Ryan Heider, MD

I live in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina. My friend turned me on to go the route of weight loss surgery. She had it done and she looked amazing! I guess, I wanted what she had accomplished. Now I am that person and I look amazing. It was easy since I was self pay patient. Best $12k I ever spent. This included everything from the Surgeon fees, Anesthesiologist, 1 overnight Hospital stay and an insurance policy for the surgery plus one year of follow-up doctor appointments. I would highly recommend the "Sleeve" surgery. Just invest in yourself and become you again!

I cannot even begin to put into words how wonderful Dr. Heider is as a surgeon and as a person. I had the Verticle Sleeve Gastrectomy done and it is hands down the best decision I have made for myself and my health, however, choosing Dr Heider and his team was the best decision I made in trusting someone to perform surgery on me. He truly cares about his patients and puts himself in their shoes and walks every step of the way with them! With a surgery that is so individualized he knows the importance of each patient and understands that each person is different, you are more than just a number to him, you are truly his patient!!! He is professional yet still personable and CARES!!!! Surgery is not always easy but somehow he helps ease and calm your nerves to make it as pleasant as possible. I have been around other bariatric surgeons and I truly cannot say the same about them, there is clearly a reason I chose Dr. Heider and it's simply because he genuinely cares about his patients. I have a surgeon who is relatively close and I chose to drive an hour further just because I felt comfortable. Honestly the drive doesn't even bother me and never was a factor because I know I have NEVER been just another surgery on his list!!! I honestly and truthfully have to thank him for giving me my life back but everytime I thank him he never once takes credit he always tells me, "it's not what I have done I gave you a tool it was up to you to use it" to me this speaks volumes, he performed the surgery and as the patient you get credit for the results!!! He and his staff are quick to respond and are defiantly there for each patient, if you need anything they will ALWAYS be there to help and never make you feel like any question is ridiculous. He knows undergoing bariatric surgery is something new to the patient and while he is willing to help and educate each patient he and his staff are also willing to learn with each patient!!! If you are looking into bariatric surgery please do NOT hesitate to give Dr. Heider a try, trust me when I say you will not for one second regret choosing him as your surgeon!!! I cannot recommend Dr. Heider and his staff enough and believe me I do every chance I get!!!

It took me a year to make the decision to have this surgery. I can't tell you how many times I dialed the phone and then just hung up. I had to overcome the fear and embarrassment that I had let my health and weight get out of control. I have not regrets and it is a decision that I am forever thankful for. My life, health and outlook on life is one of optimism and hope. Once I made the appointment, I was greeted by the most amazing staff who guided me through every step of my journey. Dr. Heider eased my concerns and was truly engaged in my well being and I felt like he was my biggest cheerleader. Each post op appointment was a celebration of my success and I felt like Dr. Heider was just as excited for my accomplishments and my return to a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Ryan Heider is an expert in the field of Bariatrics and has a proven, successful practice. His dedication to his trait and his passion for Bariatric weight loss is evident is his commitment to his patients. I couldn't have had a better experience, surgeon or team of professionals to be with me during my journey.

I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and it was the best decision I've ever made. I had been searching everywhere trying to find a reputable physician in the United States that was afforadable due to my insurance carrier not covering the surgery. I then found Dr. Heider and had heard a lot of great things about him and his staff. They have a thorough program and his staff is very caring. The educational component, support from the physician and his staff and follow up you receive is remarkable. I found the price to be unmatchable. My out of pocket was $11,615.00 and well worth it. They also offer BLIS complication insurance as an option if you feel the need for it. You will not regret your decision. You are definitely getting your money's worth.

58 year old widowed mother of and 8 and 13 year olds- I know, I am a late bloomer!!!
Had children very late in life, gestational diabetes with both. Controlling my sugars and my weight had become increasingly difficult, and the thought of dying before my children were adults horrified me. I chose vertical sleeve gastrectomy for its permanence and for its effect on the hunger hormone, grhelin! Only a week out but the obsession to eat, constant hunger is largely diminished... YAY!

i have gained alot of weigh, and can't stand it.The last 2 or 3 years i have tryed to get it off.exercise. weight watchers pills.the whole nine yards i have tryed it all.Friend of mine had the vertical sleeve done,she is doing well with it. I think i would do good with it, i have read up on it for about 6 months.

