Established in 2005, the bariatric surgery program at UM Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) has a two-decade long history of helping create healthier residents in Harford County.
This includes 34-year-old Bradley Schnarr who lost almost 170 pounds since his surgery. Losing so much weight meant he gained many opportunities and a healthier version of himself.
Weighing in at 430 Pounds
During winter on those snowy and icy days when most of us just want to stay inside, Schnarr is on the road helping make Maryland’s streets safe and passable. His job with the Maryland Department of Transportation means long hours in a truck, which contributed to poor eating habits and his presurgery weight of 430 pounds.
“My body hurt every day,” Schnarr said. “I had back problems. Bending over to tie my boots was hard. So many aches and pains — I just got tired of it.”
He tried exercise and changed his diet, but neither were working well. He needed another option.
“A friend of mine recently had bariatric surgery and gotten the gastric sleeve,” Schnarr said. “He was super happy with it. Talking with him and seeing the changes and improvements to his health convinced me that this was something worth looking into.”
Not an Easy Out
His next move was to set up an appointment at UM UCH.
“I kind of thought this would be an easy way out, but it wasn’t at all.” Schnarr said. “It was a big process that included many classes and lots of visits with different doctors.”
“The first thing I tell patients when I meet with them is that losing weight is something you can do on your own, but it could take a very long time,” said Alexander Aurora, MD, director of Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatrics at UM UCH. “Bariatric surgery is a faster way to get you healthier as obesity has so many side effects, including sleep apnea, diabetes and cardiovascular problems.”
Dr. Aurora, who has been with the program since 2011, added that surgery is never performed immediately. The very first step is to ensure the surgery is safe for the patient, which includes a medical evaluation and testing like an EKG.
Patients also attend classes, and their team helps them get ready.
“We have a whole team here that helps make the experience lasting and meaningful,” Dr. Aurora said.
Different Types of Surgery
The term bariatric surgery covers several procedures aimed at weight reduction. Involving either the stomach or the intestines, this kind of operation helps change appetites, feelings of fullness and metabolism.
At UM UCH, the most common operations are the sleeve gastrectomy, also known as a gastric sleeve, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Both are completed minimally invasively, allowing the patient to experience less pain and recover faster. The gastric sleeve restricts food intake by making a new banana-sized stomach or “sleeve.”
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass creates a small pouch from the stomach and connects it beyond the first section of the small intestine.
Candidates for bariatric surgery often have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, though people with a BMI of 35 to 39 may also qualify if they have weight-related medical concerns such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnea.
“Bariatric surgery is often a patient’s final attempt to lose weight after years of trying, including exercise, diet changes and even weight loss medications like GLP-1s, which are frequently talked about these days,” Dr. Aurora said. “While surgery is a powerful tool, long-term success depends heavily on how well the patient adapts their lifestyle after the procedure.”
Shedding Pounds
After meeting with Dr. Aurora, Schnarr also met with a cardiologist and a psychiatrist to be sure he was physically and mentally prepared for surgery. On the day of the operation in April 2024, he admits he was a nervous wreck, but with his wife and daughter by his side, he said there was no turning back.
As Schnarr recovered and practiced his new habits, including drinking water when he first thinks he is hungry and stopping at grocery stores for meals as opposed to fast food locations, he began to shed weight. He was shocked at how often he needed new clothing. He still continually buys smaller tops and bottoms that fit his changing physique.
On the day of surgery, his pant size was a 50-inch waist. Now it’s closer to 38 inches. He only has a few old items leftover from those bigger days to remind him that he never wants to return to that size.
Balancing on the Water
Those new clothes now include bathing suits. When the weather is warm enough, Schnarr and his daughter, Jessa, go paddleboarding.
“I love the water, and paddleboarding looked like fun,” Schnarr said, with Jessa joking that her balance is better than her dad’s. “Now I am small enough to do it, and it gives me a way to bond with my daughter.”
Schnarr’s only regret is not having the surgery sooner. Now, the countdown is on until summer when he and his daughter can get back on their paddleboards, finding peace and balance on the water.
Listen to a Podcast
Let’s face it – losing weight can be hard. And when it comes to obesity, many complex factors can cause excess weight gain and complicate a person’s ability to lose it. When traditional weight loss methods haven’t worked, it might be time to consider a new approach that combines bariatric surgery and lifestyle changes. In this episode, Alexander Aurora, MD, Director of Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatrics at UM Upper Chesapeake Health, describes good candidates for this program, what lifestyle changes are involved and what it takes to make the weight loss stick.