George Kazantsev, MD, PhD, FACS - Program Medical Director
Dr. Kazantsev has extensive experience in gastrointestinal and Bariatric surgery. His scope of practice includes both laparoscopic and open gastric bypass surgery and he has more than eight years experience performing weight loss surgery.

Ajay Upadhyay, MD, FACS, FRCS - Surgeon
Dr. Upadhyay brings extensive experience in complex gastrointestinal procedures. He performs lap band and both open and laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and has more than five years experience performing weight loss surgeries.

Brian Strieff, Aaron Peters, and Megan Palsa - Physician Assistants
Brian, Aaron and Megan are intimately involved in preoperative evaluation, operative assistance, and postoperative care of our patients.

Helen Johnson, RN - Program Nurse Coordinator
Helen has had the unique experience of undergoing bariatric surgery herself. She is the primary point of contact between referring physicians and patients and also runs our monthly support group.

Myra Rudy – Bariatric Care Specialist
Myra’s focus is the psychological support of our post-op patients. She is uniquely suited for this role because her educational focus was psychology and she has direct experience as a Bariatric patient herself. She also assists with the facilitation of our support groups.

Sabrina Rivera - Program Dietician
Sabrina sees patients in her office before and after surgery and instructs them on their new dietary habits and lifestyle.

Consultants
Pulmonologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, and behavioral health specialists work with us to provide important input as needed.

Facilities
We perform all surgeries at the Summit Campus in Oakland, where we use special beds, gurneys, scales, and other bariatric equipment to care for the patients postoperatively. Our nursing staff has completed intensive, specialized training to care for our bariatric patients, including postoperative care and sensitivity.

Bariatric Care Program
Summit Campus, Oakland
Phone: (510) 869-8972
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Email: ABSMCWeight@Sutterhealth.org