I have always been heavier, though I didn't always see myself as big as the pictures clearly showed that I was. I was just me. I tired easily and didn't like doing things outside. I never got dressed up because nothing fit me and I didn't like looking in the mirror in the first place... I've lived a life of avoidance, that is of every person who owns a camera! I have very few photos of myself. My heaviest Wt - 237 My current Wt - 232 My BMI - 39.8 with a comorbidity of Hypertension(also have Asthma) All that will soon change. I have after many years of trying every diet out there and a solid year and a half of research, decided on The Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman with Dr. Heider as my surgeon. I am fortunate that I have BCBS insurance so my hoops to jump through are not as many as a lot of the reviews I have read here. My progress - Initial Bariatric Consultation - 4/18/2016 Nutrition Consultation - 4/27//2016 Physical Therapy Consultation - 5/3/2016 Psychological Evaluation - 5/4/2016 They are waiting for my Psych Eval. to come back and the documents from my regular Dr and then they will submit to my insurance for approval. Wish me luck! I will keep updating as things progress.

Updated on 5 Jul 2016:
This is my first update on my journey. I am still going to Dr. Heider. By my last pretty insurance submission date I was up to 234 and my BMI was 40.1 with a comorbidity of Hypertension(also have Asthma).

I am fortunate that I have BCBS insurance so my hoops to jump through have not been as many as a lot of the reviews I have read here. My progress - Initial Bariatric Consultation - 4/18/2016 Nutrition Consultation - 4/27//2016 Physical Therapy Consultation - 5/3/2016 Psychological Evaluation - 5/4/2016
It took over a month to get my psychological evaluation back. I do not recommend Mr. Ferguson in Mooresville, NC. He told me it would take about a week and and a half because he had to request my medical records from my normal doctor. 2.5 weeks later I called to check on it and was told I was supposed to request the documents! By the time it was over it took nearly 6 weeks to get that part done. My final presentation insurance submission appt with Dr. Heider was Friday, June 17th. I called to check and make sure they had everything they needed to submit to my insurance for approval on Tuesday, June 21st and to my surprise they already had my approval! !!

Now things are moving fast I had my-
Post approval w/ Dr. Heider 6/28 and he set my surgery for 7/14
Preoperative app(lab work) 6/30
Workshop 6/30 (started my 2 week Optifast liquid diet this day)
Endoscopy 7/1

Now I am counting down the days. Only 9 more until my vertical sleeve.
Wish me luck, this liquid diet is hard!

Updated on 18 Jul 2016:
Today I am 4 days post op. Just getting to feeling like being more mobile. I was sent home with pain meds but it hurts worse to take the medicine than it the pain itself so no pain meds for me. I have actually been very fortunate as I have had next to no real gas pains and though I have felt nauseous, I have yet to actually fail to keep things down.

Pre op - 234lbs
Surgery day - 212lbs
2 days post - 214lbs
Today - 210lbs

When I came home there was swelling and of course water retention from all of the iv fluids. The swelling is going down daily and so the extra weight it brought with it is going rapidly as well. The struggle to get in enough fluids each day is real. I am only up to getting 36 ozs in so getting in 64 oz is my current goal.

Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and Dr. Heider -
The nurses were amazing and my stay was about as good as you can expect considering the discomfort of the procedure and beginning of the healing. Dr Heider was great. I am very satisfied with my choice of Doctor and facility for my life changing Gastric Sleeve. I look forward to meeting the challenges ahead and finding the new healthier me trapped inside here somewhere. The process has already changed me drastically. I have completely quit sodas and don't even crave them. I used to live with a cup of coffee in my hand and now I have one occasionally. Foods that I remember thinking ewe about now seem interesting and when the time comes that I can add solid foods back into my diet I plan to try new things one at a time. I am not having any issues with hunger unless I am around food being cooked. Then I know it is in my head and I just remove myself from the immediate area.

I can do this and you can too!

