Bariatric treatment can be the answer to obesity and related health problems. OHSU Health Bariatric Services is a leader in weight-loss surgery and other bariatric treatment. We see patients at OHSU and at Hillsboro Medical Center, an OHSU partner.

Our team of experts will give you the care and support you need to live a better life. You’ll find:

• A high rate of success in helping patients lose weight and improve health.
• A team of specialists that includes dietitians, physical therapists, psychologists and others to help you at every step.
• Bariatric surgeons who do hundreds of surgeries a year.
• Minimally invasive surgeries with smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery.
• Patient navigators to arrange appointments and answer your questions.
• A nationally accredited clinic designed for your comfort.
• An online support group hosted by a nurse practitioner and dietitian.
• Care for patients with complex conditions who may have been turned away elsewhere.

Learn more

• Considering bariatric surgery
• Bariatric surgery and other treatment
• Preparing for bariatric surgery
• Life after bariatric surgery
• FAQ and resources
• Meet our team

Why consider bariatric surgery?

Weight-loss surgery is a big step. It’s not the right answer for everyone. But for some people, surgery offers a long-term solution to obesity and related health problems.

• Diet and exercise alone rarely lead to success, studies show. Even the 2 or 3 percent of people who lose significant weight typically gain it back within a year.
• In studies, up to about 90 percent of patients report satisfaction with their bariatric surgery or say they would recommend it to a friend.
• A large majority of patients lose more than half their excess weight and keep it off for years.
• People who have surgery are much healthier and happier on average than similar people who don’t, studies show. Life expectancy climbs. Most see a dramatic improvement in obesity-related conditions such as sleep apnea or Type 2 diabetes.¹

Learn if you might be a candidate. 

Complete care

Your care team will work with you and your primary care doctor before, during and long after surgery. We are committed to your success.

Multistep program: We combine surgery with supported nutrition, exercise and supplements. These methods all work together to support your progress.

Team-based care: Your surgeon, nurse practitioner, dietitian, physical therapist, psychologist and others work together, often conferring face to face. This approach supports your health, well-being and success.

Your comfort: Our clinic and hospital facilities, including operating rooms and wards, are designed for your comfort. You won’t have to ask for anything special or feel out of place.

Patient navigators: A navigator will guide you through all steps before and after surgery, freeing you to focus on your health.

Steps to success: Our programs put you on a path to meeting your goals even before you leave the hospital. Our Walk to Recovery program gets you up and moving soon after surgery. Our pharmacy support program gives you your first full review of medications at bedside.

Our excellence

OHSU offers the region’s most advanced bariatric care.

Experience: Our surgeons have more than 80 years of combined experience. They do hundreds of surgeries a year and can help you choose the best option for you.

Expertise: All of our surgeons completed fellowships (advanced training) in areas such as minimally invasive surgery and bariatrics. We are also Oregon’s leading center for revisional surgeries (surgery after an unsuccessful bariatric surgery).

National recognition: Our honors include:

Research and Innovations

As Oregon’s only academic health center, we are dedicated to research that improves patient care. Our doctors are at the forefront of discoveries that can be brought from the lab to you.

• We are developing Oregon’s first obesity clinic for teens.
• We are involved in the Obesity Council, which studies childhood obesity.
• OHSU is working to test and refine nonsurgical and minimally invasive techniques.
• We are a leader in a National Institutes of Health bariatric surgery research project. The multicenter study, the largest of its kind in the U.S., is looking at 2,500 bariatric patients over seven years to seek improvements in treatments and outcomes.
• We are studying new ways, including alternative therapies, to treat chronic pain after bariatric surgery.
• OHSU is researching possible connections between obesity and cancer, including whether treating obesity can prevent certain cancers.

¹ Why Weight Loss Surgery Works When Diets Don’t and The Underused Weight Loss Option: Bariatric Surgery