So you have made the decision to go ahead and have bariatric surgery. You are ready to undergo a lifetime commitment to transform your health and yourself? Do you meet the guidelines to have bariatric surgery? Knowing what the requirements are is the first step in the decision making process and putting you on the road to a new you.
Patients should have the following
- 100 pounds or more of excess weight; or a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater
- A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or greater with one or more co-morbid condition
Other Common Guidelines
- You must have an understanding the risks of bariatric surgery
- You must make a commitment to dietary and other lifestyle changes as recommended by the surgeon
- Your physician may require you to join a dietary program
- Your physician may require you to join a support group
- This may be a free or pay in advance group
- Having a history of weight loss treatments having failed the patient
- Be prepared to document this with receipts, dates, or exercise and diet logs
- Undergoing a complete examination including medical tests
- This initial tests are very important to get a complete set of tests to use as a baseline for your post surgery health
As with any surgery, there are possible complications and risks that are important to know and understand. As I have said many times, do not do this because of my success. This is a major lifetime commitment.