Weight loss is a deeply personal journey, often filled with challenges and triumphs. For some, traditional methods like diet and exercise may not be enough to achieve their health goals. In these cases, bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, can be a viable option. This article delves into the world of bariatric surgery, exploring different procedures, personal experiences, and the complexities surrounding this life-altering decision.
Understanding Bariatric Surgery: A Medical Overview
Bariatric surgery encompasses a range of procedures designed to help individuals with obesity lose weight by making changes to their digestive system. These procedures work by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold, reducing nutrient absorption, or both.
One type of bariatric surgery is the sleeve gastrectomy. In this procedure, a significant portion of the stomach (nearly 80%) is removed, creating a smaller, tube-shaped stomach. This restricts the amount of food a person can eat, leading to weight loss.
Another procedure mentioned is the single anastomosis duodenal-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S). This surgery combines a sleeve gastrectomy with a duodenal switch. First, a sleeve gastrectomy is performed, reducing the size of the stomach. Then, a section of the small intestine, the duodenum, is closed off and connected to the lower part of the small intestine, the ileum. This bypasses a significant portion of the small intestine, reducing nutrient absorption. According to Mayo Clinic, “the bypass routes food through only about 10 feet of the small intestine, instead of the usual 25."
SADI-S surgery tends to fall on the higher end of bariatric surgeries, according to GoodRx. The outlet lists the procedure at an average price of $20,000 before insurance coverage.
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Laparoscopic techniques, involving smaller incisions and video technology, have revolutionized bariatric surgery, making it less invasive with reduced discomfort, complications, and recovery time. Surgical methodology has continued to evolve with robotic surgery, as well as the growing body of knowledge about the complex role gastrointestinal hormones play in metabolism.
Remi Bader's Experience with SADI-S Surgery
Remi Bader, a model, openly shared her experience with SADI-S surgery in a March 2025 interview with Self. She underwent the procedure in December 2023 after other weight loss methods, including Ozempic and Manjaro, proved unsuccessful. Bader said other weight loss methods didn't work for her, including trying Ozempic twice and Manjaro once. "I tried Ozempic before it was even a thing," she said. "My doctor was just like, 'Oh, you're pre-diabetic, you should try this.' I lost probably, like 10 pounds, but I was really sick and threw up a lot from it."
Initially, Bader was concerned about public perception but was convinced by a doctor to undergo SADI-S, a newer procedure considered simpler than other weight loss surgeries.
However, Bader's recovery was far from typical. Normally, the surgery is a brief recovery process, her doctor told her, but for Bader, it was the "worst thing of my life." "I couldn't leave the hospital. I couldn't swallow water. I was like, projectile vomiting," she said. "But then that went on for six weeks." She experienced severe complications, including projectile vomiting and the inability to swallow water, requiring an extended hospital stay. Things got so bad that Bader went to stay with her parents, she said. She describes the recovery process as a dark time: "I got (in) a very scary, deep depression. I did not want to live anymore, I would literally just stare at the wall all day and be sick. It was just horrifying."
Bader also battled with feelings of guilt. "I think at that time, I had a lot of regret. I was like, 'Oh my God, I've been this person that people looked up to online for this whole time,'" she added. "I was very open that I was struggling, but I was this person that was like, 'But be confident in whatever you look like.'"
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Despite the difficult recovery, Bader is now in a better place, focusing on self-love and well-being. Now, she said she's in a much better mindset and is getting to a place where she loves herself internally and externally. She emphasized that people with bigger body types could be healthy, and admitted that she was "so jealous" of her friends who were confident in their bodies. But, she said, "My journey was different." "I was in pain. I was struggling with health, and this is what I felt I needed to do," she said.
Dani's Gastric Sleeve Experience: A Story of Transformation
Dani Arnedo's journey with weight loss surgery offers another perspective. Dani had been experiencing obesity since she was a child. Despite her regular exercise routine for years, she cycled through a pattern of losing weight and gaining it back. After years of struggling with weight, Dani decided to consider surgery. The idea first came from her mom, but Dani was quickly on board. “She was basically the initiator,” Dani recalls. Dani’s general practitioner in Queens referred her to Columbia's Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery, where Dani met with the surgery team. They recommended a sleeve gastrectomy: the option most appropriate for Dani’s weight and medical history. The procedure would remove about three-quarters of Dani’s stomach.