Updated on 25 Jul 2016:
Today I am 11 days post op. I am getting to feeling more normal but I do get tired more easily than I want to. I am more mobile though and that makes me feel tons better. I was sent home with pain meds but it hurts worse to take the medicine than it the pain itself so I opted to forego anything for pain. My daughter (aka the warden) kept me from doing too much the first week and wouldn't let me pick anything up. I have actually been very fortunate as I have had next to no real gas pains, only muscle soreness local to the incisions. The only spot really still sore at this point is the main incision. It still hurts a little when I bend a the waist.

Two days ago I faiIed to recognize my small stomach's fullness and lost part of my meal and again that evening I ate something I should not have and lost part of another meal. I'm still in my learning curve. There was no pain just the mouth watering, that feeling you get and sudden knowledge that I needed to get to the bathroom.

Pre op - 234lbs
Surgery day - 212lbs
Today - 203lbs

The struggle is still real to get in enough fluids in each gay. I am up to getting around 50-60 ozs in so getting a steady 64 ozs is still my current goal. Add to that trying hard to get in my protein and enough calories. Yesterday was my best day yet - 70g protein and 750 calories!

I will include new pictures with my next update.

Updated on 11 Aug 2016:


Updated on 11 Aug 2016:
Today I am 1 day shy of 4 weeks post op. I feel mostly normal besides getting tired a little more easily than before no doubt due to my still real struggle to get enough protein in each day.

I never experienced gas pains, only muscle soreness local to the incisions.

My learning curve is drinking too soon after a meal and still eating too fast. Both have hte same result of me losing part of my meal so I am still working on that.

Pre op - 234lbs
Surgery day - 212lbs
Today - 196lbs

My weight loss has been slow but steady at around .2lbs - .4lbs each day so long as I get enough calories in each day. I am hoping now that I am feeling better to start adding exercise into the mix and getting serious about getting healthier now that the weight is coming off.

The struggle is still real to get in enough fluids in each gay. I am up to getting around 50 ozs in so getting a steady 64 ozs is still my current goal. Add to that trying hard to get in my protein and enough calories.

I will add more pictures later today.

Updated on 4 Dec 2016:
I kept meaning to get on here and post more often but life gets in the way. It is a good thing though because now I am experiencing life like I never have before! I'm more confident in myself and I am physically able to do so much more. The healthier me side of this was always the most important side of things for me. I was on two high blood pressure meds before and I am off both of them now. My back , feet, ankles and knees do not hurt anymore. I can not express how much better I feel now.

I am 1 week shy of 5 months post op. I feel better than I ever remember feeling in my life.

I never experienced gas pains, only muscle soreness local to the incisions, so not everyone experiences a lot of pain but some do so it is a very individual experience .

My learning curve is occasionally eating too fast and not chewing enough sometimes. I do still struggle to get enough protein in each day. I also need to start working out. My results thus far have included no exercise other than the amount of walking I do at work each night as part of my job which is about 3.5 miles.

My numbers -
Pre op - 234lbs
Surgery day - 212lbs
Today - 171lbs

My weight loss has been slow but steady at around .2lbs - .4lbs each week in the last month which is why I know I need to add exercise into the mix.

The struggle is still real to get in enough fluids in each gay. I am up to getting around 50 ozs in so getting a steady 64 ozs is still my current goal.

To anyone on the fence - you can do this. It is not the easy way out, but the life you will gain after it is over will be new and worth the struggles along the way.

I am now in my 2nd month of the nutritional phase am 5ft 6 230 lbs with blood sugar issues high cholesterol high bp and joint problems . hoping this will help with all of this I also have 7 vertrbra compacted from a vehicle accident at age 14y so arthritis and pain are with me always. This should ease that as well.Of course am so looking forward to being my husbands Arm Candy Again and energy to keep up with the two loves of my life my grand children.Will post pics later Best of luck to aii of you who are headed into this journey either per or post op.

Updated on 5 Mar 2015:
Got My Approval Today!!!!!

Updated on 10 Mar 2015:
Surgery date set April 16 !!!!!!!

Updated on 1 Apr 2015:
Well my time is growing near and the nerves have arrived as well.Have anxiously awaited this moment dreading a 2 week fast but knowing in the grand scheme of things all doubts and anxiety will be resolved. Best of luck to all who have been there and those like me who are on their way!!
Cindy