Winchester, Mass. – Joan Romboli of Manchester, N.H., said her weight has been an issue for as long as she can remember. Growing up, she didn’t understand why her twin sister could “eat and eat and eat,” seemingly without consequences. “It was a different story for me,” Romboli remembers. “It seemed like I gained weight, no matter what.”

As owner and operator of Landmark Family Health Care in Londonderry, N.H., Romboli is a successful nurse practitioner and entrepreneur. At 5’4”, she is also 136 pounds lighter than the 309 pounds she weighed prior to undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery at Winchester Hospital in June 2005.

For others considering laparoscopic weight loss surgery, Winchester Hospital is offering a new support group every third Tuesday at the Londonderry Senior Center, 535 Old Mammoth Road in Londonderry, N.H. An information session takes place from 6 to 7 p.m., and the support group follows from 7 to 9 p.m.

Sessions usually feature a registered dietician, psychologist, guest speakers discussing a variety of obesity issues, and former patients who share their own success stories. Registration is not required.

“I love to hear the patient testimonials and how their lives have changed since their surgery,” Romboli said. “Every tidbit inspires me to keep myself healthy and well.”

Initially, Romboli said she half-heartedly considered undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery when she learned about the procedure many years ago. She became more determined in 2003, spurred on by memories of her late mother. “My mom was a big lady, and I took after her,” she said. “She died of a massive heart attack at 70. I didn’t want to follow in her footsteps, so I said, ‘I’m going to change this.’”

Romboli immersed herself in research, support groups, and learning as much as possible from former patients. Determined to lose weight even though her health had remained good, she planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery at a facility in Manchester, N.H. – but transferred to Winchester Hospital when she learned the procedure is performed here by Director of Bariatric Surgery Darius Ameri, MD, FACS.

Winchester Hospital is a national Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE), and Dr. Ameri has also been recognized with a BSCOE distinction by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Winchester Hospital has also been named a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for making a difference in health care outcomes and value for its bariatric surgery patients.

“I knew of Dr. Ameri’s reputation and experience,” said Romboli, referring to the fact he has performed nearly 700 laparoscopic weight loss surgeries since Winchester Hospital began offering the procedure in 2000. She is also a satisfied former patient, having delivered her first baby at Winchester Hospital in 1977.

“I knew I made the right decision during my first meeting when Dr. Ameri’s nurse spent an hour really getting into the nitty gritty of what to expect from the surgery, recovery, and post-op diet,” Romboli said. “Then Dr. Ameri explained it all again in a very thorough and genuine manner. It’s clear they really understand and care about obese people.”

At Dr. Ameri’s request, Romboli got clearance for the surgery from a cardiologist and pulmonologist, and then lost 15 pounds to make the procedure safer. She attributes her smooth recovery to the exhaustive research she conducted in order to prepare herself for what would happen every step of the way. That knowledge, she said, was reinforced by Dr. Ameri and his staff who “didn’t leave a stone unturned” in explaining the entire process to Romboli on multiple occasions.

“I really felt like they were looking after me and my entire health by making sure the surgery was my best option,” she said. As a health care provider herself, Romboli was so impressed that she has recommended Dr. Ameri to several of her own patients as well as a family member in an effort to mitigate his health problems.

“I tell them to absorb as much information as they can,” she said, “because this is a viable option to get your life back.”

Romboli, who has always enjoyed the energy to go into work by 4:30 a.m. each day, said she finds it “much easier to move around” at her current weight of 173 pounds. She drinks plenty of water and eats small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than fasting until dinnertime when she used to get so hungry she “ate until I went to bed.” She is also exercising for the first time in her life – and loving how she looks and feels.

“I am now totally comfortable and accepting of my body,” said Romboli, noting that some people wonder aloud if her surgery has also altered her personality. “I feel great now,” she added, “but it’s still me, Joan.”

For information about Winchester Hospital’s monthly bariatric surgery information and support group sessions in southern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, call Karen Flanders at (781) 756-7167.

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