Down Nearly 200 Pounds
Gastric Bypass Helps One Patient Make a Monumental Life Change
Kallee Newberry
“I’ve lost the equivalent of two people,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much better I feel. Gastric bypass surgery was truly the best decision I ever made. And Dr. Braverman’s team was so instrumental to my success—I can’t say enough good things about them.
In 2019, Laguna Hills resident Kallee Newberry was at an important life crossroad. She was heading into her 30s— a new decade of life—but she wasn’t happy with her weight.
Overweight since she was a child, Kallee’s situation got rapidly worse with the onset of an adult thyroid condition and a serious knee injury. The weight went on quickly. Although she’s tall (5-feet, 11 inches), she was 334 pounds and extremely uncomfortable.
“I promised myself that 2019 was going to be a year of health—I decided to really invest in me and hopefully open a new chapter of life,” said Kallee. “I tried losing weight on my own in the past and it was never successful. That’s when I started researching gastric bypass surgery.”
Kallee’s research led her to Justin Braverman MD, PIH Health bariatric surgeon.
During their first appointment, Dr. Braverman spent about two hours with Kallee—taking the time to discuss details about the various surgical options, the risks and benefits of each, the success rates, and the positive and negative long-term effects. Kallee was very impressed with Dr. Braverman and his team, the comprehensive education they provided, and how comfortable they made her feel.
Kallee chose to have gastric bypass surgery, which happened in April 2019 and kick-started a phenomenal two-year journey toward permanent weight loss. Today, Kallee weighs 136 pounds—she lost nearly 200 pounds over a two-year time period.
“I’m extremely happy with Kallee’s results,” said Dr. Braverman. “She has lost 108% of her excess body weight—even more than we expected. Gastric bypass, which is performed with minimally invasive (laparascopic) techniques, was definitely the right surgical option for Kallee.”
