Meet the Team
Surgical Weight Loss and Advanced General Surgery Langtree is about so much more than weight loss - it's about arming you with the tools, information and inspiration you need to make and maintain profound changes for lifelong health and happiness. The hands-on team features a dedicated coordinator, nutritionist, physiologist and other weight loss specialists committed to your total well-being. From pre-operative education, through compassionate follow-up care, we're here to support you through every phase of your journey.
Our program includes:
- Nutritional and dietary guidance
- Exercise education
- Psychological counseling
- Cardiology and pulmonology assessment
- Ongoing support for lasting health and happiness
Ryan Heider, M.D.*
Bariatrics Medical Director/Surgeon
Dr. Heider specializes in weight-loss surgery with his focus on helping patients become healthy through lifestyle changes, with surgery as the first step to a new life.
His goal for patients is not only weight-loss, but also reducing or eliminating health problems associated with obesity. These include chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and lipid disorders.
Dr. Heider received advanced training to perform single-incision bariatric surgery, and was one of the first Charlotte-area surgeons to perform the procedure. He specializes in minimally-invasive procedures, and is able to perform the majority of all weight loss surgeries laparoscopically, which typically results in less scarring, less anesthesia and a faster recovery compared to traditional surgery.
Dr. Heider performs the following bariatric procedures:
- Adjustable gastric banding
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Gastric bypass
- Revision surgeries
His education, training and certification:
- Medical School: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Residency: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill affiliated hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC
- Certified: American Board of General Surgery
Dr. Heider's associations include:
- Member - American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
*Member of the medical staff at Lake Norman Regional Medical Centerr
Under Dr. Heider's leadership as medical director for Surgical Weight Loss and Advanced General Surgery Langtree, recognitions include: the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program; Designated Member, Blue Distinction Centers+ for Bariatric Surgery(r) Program (BDC+); and Designated Institute of Quality by Aetna Institutes of Quality(r) (IOQ) Bariatric Program. Dr. Heider received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and completed his surgery training at University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. While at UNC, he participated in a variety of advanced minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures, including laparoscopic gastric bypass, gastrectomy and esophageal surgery. Dr. Heider has also published numerous articles and completed extensive research in the area of advanced laparoscopic surgery. He was one of the first surgeons to perform single-incision, "scarless" bariatric surgery and is one of a limited number of surgeons in the nation with the advanced training to perform the 90-minute procedure.
Meet Dr. Heider