Bariatric Surgery Allows Waretown Woman to Play With Her Kids Again
October 29, 2024
When Lisa Ruding took her family camping a couple of years ago, she had to sit in a chair and watch the fun because she was too hot, uncomfortable and breathless to participate. Her husband explored and played games with their son, now 11, and daughter, 4.
“I couldn’t even walk and talk at the same time,” says Lisa, 34, who then weighed 288 pounds and had a body mass index (BMI) of 53, indicating extreme obesity.
It wasn’t the first time she couldn’t join in the festivities, but the real wake-up call came when her father died at the age of 55 from a heart attack. After his sudden death, Lisa says she coped with stress eating, gaining 30 pounds in only three months.
“I knew that if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to die,” she says. “I didn’t want to be next.”
A Candidate for Bariatric Surgery
She contacted her friend who had undergone bariatric surgery at Southern Ocean Medical Center several years prior and did not regain the weight.
“Once I made the decision to have surgery, I didn’t know where to go,” Lisa says. “So I let my friend guide me through the process.”
In June 2023, she met with James Nangeroni, D.O., bariatric and general surgeon at the Center for Weight Loss at Southern Ocean Medical Center, who suggested a sleeve gastrectomy. This procedure involves removing about 75% of the stomach, reducing its capacity and leading to a quicker feeling of fullness.
“It is a tried-and-true procedure, and it’s safe,” says Dr. Nangeroni, “So it’s typically where we like to start.”
Sleeve gastrectomies are the most commonly performed bariatric surgeries for good reason, he says. The procedure poses few risks—its mortality rate is only .05%, according to the National Institutes of Health. It can also improve or even resolve comorbid conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“With some patients, you can cure their diabetes the moment you perform the procedure,” Dr. Nangeroni says. “I knew it would help Lisa, and she was ready and motivated.”
In October 2023, Dr. Nangeroni performed the robotic, 40-minute surgery on Lisa, who was able to walk the same day and was discharged the following day.
Successful Results From Sleeve Gastrectomy
During the first couple of weeks at home, Lisa was disappointed that the pounds weren’t falling off as quickly as she hoped, despite consuming an all-clear liquid diet for seven days.
“I was worried that it wasn’t going to work for me,” she says. “But after a couple weeks, the weight just started falling off and kept falling off.”
Today, she has lost 107 pounds and can walk for miles on the nature trails near her house—she averages between three and six miles a day. She recently joined her kids on rides at the amusement park and plays with them regularly. She has learned how to limit her food intake to avoid getting sick and no longer craves the less nutritious foods she once did.
Positive outcomes like Lisa’s are overwhelmingly common, says Dr. Nangeroni, who never thought he’d perform bariatric surgery, but now wishes he could do it full-time.
“So many of our patients have these really great outcomes, and you can see them become a different person with each visit,” he says. “I love doing these surgeries because you really do change people’s lives.”
But Lisa says that Dr. Nangeroni did more than simply change her life.
“He saved my life,” she says. “And I can never repay him.”
Next Steps & Resources
- Meet our source: James Nangeroni, D.O.
- To make an appointment with a bariatric surgeon near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
- Learn more about bariatrics at Hackensack Meridian Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
