281-Pound Woman Had 5 Years Left to Live

When 281 pound Tina Siranossian’s doctor told her she had five years to live due to health complications caused by obesity, she knew she had to find the right tools to help her stop using food to cope with the stresses of life, so she could be around for her children.

“I lost my mother at 39-years-old due to complications from diabetes and obesity. I didn’t start to take care of myself until I looked into the eyes of my children, and realized that I didn’t want to put them through losing a parent at such a young age,” said Tina, who had weight loss surgery at age 32.

Since losing 134 pounds after having Lap Band surgery six years ago with BMI Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, Tina is grateful for every day she has beat the odds by exercising regularly and eating healthier foods.

Prior to her weight-loss surgery, Tina was using an insulin pump and now she only takes oral medications for her diabetes. She had other severe health issues that added to her poor health. She had Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) where her blood vessels were narrowed due to fatty buildup in the inner walls of her arteries. Also at age 27, she had bypass heart surgery then 4 years later she had a stent inserted into another blocked vessel.

“Now after having weight loss surgery, my diabetes and PVD are in control, and for the first time in my life, my doctors say that I’m actually healthy,” said the Joliet resident. “Having weight loss surgery literally saved my life.”

Now Tina is able to live life more fully. “I can play soccer and basketball with my kids, walk with my husband without losing breath and I even have the motivation to go back to school to receive an education.”

Advice for Others

“My advice to others is don’t let your weight take over your life like I did. I have kept the weight off for the past six years because I stay focused on exercising and eating healthy regularly. I’m so grateful for the compassionate care and wonderful experience that I received from Dr. Joyce, his staff and the kind nurses at Silver Cross Hospital. Thanks to all of them, I will be around for my children and to meet my grandchildren someday.”

Patients benefit from a multidisciplinary approach, with the help of many different departments at Silver Cross. "Patients see an exercise physiologist, dietitian, cardiologist, psychologist, pulmonologist, and a bariatric nurse to get them ready for surgery," says Dr. Christopher Joyce. "We screen our patients very carefully to ensure their success and safety."

“Tina is an amazing example of how bariatric surgery can positively enhance one’s life. Her impressive focus to adhering to the program by eating well and exercising - even six years after having bariatric surgery - is key in her ability to keep the 134 pounds off,” says Dr. Joyce.

The American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery defines the morbidly obese as those with a body mass of 35 or above with comorbidities, or for a normal height woman, being more than 100 pounds overweight. Patients with a BMI of 35 and higher, who are suffering the medical consequences of obesity, are often best treated with bariatric surgery as opposed to nonsurgical weight loss.

Those who are morbidly obese are at a higher risk of mortality and such extreme obesity puts people at risk for life threatening disease, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

BMI Surgery has changed the lives of over 4,500 patients with life changing surgeries including laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, ReShape, and Lap-Band and REALIZE gastric band systems at Silver Cross Hospital. Board certified laparoscopic and bariatric surgeons Brian Lahmann, M.D., and Christopher Joyce, M.D., are dedicated to helping patients win their personal battles with obesity and enjoy healthier lives.

Their office is located on the new Silver Cross Hospital campus at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. BMI Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital has been named a MBSAQIP accredited center – Comprehensive. BMI Surgery is also a Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery.

To find out more about the bariatric surgery program at Silver Cross Hospital, attend a free informational session on both traditional and laparoscopic surgery on any Wednesday at

5:45 p.m. at BMI Surgery at 1890 Silver Cross Blvd., Suite 260, New Lenox. To attend, visit www.bmisurgery.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).

About Silver Cross Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for seven consecutive years, a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers and was honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Score SM by The Leapfrog Group.

With nearly 4,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 296-bed acute care hospital and 5 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. Silver Cross opened a state-of-the-art replacement hospital in 2012 at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. In 2014, Silver Cross provided over $46 million in charity care and other community benefits.

To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325). Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.