Maria R. Brown, M.D.,
FACS, FASMBS
- Board Certified General Surgeon
- Fellowship Trained Bariatric & Foregut Surgeon
- Fellowship Training in Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery
Dr. Maria R. Brown, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Fellowship-trained bariatric and foregut surgeon. Board certified in general surgery. National proctor for SADI-S and da Vinci robotic surgery. Located in Mesa, AZ on Alma School Road.
Why She Does This
We asked Dr. Brown why she chose bariatric surgery. In her words:
"The answer is simple: giving people the gift of movement, life, and health was an easy decision when I chose my specialty. My whole life I've taken for granted my ability to move lightly, exercise frequently, and be in shape. Hearing stories of patients who struggled with daily activities — despite all of the work and effort they had put in to losing weight — I knew I had to find a way to help.
Although the Internet will easily say calories in/calories out, we know it is significantly more complex than that. Bariatric surgery changes people's lives in a way that gives you new opportunities, a newfound sense of joy, and encouragement to live the best life you possibly can. It offers opportunities when you thought you had no other options left to change your health and your lives.
I chose bariatric surgery because of you. Because of the stories you tell, and the experiences you have when you've lost the weight that has held you back from flourishing as the person you've always been."
Training and Credentials
Dr. Brown completed her undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude at Siena College in Albany, New York, earning a B.S. in Biology. She earned her medical degree at St. George's University School of Medicine as a Keith B. Taylor Global Scholar, splitting her training between England, Grenada, and New York. During medical school she became fluent in Spanish and provided volunteer medical services in Mexico, Belize, and the United States.
After medical school she completed a five-year general surgery residency at Albany Medical Center in New York, followed by a fellowship in advanced laparoscopy, bariatric surgery, and advanced gastrointestinal surgery at Westchester Medical Center. She is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and holds fellowship status in the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (FASMBS).
Dr. Brown is a nationally recognized speaker, proctor, and educator for da Vinci robotic surgery and is considered a thought leader in SADI-S. She trains other surgeons in the technique — a distinction that reflects not just volume but the kind of mastery that comes from operating at the leading edge of a procedure while it is still evolving.
Surgical Expertise and Procedures
Dr. Brown's practice covers the full range of bariatric and metabolic procedures. Below are typical weight loss outcomes by procedure, based on published clinical data and practice experience. Individual results vary.
| Procedure | Avg. Excess Weight Loss | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeve Gastrectomy | 50–60% | Most patients seeking significant weight loss with a simpler procedure and no intestinal bypass |
| Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass | 55–65% | Patients with significant reflux, severe diabetes, or who want the most established long-term data |
| SADI-S | 70–80% | Patients needing significant weight loss with fewer nutritional risks than traditional duodenal switch |
| Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) | 75–85% | Patients with BMI above 50 requiring maximum weight loss; highest nutritional monitoring requirements |
In addition to bariatric procedures, Dr. Brown performs anti-reflux surgery, upper endoscopy, hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, and appendiceal surgery. These general surgery services are available through the same practice — which matters for bariatric patients, who are more likely than the general population to develop these conditions and are better served by a surgeon who already knows their anatomy.
How She Operates
Dr. Brown performs all procedures using the da Vinci robotic surgical system. On the robot she has greater precision and better visualization than standard laparoscopic instruments allow — particularly in patients with high BMI, where anatomy is more confined and the margin for imprecision is smaller. Robotic surgery also means smaller incisions, less tissue disruption, and for Dr. Brown specifically, shorter operative times. Less time under anesthesia is a real clinical benefit, not a marketing point.
She personally conducts all consultations, performs all surgeries, and manages all post-operative follow-up. Patients see the same physician at every visit. There is no handoff to a different provider after surgery.
Outcomes Data
The following data is drawn from Dr. Brown's 2025 MBSAQIP outcomes report, compared against all surgeons operating at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center — the same accredited facility where Dr. Brown performs her procedures.
| Metric | Dr. Brown | MGMC Surgeons |
|---|---|---|
| Total Cases Requiring Reoperation | 1 | 4 |
| Rate of Reoperation | .8% | 1.5% |
MGMC (Mercy Gilbert Medical Center) is an MBSAQIP-accredited facility. The comparison group is surgeons employed by the hospital system performing bariatric procedures at the same location. Source: MBSAQIP Outcomes Report, 2025.
Languages
Dr. Brown is fluent in English and Spanish. She sees patients in both languages.
Professional Memberships
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (FASMBS)
- American College of Surgeons (FACS)
- Arizona Medical Association
Insurance Recognitions
- ASMBS Center of Excellence Surgeon
- United/Optum Center of Excellence Surgeon
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Surgeon
Hospital Affiliations
- Mercy Gilbert Medical Center — MBSAQIP Accredited
- Banner Gateway Medical Center, Mesa — MBSAQIP Accredited
- Arizona General Hospital
- Chandler Regional Medical Center
- Banner Ocotillo Medical Center
Outside the OR
Dr. Brown was born and raised in upstate New York. Her father was the rural town family doctor. Her mother was born in Cuba and moved to the United States at age five. Dr. Brown has lived in five countries and worked in pharmaceutical research before medical school — a path she left because it felt incomplete.
When she is not operating, she is in the mountains with her dogs, paddle boarding, lifting weights, or doing yoga. She was in bed with a book by 9pm before it was fashionable. Movement is something she has always had — and giving it to patients who have lost it is, she says, the whole point.
Ready to talk through your options? Dr. Brown sees patients at every stage — newly researching, on GLP-1, post-op, or dealing with regain. A consultation is the clearest way to find out where you stand.
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Valley Bariatric · Mesa AZ
Talk to Dr. Brown
Fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon. We see patients at every stage.