For many people, the biggest issue with obesity is not about appearance – it’s about what carrying significant weight does to you.
In Connie Davis’s case, obesity attacked her physically: She was reduced to using a walker for mobility, battling through the agony of two knees that needed replacement. Yet she could not have them replaced due to fears of what obesity could do to complicate the procedure.
Even worse, obesity attacked her mental health: A doting grandmother, Connie could not play with her grandchildren and found it difficult to be present
The combination of those two factors finally led Connie to a decision: She needed medical help to solve her weight problem. So, she turned Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Weight Management in Gainesville – and the results fully transformed her life.
Working with the caring staff at the Center for Weight Management, Connie first underwent a gastric bypass with Dr. Robert Richard, FACS. The success of that bariatric surgery led to a second procedure: a panniculectomy with Dr. Eric Velazquez, MBA, FACS, FASMBS. The combination of those two operations helped transform Connie from a pained, immobile person to the spry, confident, and happy woman she is today.
“I cannot say what a difference that surgery did for me; it absolutely turned my life around,” Connie said. “I weighed 326 pounds, and I’ve lost 191 pounds. Now I can get out and play with my grandkids for as long as they want.”
Not so long ago, Connie may have scoffed at the idea of a life free from weight concerns.
It wasn’t from a lack of trying. Like so many others who suffer from obesity, Connie did just about everything she could to try and address the situation, including trying all types of diets. She even enjoyed a few successes, only to watch them disappear and be replaced by further weight gain.
“I tried Weight Watchers many, many, many times. At one point I had lost like 80 pounds on Weight Watchers,” Connie said. “It felt good once I got the weight off, but it was like once I met my goal the very next day, it seemed like I just started eating the way I did prior. So, that didn’t fix my problem at all, and I just gained the weight back. Then I gained a little more back. That’s a disappointing journey.”
Dr. Richard says it’s a common lament.
“You work so hard to lose weight, and then your body fights you when you stop doing those things and the weight comes back on. We see that so often with this disease – and we do treat it as a disease,” Dr. Richard said.
Indeed, obesity was classified as a disease by the American Medical Association to help shift the medical perspective away from this condition as a purely behavioral issue. The results help address the complex genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors involved.
“A lot of patients tend to blame themselves for this problem and not understand that this is truly a medical condition,” Connie said. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
That realization has led to significant change for Connie, who decided that bariatric surgery offered a route to lasting success. After consulting with Dr. Richard, who has performed more than 7,000 weight loss surgeries during his distinguished career, Connie opted for a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RNY).
During the RNY bypass, Dr. Richard separates a small pouch of the stomach from the rest of the stomach. He then attaches a segment of the small bowel to the new, small stomach. The results delay the mixing of food with digestive juices, resulting in poorer absorption of calories and nutrients. The smaller stomach also severely restricts the amount of food a patient can eat at one time. The procedure also changes the gut hormones, helping patients to feel full longer. This appetite suppression is a key component of the weight loss.
Nationwide statistics show that 80 percent of gastric bypass patients lose at least half of their excess body weight and maintain that loss for more than five years. The average weight loss equaled 80 percent of excess body weight.
In Connie’s case, the bypass proved hugely successful. But she also knew it wasn’t some sort of magic wand – rather weight loss surgery was just a tool to help her kickstart lasting health.
“Dr. Richard told me that they could give me the tool, but that I still had to do the work,” Connie said. “And I definitely still work.”
While Connie’s impressive weight loss success allowed her to undergo knee surgery, delivering new, pain free knees, it also created a situation for which she wasn’t fully prepared.
“After being morbidly obese and losing all that weight, I had some excess skin around my tummy, and that made me feel very self-conscious,” Connie said. “My clothes still didn’t fit exactly right, and it was very noticeable.”
Luckily, the Center for Weight Management had another solution for Connie. This time it came in the form of a panniculectomy. Performed by Dr. Velazquez in December of 2025, the procedure removed loose/hanging skin from a section of her abdomen. (This section of the body is called the “pannus”.) This permanent procedure provided a firmer contour to that area of her body.
“I think it’s a big service that we can do for our patients,” Dr. Richard said. “Having that option from my partner really sets us apart.”
A panniculectomy allowed Connie to achieve improved mobility, improved clothing fit, and improved self-esteem.
“It was great; I recovered fairly quickly, and because the Center for Weight Management staff worked for me, I didn’t have any problems getting insurance coverage for it,” Connie said. “Everyone at that center really cares for you, and it makes a huge difference.”
Now, Connie is reaping the benefits of her own determination and the work of the supportive staff at the Center for Weight Management. The walker? Long gone. And she can keep up with her grandkids for as long as they can keep going.
“It’s so much fun, and summer’s here, so there will be a lot of spend-the-nights coming,” Connie said, beaming. “I’m also learning to swim again – I haven’t swum since I was 11. My grandson even tells me I have Barbie legs!”
For a woman whose legs were once a source of severe pain, it is an inspiring observation. And she thanks the Center for Weight Management for the support and work that they performed to achieve it.
Learn more about Connie’s journey and how the Center for Weight Management helps patients to gain back control of their lives – and enjoy the things they once loved again.
>>>Read and watch Connie’s story here
