Articles & Insights
Clinical perspectives from Dr. Michael Baptista on bariatric surgery, weight loss medications, and the evidence behind today's treatment options.
Do I Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery?
Who qualifies for weight loss surgery in 2026? BMI thresholds, health conditions, what insurers look for, and what happens at a first visit with a Jacksonville bariatric surgeon.
Does Insurance Cover Weight Loss Surgery? What to Know Before You Call
How insurance coverage for weight loss surgery and medical weight loss usually works, what plans ask for, and the questions to ask your insurer, from a Jacksonville bariatric surgeon.
GLP-1 Side Effects: What Is Normal and What Is Not
Most GLP-1 side effects are mild and fade within weeks. A Jacksonville bariatric surgeon explains which ones are expected, which need a call, and which need care now.
Muscle Loss on GLP-1 Medications: Why It Happens and How to Protect Your Strength
Some of the weight lost on GLP-1 medications can be muscle. A Jacksonville bariatric surgeon explains why it happens, why it matters, and how to protect your strength.
GLP-1 Medications and Acid Reflux: Why It Happens and What to Do
Dr. Michael Baptista, a Jacksonville bariatric and general surgeon, explains why GLP-1 weight loss medications cause or worsen acid reflux, when it is more than a side effect, and the treatment options from medication to the LINX system.
GLP-1 Medications and Gallstones: What Patients Should Know
Dr. Michael Baptista, a Jacksonville bariatric and general surgeon, explains why GLP-1 weight loss medications raise the risk of gallstones, the symptoms to watch for, and when gallbladder surgery becomes the right answer.
GLP-1 Medications After Bariatric Surgery: What Patients Should Know
Dr. Michael Baptista, a Jacksonville bariatric surgeon, explains how GLP-1 medications are being studied for patients who have regained weight after gastric sleeve, bypass, or band surgery, and what a physician-supervised approach looks like.
GLP-1 Medications or Bariatric Surgery? How to Think About the Choice
Dr. Michael Baptista, a Jacksonville bariatric surgeon who offers both, walks through how GLP-1 medications and bariatric surgery compare on results, durability, eligibility, and daily life, and why the answer is personal.
History of Weight Loss Medications: 80 Years of Progress, Setbacks, and What Patients Should Know in 2026
Dr. Michael Baptista, a Jacksonville bariatric surgeon, traces 80 years of weight loss medications — from 1940s amphetamines to today's GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — and what history teaches us about their long-term safety.