Measles - Local update

Local health departments have not recommended additional vaccination beyond current guidelines. Texas health officials urge immunization to protect against and prevent the spread of measles. ARC has received additional vaccines for children and adults to keep the community protected. Read our measles vaccination guidelines.

Visit the DSHS website to track the current outbreak in Texas.

ARC in-network with UHC

If you have received a letter from UnitedHealthcare (UHC) stating that any of the providers listed below are out-of-network, please be informed that refers to their former practice. The following physicians and APC remain in-network at ARC, and you may continue seeing them without any changes to your coverage:

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ARC Bariatric Surgery

Get started on your weight-loss surgery journey today

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  • Weight Loss Surgery
  • Gastric Bypass Surgery

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss procedure that changes the size of your stomach to assist with weight loss, treats complications from obesity—such as joint pain, headaches, and reflux—and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Want to learn more? Call 512-421-4408 to learn more about our free educational bariatric surgery seminars.

If you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher and are between the ages of 18-70, bariatric surgery could be the right treatment for you.

photo of doctor with patientWatch Video
Obesity affects around 40% of all Americans, increasing the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Meet our bariatric surgery team

Our bariatric surgery team has undergone extensive training, including Si/Xi robotic surgery certification, and Dr. Medina has performed hundreds of surgeries throughout the last five years. With the support of our registered dietitians, we work with you before and after the surgery to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS

Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Director, ARC Bariatric Surgery Department
Board Certified, General Surgery

Lorraine Castillo, Bariatric Coordinator, Staff Medical Assistant

Lorraine Castillo
Bariatric Coordinator
Staff Medical Assistant

Bariatric surgery options

ARC specializes in the following bariatric surgery procedures:

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy

This weight-loss surgery reduces the size of your stomach and limits the amount of food you can eat in one sitting. The route of digestion is preserved as part of the stomach is removed and the remaining is formed into a vertical sleeve. As a result, you will feel full sooner and longer.

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Roux-en-y gastric bypass

Gastric bypass surgery alters the way your stomach and small intestine process food. The surgeon creates a small pouch in the stomach and attaches it directly to a portion of the small intestine. The small pouch allows food to bypass a part of the small intestine and reduces the amount of fat and calories you absorb from the foods you eat.

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Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG)

ESG is an incisionless, endoscopic approach to weight-loss surgery. During the ESG procedure, a flexible endoscope is inserted through your mouth into your stomach. While inside your stomach, the endoscope uses special suturing devices to create a series of permanent sutures. This reduces the size of your stomach, making it a smaller banana-shaped pouch. The smaller stomach size helps you control your appetite and limits the amount of food you can consume.

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Bariatric revision surgery

Revision surgery is a personalized approach that contemplates the correction or improvement of previous bariatric surgeries depending on the type of bariatric surgery that was previously performed.

We will start with an EGD (upper endoscopy) of the esophagus and stomach to evaluate the general shape of the anatomy. Once we have that information, we can see what options are right for you.

Gastric band removal is a common revision in our practice.

Additional details

  • Am I a candidate?

    Bariatric surgery is right for you if:

    • You have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher
    • You are between the ages of 18-70

    Use our BMI calculator below to find out if weight-loss surgery is right for you.

    BMI calculator

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    This information is not saved.

  • Patient transformations

    We thank our patients for sharing their weight-loss transformations and are proud to have helped guide them step-by-step to a healthier lifestyle.

    A new lease on life

    Misty says she tried every diet in the book but found that she would always plateau at a certain point. Since her bariatric surgery, she says she feels better than ever.

    bariatric surgery success video

  • Initial bariatric surgery consultation

    After attending the seminar, we will book you an appointment with bariatric surgeon, Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS, to discuss your personalized care plan moving forward in the bariatric program. New patient appointments are focused on the individual patient and their health needs and concerns. You will also meet with the bariatric coordinator to discuss insurance-specific requirements for surgery and ask any questions that may have come up between the seminar and your appointment.

    Before this appointment, you will get a call from the financial counselor to discuss your insurance coverage. Bariatric surgery costs may be covered through some insurance plans.

