UT Physicians provides primary and specialty care for patients of all ages. We have over 2,000 health care providers with expertise in more than 80 specialties and subspecialties. From routine visits to advanced services, our physicians practice at more than 100 locations across the Greater Houston area. Find the care you need and schedule an appointment with us today.
With more than 2,000 clinicians certified in more than 80 medical specialties and subspecialties, UT Physicians provides multispecialty care for the entire family.
Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas (MIST) is a team of innovative UT Physicians surgeons dedicated to providing patients with state-of-the-art surgical therapies using the least invasive, most advanced and safest techniques. MIST provides general surgery services including advanced laparoscopy, bariatric surgery, and surgical oncology at premier hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, Sugar Land and Katy. MIST surgeons are faculty members of McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). MIST is a highly regarded cancer center. Whether you are wanting more information about treatments, or scheduling your first appointment, the staff wants to help you in the best way possible.
An American Society of Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
Representing the best in their fields, UT Physicians bariatric surgeons bring special expertise to their patients to treat obesity by modification of the gastrointestinal tract to reduce nutrient intake and/or absorption. For individuals who have been unable to achieve significant weight loss through diet modifications and exercise programs alone, bariatric surgery may help to attain a more healthy body weight. UT Physicians bariatric surgeons provide a comprehensive bariatric surgery program and perform more than 700 laparoscopic bariatric procedures each year. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) has designated Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center’s Bariatric Program, a primary surgery center for MIST, as a “Center of Excellence” in the United States.
Center for Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance (COMMP)
For medical weight loss in Houston, the Center for Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance (COMMP) helps patients achieve long-term success when other weight-loss options have let them down. Using a comprehensive, physician-driven, evidence-based approach, we customize your treatment to help you lose weight and improve your overall health for good. At COMMP, our goal is to help you take the weight off and keep it off by optimizing your body composition for weight maintenance and teaching you strategies to maintain your new weight over time. When compared to fad diets or other weight loss plans, sustained medical weight loss with an evidence-based focus on physical activity, nutrition, behavior, metabolism, and pharmacotherapy can help you achieve numerous benefits:
Decrease body fat, especially dangerous central or “visceral” fat
Increase strong muscle mass and improve cardiovascular fitness
Decrease medications for diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol
Reduce cholesterol and risk factors for heart disease
Lower blood pressure and reduce stroke risk
Stop the progression of diabetes
Improve sleep apnea so you no longer need a CPAP machine
Increase endurance in sports or everyday activities
Gain self-esteem and confidence
The goal of medical weight loss and weight maintenance is not just a slimmer you, but a healthier and happier you. We know that when you eat well, become physically active, and maintain a healthy weight and body composition over the long term, your health improves. When your health improves, your mood and overall outlook on life can improve as well.
COMMP Weight Loss Programs
You have many choices when it comes to medical weight loss, but at COMMP you don’t just lose weight; you keep it off by transforming your body composition. We achieve results that exceed those seen at other weight loss centers because we use a comprehensive, physician-driven process to help you lose fat, gain muscle, and keep the weight off to improve your health. Your COMMP personalized weight-loss program will involve many steps, outlined below:
Step 1: Your first step to medical weight loss and a healthier metabolism is to determine your body composition, or ratio of fat to muscle. We use advanced technology to give us a segmental analysis of your body composition, which gives us more personalized information than weight or BMI alone. We help you achieve successful long-term weight maintenance by monitoring how much of your weight is muscle, fat, or more metabolically dangerous central fat.
Step 2: Next, you will have an EKG (electrocardiogram) to check the electrical activity of your heart. The EKG is important to ensure the safety of beginning physical activity and taking certain anti-obesity medications that may be prescribed as part of your care.
Step 3: Your first visit includes an appointment with a medical weight-loss physician, also known as an obesity medicine specialist. This doctor, who has advanced training in obesity medicine, will obtain a complete medical history and perform a thorough physical exam. During the appointment, you and your specialist will outline your personalized medical weight loss plan. COMMP customized medical weight loss plans include the following:
Working with a dietician to create a nutritional program that fits your life
Receiving a customized physical activity plan to improve muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance
Learning tools that will help you modify your behavior and remove your barriers to success
Tracking your progress side by side with your specialist using our smart phone or computer-driven “Health Dashboard.” Here we can follow your data in real time and help keep you on the road to success.
Receiving prescriptions for FDA-approved weight-loss or anti-obesity medications, as needed
Step 4: Before your second visit, you will have labs drawn to identify biomarkers that can reveal how excess weight or obesity is affecting your health. Obesity is linked to more than 82 other diseases, and the most common can be detected in your COMMP labs: diabetes, high cholesterol, vitamin D deficiency, and fatty liver disease—just to name a few. Together, our goal will be to improve these conditions so that you feel better and can reduce the number of prescription medications you need to take each day. At COMMP, we want to help you become just as healthy on the inside as you will look and feel on the outside.
