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Am I Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

Candidates For Weight Loss Surgery

Not everybody is suitable for Bariatric ( Weight Loss ) Surgery. Here are some of the things we will consider when evaluating your candidacy for obesity surgery.

Surgery may be right for you if:

Your BMI is 30 or higher.
Your serious attempts to lose weight have had only short-term success.
You are prepared to make substantial changes in your eating habits and lifestyle.
You are willing to continue being monitored by the specialist who is treating you.

Your Motivation

Whilst Weight Loss Surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity, the kilos do not come off by themselves. The surgery is an aid to support you in achieving lasting results by limiting food intake, reducing appetite and slowing digestion. However, your motivation and commitment to adopt a new lifestyle are extremely important for long-term weight loss. New eating habits must be adhered to for the rest of your life. Exercise is also an important component of a changed lifestyle.

Is Weight Loss Surgery for You?

Bariatric weight loss surgery may be the next step for people who remain severely obese after trying nonsurgical approaches, or for people who have an obesity-related disease. Surgery to produce quick weight loss is a serious undertaking. Anyone thinking about undergoing this type of weight loss surgery should understand what it involves. Answers to the following questions may help you decide whether weight loss surgery is right for you.

Are you:

unlikely to lose weight or keep weight off long-term with nonsurgical measures?
well informed about the surgical procedure and the effects of the weight loss surgery?
determined to lose weight and improve your health?
aware of how your life may change after the operation (adjustment to the side effects of the operation, including the need to chew food well and inability to eat large meals)?
aware of the potential for serious complications, dietary restrictions, and occasional failures related to weight loss surgery?
committed to lifelong medical follow-up and vitamin/mineral supplementation?

Remember:

There are no guarantees for any method, including surgery, to produce rapid weight loss and maintain it. Success with weight loss surgery is possible only with maximum cooperation and commitment to behavioral change and medical follow-up and this cooperation and commitment must be carried out for the rest of your life. A decision to have bariatric surgery is very personal and very important. It will change your life in an irreversible way for the most part, not just because of the quick weight loss it produces. Being careful with a decision like this is the right thing to do. You should research the various weight loss surgeries and the various surgeons. Then you and the surgeon should, together, agree that weight loss surgery is the best choice you can make.

Considerations prior to weight loss surgery:

Can you comply with the therapy and follow up, which is so important after weight loss surgery?

You have to follow the directions of your surgeon, especially diet, exercise, labs and office follow up. The surgery is a tool only. Rapid weight loss and maintenance depends on your use of this tool. It would be disastrous if one depends on the surgery alone to take care of the obesity. There will never be a break in following the guidelines set forth by your surgeon regarding diet, exercise and follow up. You are making a life-long commitment.

Are you considering weight loss surgery for the right reasons? Do you just want to look better?

Bariatric surgery is NOT done for cosmetic reasons. It is always done to improve failing health. If you meet the medical criteria, you are considering weight loss surgery for health reasons. Feeling better is the goal, looking better is a nice side effect.

Have you made many attempts at weight loss?

Only you can decide if you have reached the point where you have exhausted all other options to lose weight. You are making a serious decision that only YOU can make, once you feel you are well informed about the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery.

Are you comfortable with your decision? Are you apprehensive?

Once you are feeling comfortable with your decision to make a lifestyle change forever and you know you can do it, you are ready. If you know exactly and feel comfortable with how the weight loss surgery rearranges your digestive system and the short and long-term risks of bariatric surgery, you are ready. If you have found a surgeon that you feel very comfortable with, you are ready. If you are apprehensive about the whole process, you are normal!