Atkins is crap and is not a healthy way to lose weight in my opinion. By robbing yourself of the benefits of carbs you may have a quick fix, but the body uses your carbs for more than just storage.. Your brain will not function as well, you will be low energy and a whole bunch of other bad stuff.
I would recommend you develop a smart low calorie diet and perform cardiovascular exercise as well as lifting. There are a bajillion posts here describing various ways to accomplish this, search around and pick one that you think is realistic for you.
good luck with cutting and good luck with surgery when the time comes.