Her favorite part about coming to work is seeing the progress of her patients as they transform their lives achieving sustainable long-term health.
Dr. Zemaitis graduated from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. He completed his surgical training at Carepoint Health in Bayonne, New Jersey, where he was chief resident for three years. He then went on to complete a fellowship in minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic surgery, with a focus in bariatrics, at Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island.
Dr. Zemaitis is known for his patience, dedication, and attention to detail for each individual patient case. He looks forward to assisting you as you embark on your weight loss journey.
