Brad M Watkins, MD, FACS

Dr. Brad Watkins and his team of physicians complete the experienced staff at Synchrony Health Chicago. Dr. Watkins is the most experienced band surgeon in all of Chicagoland and one of the few U.S. surgeons who has personally performed well over 1,000 laparoscopic gastric band procedures. He now travels the nation proctoring other surgeons, teaching them how to perform gastric band surgery.

We have found the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band procedure (LAP-BAND®, REALIZE™ band) to be the lowest-risk and least invasive option for adults and adolescents who choose bariatric surgery. Dr. Watkins' commitment to saving lives through weight loss is the reason why Synchrony Health Chicago is the leader in experience with gastric banding.

After graduating from Western Kentucky University, Dr. Watkins received his MD degree from the University of Louisville. His surgical residency in Cincinnati provided extensive training in laparoscopic surgery. He has been in private practice since 1997 doing laparoscopic cases that now number in the thousands. He is board certified, a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the Council for Advances in Bariatrics, and the Advisory Board for ObesityHelp.com.

In November 2002, Dr. Watkins started his first practice dedicated exclusively to the surgical treatment of obesity in Seattle, WA. That practice, Northwest Weight Loss Surgery is still the leader in the Northwest and an affiliate of Synchrony Health. Dr. Watkins' strong family ties to Chicago made this clinic an obvious choice for his next endeavor. In 2007, Dr. Watkins founded Synchrony Health Chicago with the mission to treat obesity with a multidisciplinary approach.

Dr. Brad Watkins is one of the few surgeons in the United States who:

• Has personally completed well over 1,000 gastric band procedures
• Has experience with nearly 5,000 procedures in his gastric band clinics
• Is an FDA proctoring surgeon for both band companies (Allergan, Ethicon)
• Published five academic papers on gastric banding in peer-reviewed surgical journals
• Performs the new SILS (Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery) for Gastric Banding and laparoscopic surgery
• Performs the Band-over-Bypass procedure to help Gastric Bypass patients who are regaining weight
• Performs the new incisionless ROSE procedure to restore weight loss success in Gastric Bypass patients
• Teaches other surgeons to perform primary gastric banding surgery
• Teaches other surgeons to perform band-over-bypass surgery
• Teaches gastric band courses
• Teaches ROSE courses
• Is a Consultant for Allergan Company, LAP-BAND®
• Is a Consultant for Ethicon Company, REALIZE™ Band
• Is a Consultant for USGI Company, ROSE procedure
• Has completed many advanced bariatric courses and bariatric CME programs
• Has participated in multiple clinical trials for adult and adolescent obesity
• Has been nationally recognized on the "Today Show"
• Is a Member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
• Is a Member of the Council for Advances in Bariatrics