  • What to expect with bariatric surgery

    Before surgery

    • 3-6 months of preparation
    • Regular office visits with surgeons, psychological evaluations, sleep studies, and more
    • Workups for obesity and sleep apnea (OSA) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
    • Nutrition education

    Around the time of surgery

    • Peri-operative visits
    • Nutrition education in preparation for surgery
    • Up to two nights in the hospital

    After surgery

    • Nutrition education and instructions post-surgery
    • Follow-up visit(s) with the bariatric surgeon
    • Improvements in blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels due to new weight loss
    • Increased energy and activity
    • Reduced weight of about 50-100 pounds five years after surgery with maintained diet and exercise

  • Getting started

    If you are interested in bariatric surgery, call 512-421-4408 to RSVP to an upcoming seminar. Bariatric surgery costs may be covered through insurance plans or self-pay options. We can obtain your benefits after your first visit with our bariatric surgeon if the surgeon deems you a candidate.

Locations & Providers

  • ARC Medical Plaza Specialty
     1401 Medical Parkway
    Building B, Suite 200, Building B, Suite 200
    Cedar Park, TX 78613
    Get Directions
    • Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS
      Marco Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS
      Marco Vinicio Medina-Zea, MD, FACS, FASMBS
      General Surgery Anal/RectalHernia RepairBreast Disease and CancerGallstone Treatment and Gallbladder SurgeryGERD TreatmentSkin and Soft TissueThyroid Disease and CancerBariatric Surgery
      4.8

      ARC Patient Feedback

      Guide to ARC Patient Feedback and Ratings

      Austin Regional Clinic (ARC) doctors, staff, and leadership are committed to providing our community with high quality convenient care. One of the ways we demonstrate this priority is through our online transparency.

      You can review our provider ratings and comments on our web site with the confidence that they are all based on verified visits. We post all patient feedback relevant to the entire visit and only refrain from posting comments that are libelous, profane, or those that risk the privacy of our patients.

      The below guide provides details about how we collect and share our patient feedback.

      Who runs the survey?

      ARC partnered with Press Ganey to collect patient feedback about their doctor’s visit. We gather feedback from text surveys that are sent after the visit. Press Ganey is an independent third party customer feedback company that provides the technology to collect the feedback and display ratings and comments on our web site. All ratings are submitted by actual patients and verified by ARC.

      How do patients receive the survey?

      Patients for whom we have a mobile phone number receive a text survey within two hours of checking in for their visit. Patients are asked to complete the survey and provide ratings and comments regarding their experience at different touch points of their visit. We use this feedback to recognize doctors and staff, identify issues we can correct, and enhance our care.

      Do you post all positive and negative comments?

      ARC posts all positive and negative patient feedback that is relevant to the entire visit. We refrain from posting comments that are libelous, profane, or those that risk the privacy of our patients.

      What questions do we ask?

      ARC asks questions that touch on the overall patient experience related to their visit. Anyone seeking detailed information about each question can view the ratings for each specific question on the Reviews tab on the provider bio page on the website. We calculate our provider star ratings based on the responses to question number six below. We calculate our location star ratings based on the responses to all the below questions.

      1. Rate how easy it was to make your appointment.
      2. Rate the helpfulness of the front-desk staff.
      3. Rate the helpfulness of the doctor's nurse and/or medical assistant (MA).
      4. Did the healthcare provider or doctor provide the care you expected?
      5. How likely is it that you would refer a friend/family member to this doctor or NP/PA?
      6. Please let us know anything that you particularly liked or disliked about your experience with today’s office visit.

      Why don't all providers display a rating?

      Since more recent data provides a more accurate picture, we require a minimum of 30 patient surveys per doctor in the last 12 months before we post a physician’s rating.

      Why can I only see comments from the last 90 days?

      ARC physicians and staff review all comments and act to rectify issues. Since the purpose of the feedback is to allow us to improve the overall patient experience, we display the last 90 days of comments which are the most relevant for the practice.

      Can anyone complete a survey or post a comment about a physician?

      No. Only patients having an outpatient visit by an ARC physician receive a survey. The results are based entirely from patients who have actually been treated by the physician in our clinics.

      How is patient information protected?

      Comments are reviewed and approved prior to being published to the website. If a comment contains any personally identifiable information, that information will be removed from the comment.

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