Editorial Advisory Board for
Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery

Dr. Christine Ren Fielding

Christine Ren Fielding, MD, FACS, is an associate professor of surgery and the founder and director of the New York University Program for Surgical Weight Loss.

Dr. Ren obtained her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and completed a residency in surgery at NYU Medical Center. She went on to complete a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she was faculty in minimally invasive bariatric surgery workshops to train surgeons in laparoscopic bariatric surgery.

A board-certified general surgeon, Dr. Ren is a member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). She was responsible for refining the technical details leading to the first laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) and BPD with duodenal switch (DS). After FDA approval of the Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding system in 2001, she immediately offered this option to her patients.

Dr. Ren is the chair of the insurance committee of the ASBS, which has spearheaded the creation of 11 new insurance codes for bariatric surgery. This has enabled insurance companies to cover these operations, which had previously been denied to millions of Americans.

Dr. Ren's website: www.nyuweightloss.org

Dr. Neil E. Hutcher

Neil E. Hutcher, MD, FACS, is a respected leader in the advancement of bariatric surgery and serves on the staff of Commonwealth Surgeons, Ltd., in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Hutcher is past president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and is board-certified in general surgery.

He began practicing surgery in Richmond in 1973 and has served as the chairman of the Department of Surgery at St. Mary's Hospital and also as clinical associate professor of surgery at both the Medical College of Virginia and McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center. His clinical expertise is in bariatric surgery, as well as general and laparoscopic surgery.

Dr. Hutcher is a graduate of the University of Richmond and the Medical College of Virginia. He completed a surgical internship and residency in 1973 at the Medical College of Virginia and also completed a clinical transplant fellowship there. More about Dr. Neil Hutcher.

Dr. Hutcher's website: www.commonwealthsurgeons.com

Robin Blackstone

Robin Blackstone, MD, is the medical director of the Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Center in Scottsdale, Ariz. She is also a clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, and the president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Dr. Blackstone received her bachelor's degree from University of Arizona in Tucson, and her medical degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of Colorado Denver.

Dr. Blackstone is a founding board member of the Obesity Action Coalition and a tireless advocate for obese people and access to treatment for obesity.

Jacqueline Stark Odom, PhD, is a fully licensed psychologist who specializes in weight management and addiction. Dr. Odom has worked in this field for over 25 years. She is currently the Director of Psychology at the Beaumont Weight Control Center, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan. Dr. Odom manages the psychological services provided to an adult out-patient weight management program, pre and post-op psychological services for bariatric surgery patients and an obesity program for children and families. She has lectured and published extensively on all aspects of psychological and behavioral weight management.

Dr. Paul T. Cirangle

Paul T. Cirangle, MD, FACS, is a board-certified bariatric surgeon at Laparoscopic Associates of San Francisco and an assistant professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., where he received his medical degree, graduating at the top of his class. His surgical training was completed at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Dr. Cirangle is a member of the American Medical Association and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). He is also a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and serves as chair of the Public Information Committee for that society. Dr. Cirangle also practices in Hawaii and is currently the medical director of the Surgical Weight Loss Center of Hawaii and the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center of Hawaii and the Pacific.

He is a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Surgery. His practice is currently limited to minimally invasive, advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. It is a Blue Cross Center of Expertise and an ASMBS-certified Center of Excellence. Laparoscopic Associates of San Francisco has performed the largest series of vertical gastrectomies in the world. More about Dr. Paul Cirangle.

Dr. Cirangle's website: www.lapsf.com

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[Page updated November 12, 2011]