On Tuesday, Sept. 27, shoppers at Foothills Mall had the chance to do more than look for the latest fashions. Foothills Weight Loss Specialists is provided them the unique opportunity of ‘meeting’ the center’s surgical robot and participating in hands-on activities to learn firsthand how the robot operates.
”Dr. Jonathan Ray and I hold regular weight loss seminars so that prospective patients have the opportunity to meet their surgeons,” said Dr. Mark Colquitt, medical director at Foothills Weight Loss Specialists. “Now, we’ve taken it a step further and made it possible for potential patients and other interested individuals – even children – to ‘meet’ our surgical robot and work its controls.”
In December 2009, Dr. Colquitt performed the first robotically assisted, laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery in East Tennessee. The da Vinci system, a four-armed robot that mimics the hand and finger motions of the surgeon, provides more surgical precision than typical laparoscopic surgery and is much less invasive than traditional “open” surgery.
“We’re glad to have this opportunity to reach out to the community,” said Colquitt. “With the nation’s growing obesity epidemic, it’s critical that we reach as many people as possible with good information about surgical weight loss options.”
About Foothills Weight Loss Specialists
Located in Maryville, Tenn., Foothills Weight Loss Specialists offers bariatric surgery and weight loss solutions from board-certified surgeons. It has been designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Foothills Weight Loss Specialists is a division of Premier Surgical Associates and works in partnership with the Blount Memorial Weight Management Center. For more information, visit http://www.foothillsweightloss.com.