Step 5: During your second visit to the COMMP clinic, we will also measure your resting metabolic rate, which indicates how much energy your body burns each day. This simple, 30-minute test uses 02 and CO2 gas analysis to determine your personal metabolism. Our eventual goal will be to increase muscle mass to maintain and improve your resting metabolic rate. Most individuals on a traditional diet experience a decrease in metabolism when they lose weight. At COMMP, our goal is to help you maintain your metabolic rate so that you are efficient at energy burning when you arrive at your goal. In other words, because your muscles burn more energy than fat, increasing muscle mass is one clinically proven method to maintain your medical weight loss once you have successfully reached your target body composition. At the UT Center for Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance (COMMP), we treat many types of patients from all walks of life. If you would like to schedule an appointment to see if medical weight loss is right for you, contact our office at (713)-486-1330
Parking Information
Parking Information
*Please note there is a freeway closure at the intersection of I-69 S (southbound ramp) at the 610 West Loop (southbound). Drivers should continue on the I-69 southbound main lanes to the Fountain View Drive exit ramp. Please U-turn at Fountain View and continue onto the first entrance ramp to the I-69 northbound main lanes, then take the I-69 northbound connector ramp to the I-610 southbound main lanes.
The Bellaire Station parking garage is located on N 1st St. Free garage parking is available through the north or south entrances.
The Weight Loss clinic is more easily accessible by parking at the south garage entrance.
UT Physicians recommends parking at the rooftop level of the garage to walk straight into the clinic. For inclement weather, ground floor (covered) parking is available. Once inside the main building, take the elevators up to the second floor of the clinic.
New Patient Forms
New Patient Forms
Robotically-Assisted Surgery
At the frontier of minimally invasive surgery is robotically-assisted surgery. Whether treating acid reflux, hernias, colorectal symptoms, cancer, or obesity, each of our talented surgeons has achieved expert-level skills in the use of robotics to perform surgeries more accurately and with decreased recovery time, less pain and improved clinical outcomes.
Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
Representing the best in their fields, UT Physicians bariatric surgeons bring special expertise to their patients to treat obesity by modification of the gastrointestinal tract to reduce nutrient intake and/or absorption. For individuals who have been unable to achieve significant weight loss through diet modifications and exercise programs alone, bariatric surgery may help to attain a more healthy body weight.
Surgery for Acid Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which food refluxes (travels backwards) from the stomach to the esophagus (the swallowing pipe). This action can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. The symptoms can include belching, coughing, difficulty swallowing, nausea and vomiting, regurgitation, sore throat, hoarseness, and chest pain to name a few. In severe cases, the reflux may lead to damage of the lower part of the esophagus.
Surgical Oncology
The section of surgical oncology is committed to providing individualized, multidisciplinary treatment for a wide array of solid tumors. We are well-trained in all aspects of surgical oncology and offer cutting-edge minimally invasive approaches for a variety of complex malignancies. By utilizing the least invasive technique that will allow complete tumor removal, our patients may experience less post-operative pain, shorter recovery times and improved functional outcomes.
Colorectal Surgery
In some cases, a patient may need a surgeon for problems related to their small bowel, colon or rectum. From a problem as common as hemorrhoids to the surgical management of cancer, our surgical team provides comprehensive, personalized solutions using state-of-the-art surgical techniques that minimize the impact of treatment on the patient and result in the shortest recovery time possible.
Hernia Surgery
UT Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas (UT MIST) has some of the most experienced and talented hernia surgeons in the world. Specially trained in minimally invasive surgical techniques, UT MIST surgeons provide pioneering techniques and medical technology that can ensure less pain, faster recovery times and fewer post-operative issues than traditional hernia surgery techniques. We invite you to learn more about hernias and the very latest in hernia medical care.
Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast cancer is a cancer that begins in the breast tissue. It is the most common cancer in women excluding skin cancer. Breast cancer survival has been increasing in recent years thanks to improvements in screening, detection and treatment from our cancer centers in Houston TX.
Patient Information
Patient Information
Before your visit with us
Gather documents to bring to your doctor’s visit:
Copies of any tests, x-rays, or medical histories relating to your medical problem.
Completed medical history questionnaire.
A list of all current medications taken on a regular basis, including over-the-counter and herbal medications.
Review any special directions from your doctor about diet or medication restrictions prior to your appointment.
Ask friends or relatives to accompany you if you wish. Depending on the type of appointment you have, you may need someone to take you home.
Bring a sweater or coat. Our buildings are kept cool to protect and ensure the proper function of medical equipment.