In the lead-up to her operation, Dani dutifully followed the routine prescribed by her care team: a liquid diet, a 6-month weight log, and an abdomen ultrasound. Adjusting to the diet was the hardest part. “The first three days, I was not in the mood,” Dani recalls. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone. But things got easier after the fourth day, and Dani stayed positive. She was buoyed by her confidence in her care team and her vision of life after surgery. When the day of her surgery arrived, Dani felt excited and nervous as she headed to the OR. “I know and trust my anesthesiologist and my surgeon,” says Dani.
Over the coming months, Dani’s pain was minimal, and she experienced no complications. Still, the recovery process took patience. For three weeks, she was back on a purely liquid diet as the postoperative course requires a graded transition to a regular diet. Medications had to be crushed up and taken with water. Slowly but surely, though, Dani healed. Now, seven months later, Dani is reaching new milestones nearly every day. She’s just two pounds from her goal weight, and she’s made many “non-scale” victories, too-like going up and down the subway stairs without feeling out of breath. The surgery has also helped Dani achieve a renewed sense of control.
Dani also uses her experience to create content for an online community. "Hey bari community, just wanted to update you guys.” Dani usually feels winded after going up flights of stairs, but today was different: “I was in the train station, and I went up the stairs, and when I came outside, I was not out of breath. I was like: Oh. My. God.” “I’ve been posting content for the newbies, even though I’m still a newbie,” Dani laughs.
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The Role of Community and Support
Both Remi Bader and Dani's stories highlight the importance of community and support in navigating the challenges of weight loss surgery. Dani has found a supportive online community, spanning countries around the world. Content creators post about their milestones and challenges, their experiences with different doctors and procedures, and their day-to-day lives. In one clip, Dani talks about her experience wrangling with insurance. In another, she shares a recipe for a protein shake. Sometimes her content has nothing to do with surgery: “I also post videos just to cheer people up,” Dani says. Through videos, comments, and messages, users get to know each other and make connections. “I’ve made friends with complete strangers,” Dani shares.
Obesity: A Complex Medical Condition
Obesity is a complex medical condition with a range of intersecting biological and social drivers, making it difficult to study. Cultural stigma has also been a factor: obesity was long dismissed as a matter of self-control, rather than a medical condition worth researching. However, in recent years, investigators have begun to shed light on the complex interplay of physiological, genetic, social, and environmental factors that contribute to obesity.
Emerging weight-loss medications-such as single receptor GLP-1 agonists, and more recently dual action GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists-have been heralded as game-changers for the field. However, for some people with obesity, bariatric surgery may still be the best option to meet their needs.
Mignon Von: More Than Just Danni on "Sistas"
While the initial search query mentioned "danni from sistas weight loss surgery," it's important to clarify that Mignon Von, the actress who plays Danni on Tyler Perry's "Sistas," has not publicly discussed undergoing weight loss surgery. However, Mignon Von, who plays the free spirit of the group: Danni, offers a unique perspective on life, faith, and her role as a storyteller.
Von describes Danni as the free spirit of the group who clearly has no filter. She provides the comedic relief in the tensest of times. She embodies a character who speaks her truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
In real life, Von identifies more with Sabrina, seeking balance and homeostasis. She emphasizes her faith and her purpose as a storyteller, aiming to bring hope, love, and light through her work. I am a very devout Christian and my purpose here as a storyteller is to bring hope and love and light and so Danni is wild and crazy - she’s a lot different from me in the way she expresses herself, but Danni and I align with our good intentions.
Von also highlights the importance of "sistahood," defining it as a safe space for vulnerability, strength, and support. "Sistahood" means a safe space that you can count on and, rain or shine, you have a safe space to go to and cry, laugh, rejoice and be human, be vulnerable and find strength, but also to find strength in the world to keep pushing forward against everything outside of the sister circle.
Considerations Before Bariatric Surgery
Dr. Christine J. Ren-Fielding, surgeon and head of the division of bariatric surgery at NYU Langone Health told Self, “Nobody wants to have surgery. [Patients] usually come to me when they’ve tried every option to lose weight … diet, exercise, inpatient weight management centers like Duke. Dr. SADI-S surgery has a typical recovery time of two to three weeks, according to Dr. Ren-Fielding. Dr. Guzman, shares, “There is no greater satisfaction as a bariatric surgeon than seeing your patient a few months down the road successfully taking a 180 degree in their health and lifestyle.
Choosing to undergo bariatric surgery is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and consultation with medical professionals. It's essential to have realistic expectations, understand the potential risks and complications, and commit to the lifestyle changes necessary for long-term success.