Abby & Erin

Before we had our gastric bypass surgery, we did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people. When we met Dr. Baranov we knew immediately he was right for us. He was so knowledgeable. He had so much experience. Dr. Baranov understood, without being at all judgmental, what we’d both been going through.

As identical twins, the two of us have shared a lot, including struggling for most of our lives with our weight. We’d been up and down, taking off the pounds and putting them back on. Both of us had reached the point where we knew we had to do something. Even more than that, we knew we were facing some pretty scary health issues related to being overweight such as diabetes.

But that didn’t mean we weren’t fearful about having surgery. We gave it a lot of thought. It’s easy to psych yourself out. It would have been so much tougher if we didn’t have the whole team at the Saratoga Bariatric Center. They were so caring and understanding.

Abby: Before and After Photos Erin: Before and After Photos

We had the surgery one week apart from each other in the fall of 2013, and neither of us had any problems at all. Dr. Baranov came in to check on us multiple times after our surgeries, and he called even after we got home. We’ve never had a doctor do that. The level of care he provides is pretty amazing.

Six months after the surgery, both of us are down about 80 pounds. We don’t have to wear the plus sizes anymore. Our lives have completely changed for the better. We go to the gym everyday. People say to us: “It’s remarkable. You look great.”

But you have to do this for yourself. We knew before surgery it wouldn’t automatically take all the challenges away. You’ve got to make changes in your lifestyle as well as in your diet. We also have the support of our family and friends. A key element throughout this whole process is support.

Once you’ve made the decision, we highly recommend Saratoga Bariatric Center. We looked at other hospitals. It’s hard to imagine that we would have gotten the same level of personal care. Dr. Baranov really cares! The whole team there really cares!