Shuchita Gupta, MD

SpecialtiesDiet To lose weight, your body must burn more calories than you eat and/or drink. A diet plan should be based on your health and lifestyle needs, and would include reducing the number of calories you take in. If you are considering this option, speak with your primary care physician about nutritional guidelines, and keep in mind that many bariatric programs also offer medically supervised weight loss programs .ExerciseFrequent and regular physical activity is beneficial to most anyone-whether they are pre- or postsurgery. Generally, an exercise program includes cardiovascular exercise such as walking, swimming, or cycling, strength training using resistance bands, weights, or machines and stretching. Speak with your primary care physician before beginning any physical activity. Prescription Weight Loss Medications Prescription weight loss medications may be considered a supplement to diet and exercise. Only a healthcare professional can prescribe these weight loss medications. Bariatric Surgery Gastric banding is a restrictive surgical procedure. During this procedure, two medical devices are implanted in the patient: a silicone band and an injection port. The silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach and molds the stomach into two connected chambers. The injection port is attached to the abdominal wall, underneath the skin. The port is connected to the band with soft, thin tubing.

Dr. Karia is the founding Medical Director for Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs at Piedmont Augusta. His expertise centers on innovative heart failure therapies. He is a respected thought leader and lectures globally on topics related to Advanced Heart Failure. In addition to taking care of Advanced Heart Failure; Cardiac Transplant; and LVAD patients; he performs echocardiograms; stress tests; and cardiac catheterizations. Dr. Karia is the Principal Investigator in many research studies and is published in many peer-reviewed publications. He serves on the editorial board of many prestigious journals.Dr. Karia has over 17 years’ experience in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology and is board certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology; and Cardiovascular Medicine. He manages patients with Cardiac Transplants; Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD); Cardiomems® and other implantable cardiac devices with remote heart failure monitoring capabilities. Beloved by his patients; Dr. Karia is an enthusiastic advocate for their care and is always willing to go the extra mile for them.