DOVER, N.H. –  When Dr. Dmytro Havaleshko, medical director of the Center for Weight Management and chair of Robotic Surgery, joined Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in 2017, there was no bariatric program. Nearly four years later, Wentworth-Douglass is now home to the most advanced bariatric surgery program on the Seacoast and Dr. Havaleshko has passed a major milestone.

 

“I’m incredibly happy with how we’ve created this program here. It’s pretty cool to have 1,000 successful cases under your belt, it gives you the assurance you probably know what you’re doing,” Dr. Havaleshko said. “Our goal is to continue helping as many people as we possibly can.”

 

Dr. Havaleshko reached the milestone in early November, performing a sleeve gastrectomy on a patient who suffers from multiple comorbidities due to their weight.  Through the bariatric program at Wentworth-Douglass, patients like that can expect to lose about 80-85 percent of their excess body weight in a year – transforming their lives.

“It’s not about just the weight and how they look, it’s about all of those comorbid conditions they collect in their lifetime and helping them get on a path to overall health,” Dr. Havaleshko said.

As Wentworth-Douglass’ bariatric program has grown over the years, it has now become a model for other institutions on a national stage. Dr. Havaleshko credits the Intuitive da Vinci Xi robots for helping the program get to where it is today. He regularly teaches courses on the da Vinci Xi to surgeons across the country.

“We are extremely lucky to have a medical director that is so driven to make this the very best program on the Seacoast and beyond. Over the last three-and-a-half years, our patients have lost over 40,000 pounds,” said Brenda J. Fritz, program administrator of the Center for Weight Management & Bariatric Surgery.

“This is life-changing. The patients who take this seriously do really well, and we are here to guide them and give them the tools they need. Our robot is not just a tool to begin that journey, it’s the perfect tool,” Dr. Havaleshko said.

To learn more about Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery, visit https://www.wdhospital.org/wdh/services-and-specialties/weight-management-weight-loss-surgery.

 

About Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital (wdhospital.org) is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit charitable health care organization located in Dover, New Hampshire with a 115-year history of compassionate care and innovation. A member of the Mass General Brigham system, Wentworth-Douglass is strategically located in the heart of the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and Southern Maine, which it has served since 1906. The organization is a family of more than 3,500 employees, including more than 400 physicians and advanced practice providers, dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of the region’s residents and visitors. The organization includes a 178-bed hospital, more than 30 primary and specialty provider practices and clinic sites, multiple express and prompt care facilities, an ambulatory surgery center, several medical office buildings, The Works Family Health and Fitness Center, and the Wentworth-Douglass Foundation.

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