Our dedicated team at the Southern Regional Bariatric Center has advanced expertise in weight loss management. Our surgeons, care coordinator, dietitian, and on-site therapist all play a special role in creating our unique program. Our dietitians, therapists and registered nurses all have specialized experience in weight management.
Our Team has studied, trained and practiced at prestigious hospitals and bariatric departments throughout the country and will help guide you through the entire weight loss surgery process -- from
completing insurance forms before surgery to creating your personalized
nutritional plan.
Our dedicated team of experts understands this is a life-changing
decision. And they know how to help you and your loved ones every step
of the way. Southern Regional offers:
Specialized Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Gorjala
Srinivasa Gorjala, MD, Medical Director
Dr. Srinivasa Gorjala is a general surgeon who specializes in laparoscopic, endocrine and bariatric surgery.
Dr. Gorjala received his MD from New Jersey Medical School and completed his surgery training at Medical College of Georgia. He started practicing general surgery in 1997.
Dr. Gorjala brought various surgical innovations to the Southern Crescent, such as advances in thyroid and parathyroid surgery including intra-operative parathyroid localization and assays, as well as mini-invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Dr. Gorjala has helped bring the lap band procedure to the Southern Crescent area with a multi disciplinary approach and a complete 360 care model.
He also uses the mini-invasive "single port" technique for the lap band surgery. Lifestyles magazine named him a "Top Doc" in 2007.
Experienced Program Coordinator
Rhonda Evans, RN, MSM, CBM, Program Coordinator
Rhonda Evans is a nurse bringing more than 17 years experience, ranging from medical surgical, trauma, critical care, emergency, and home health.
Evans' many accomplishments include starting a breast prosthetic program for a home medical equipment company in Evansville, IN.
Born and raised in the Carolinas, she and her husband relocated to Georgia in 2005.
State-of-the-art Technology
We offer the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System, which is an adjustable gastric band designed to help severely obese individuals achieve sustained, long-term weight loss.
The LAP-BAND® induces weight loss by reducing the stomach capacity and restricting the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. The system is very different from gastric bypass because it does not require stomach cutting, stapling or intestinal re-routing.
LAP-BAND® is a much less invasive surgery. The band can be placed around the top portion of the stomach laparoscopically, using "keyhole" surgery. This offers the advantages of reduced pain, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery.
360 Degrees of Care
At Southern Regional's Bariatric Center, all of the services that weight loss surgery patients need are under one roof to make every step of the process as convenient as possible.
Our 360 Degrees of Care model means that you get personalized care. Each patient is assigned a care coordinator who walks them through every step in the surgery process, from pre-assessment to post-operative care.
Help Before Surgery
From your initial health evaluation to the day you reach your weight loss goal, we will be here for you. Before surgery, we will help you with insurance paperwork and financial options, as well as provide support groups where patients share their experiences and help each other reach their goals.
Support After Surgery
After surgery, our support groups and one-on-one nutritional counseling help to make sure that every patient has the support he or she needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And a big dose of encouragement is always available.