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If you are significantly overweight, you may be at risk for a wide variety of health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, breathing problems and depression, and you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third of adults in America — more than 72 million people —are obese. If you have had trouble losing weight and/or keeping it off, surgical weight loss may be a solution. Considered one of the most effective and long-lasting treatments for morbid obesity and related illnesses, bariatric surgery may improve your health and quality of life.
Designated as an ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence for bariatric surgery, the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital provides a comprehensive program to help you achieve healthy, long-term weight loss. Our multidisciplinary weight management program features preoperative education, weight loss surgery, nutritional guidance and postoperative support — all designed to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.
Candidacy for weight loss surgery is determined by criteria published by the National Institutes of Health and is mostly based on an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a mathematical measurement of a person’s weight in relation to their height, and is used to determine if a person is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. Surgical candidates have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with one or more co-morbidities. A BMI of 35-40 is typically equivalent to 80-100 pounds of extra weight. Check your BMI now with our free online BMI calculator.
The Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital accepts most health insurance plans. Many insurance companies have strict criteria for assessing bariatric surgery coverage. We are happy to help you determine if our program meets your insurance guidelines. To learn more about the Bridges program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-248-5553 or register for our next FREE weight loss seminar.
Professional Health Care Team
The Bridges Center team at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital consists of knowledgeable health care professionals — all dedicated to making your experience a positive one by guiding and supporting you throughout every stage of your weight loss journey. In addition to a highly experienced team of board-certified bariatric surgeons, our staff includes a psychologist, registered nurse, registered dietitian, licensed practical nurse, physical therapist, and a team of patient advocates.
 Eric Schlesinger, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Board-certified COE Bariatric Surgeon, Surgical Weight Loss Solutions at Tempe St. Luke’s
A diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, Eric Schlesinger, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a bariatric surgeon and serves as the medical director of Surgical Weight Loss Solutions at Tempe St. Luke’s, a Physician Group of Arizona, Inc., practice. Dr. Schlesinger is recognized as an ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence surgeon by the Surgical Review Corporation — an independent, non-profit organization that identifies surgeons who provide superior bariatric surgery patient care. He also serves as the medical director of the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital.
Dr. Schlesinger has more than 15 years of bariatric surgery experience and specializes in adjustable gastric banding, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). In addition to performing both laparoscopic and open bariatric procedures, he has extensive experience in general surgery, emergency care and trauma surgery.
With a license to practice in Arizona, Dr. Schlesinger is a member of several medical organizations, including the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Society of Graduate Surgeons, Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, American Medical Association and Arizona Medical Association.
A native of Newark, N.J., Dr. Schlesinger attended Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N.J. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and completed his surgical residency at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in California. He has also held numerous medical administrative roles and served as an assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of Southern California.
 Kurt W. Sprunger, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Board-certified COE Bariatric Surgeon, Surgical Weight Loss Solutions at Tempe St. Luke’s
Kurt W. Sprunger, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a bariatric surgeon for the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management. Dr. Sprunger is recognized as an ASMBS Center of Excellence surgeon by the Surgical Review Corporation — an independent, non-profit organization that identifies surgeons who provide superior bariatric surgery patient care. Board certified by the American Board of Surgery, he currently practices at Surgical Weight Loss Solutions at Tempe St. Luke’s, a Physician Group of Arizona, Inc., practice.
Applying the latest advancements in bariatric surgery, Dr. Sprunger specializes in laparoscopic surgical procedures, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and adjustable gastric banding. He also has extensive experience in performing advanced laparoscopic and open general surgical procedures, including abdominal, thyroid, breast and gastrointestinal cancer surgeries.
After completing pre-medical studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Dr. Sprunger received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery internship and residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa.
Dr. Sprunger maintains memberships for several medical organizations, including the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, Maricopa County Medical Society and Arizona Medical Association.
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