Choosing Weight Loss Surgery
The Goal Is To Live Better, Healthier, Longer and Happier
We're committed to help you lose weight for good. For life.
Along your journey to a healthier and more active lifestyle, there are changes that need to be made. Our program is designed to identify some of those changes and help you make them! The first step in deciding whether weight loss surgery is right for you is to educate yourself with a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits of the surgical procedure. Talking to your primary care physician, physician specialist or family physician is a good next step.
Be aware, there is a lot of misinformation about weight loss surgery, so be sure you talk to qualified sources that can help you make an informed decision. It can also be helpful to talk with others who have taken the path you are now considering - so you will know more about the personal commitment required to successfully achieve weight loss through surgery. In the end, your best source for information is an experienced weight loss surgeon who knows how to handle your special needs before, during, and after weight loss surgery.
Choosing Surgery
Weight loss surgery is major surgery. Although most patients enjoy an improvement in obesity-related health conditions after the successful results of weight loss surgery, these results should not be the overriding motivation for having the procedure.
The goal is to live better, healthier and longer, and that is why you should make the decision to have weight loss surgery only after careful consideration and consultation with an experienced weight loss surgeon. Our experienced weight loss surgeons can answer your questions clearly and explain the exact details of the procedure, the extent of the recovery period and the reality of the follow-up care that will be required.
An important part of the our process is a psychological evaluation to help establish a clear understanding of the post-operative changes in behavior that are essential for long-term success.
As our patient, you will be our partner in the decision making process not only about your surgery, but about your commitment to sustain your weight loss goals. It is important to remember that there are no ironclad guarantees of any kind in medicine or surgery. There can be unexpected outcomes in even the simplest procedures. What can be said, however, is that weight loss surgery can only succeed when the patient makes a lifelong commitment to lifestyle, dietary and physical activity modifications as directed by your caregivers. Some of the challenges facing a person after weight loss surgery can be unexpected. Lifestyle changes can strain relationships within families and between married couples. To help patients achieve their goals and deal with the changes surgery and weight loss can bring, we offer follow-up care that includes support groups, dietitians and other forms of continuing education.
The decision to have weight loss surgery is entirely up to you and your surgeon. After having heard all the information, you must decide if the benefits outweigh the side effects and potential complications. Surgery is only a tool. Your ultimate success depends on strict adherence to the recommended dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes.
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Am I A Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?
Am I A Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?
If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, weight loss surgery might be the right answer for you at this time"
Do you have a BMI of 35 or more plus an obesity-related health problem (diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea, etc.)?
Do you have a BMI of 40 or more?
Does your weight cause physical problems that interfere with family or work-related activities?
For answers to more Frequently Asked Questions click here.
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Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAP-Band®)
Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAP-Band®)
The LAP-BAND® System is an adjustable silicone gastric band designed to help you lose excess body weight, improve weight-related health conditions and enhance quality of life. It reduces the stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at one time.
The LAP-BAND® System procedure does not require stomach cutting and stapling or gastrointestinal re-routing to bypass normal digestion. The LAP-BAND® System was the first adjustable and reversible weight-loss surgery available in the United States and approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
The Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure generates weight loss by restricting the amount of food (and therefore calories) that can be eaten by removing a portion of the stomach without bypassing the intestines or causing any gastrointestinal malabsorption.
The stomach that remains is shaped like a very slim banana and measures from one to five ounces depending on the surgeon performing the procedure. The nerves to the stomach and the outlet valve remain intact with the idea of preserving the functions of the stomach while drastically reducing the volume.
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Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the stomach and small intestine. You will feel full more quickly than when your stomach was its original size, which reduces the amount of food you eat and thus the calories consumed. Gastric Bypass also causes malabsorption which causes your body to not absorb all of the calories that you take in.
Learn More.
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Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery
Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery
The best way to prepare for surgery is to make sure you are well informed about your procedure. We are here to help you achieve your goals and to support you as you prepare for this exciting change in your life.
Here are some suggestions that you can begin to work on right away:
- If you drink carbonated beverages, now is the time to stop. Why? When a cold compressed gas (carbonation) hits a your stomach it expands. That can be very problematic, especially after surgery.
- Start a program of physical activity such as walking or swimming for 20 minutes, four times a week. Be sure to receive a physician's approval before starting any program involving physical exertion.
- Stop smoking. Cigarettes interfere with your lung's ability to exchange oxygen, and nicotine can impair circulation, which can impede healing after surgery and increase the chance of infection.
- Reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates you consume. Refined carbohydrates include foods such as white rice, pasta and cookies.
Review this helpful checklist to ensure that your surgery will be approved by your insurance provider.
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