Weight loss surgery can be a highly effective way to lose weight, providing hundreds of thousands of patients across the country with relief each and every year. However, many questions often arise throughout the course of the consideration process.
Many patients find themselves asking “Am I a candidate for weight loss surgery?”
There are many factors to weigh carefully before moving forward with a bariatric procedure, with pros and cons that are often individual to each patient.
Physical Eligibility
The eligibility guidelines for bariatric surgery include general insurance eligibility and physician or facility criteria.
While we evaluate all patients on a case-by-case basis, most must meet general physical requirements, including:
- Excess weight of 100 pounds or more
- A BMI of 40 or greater, or a BMI of 35 or greater with an associated weight-related medical problem, such as diabetes or heart disease
- Age 18 or older; exceptions may be made for those 16 to 18 with an appropriate BMI
- A documented history of years of effort attempting to lose weight through diet and exercise without success
Lifestyle Changes
Physical criteria are a large part of bariatric surgery qualifications, but they are not the sole determinant for who should receive surgery and who should not.
Undergoing bariatric surgery requires a significant mental shift and changing elements of your lifestyle. Choosing surgery can be a big commitment, leading to a different way of eating, drinking, and exercise. You new lifestyle is one you must maintain for the rest of your life.
Successful patients not only agree to these changes but embrace them, focusing on an overall healthier way to live while eating right and getting regular physical activity.
In order to ensure our patients are the right fit, we impose many diet and exercise limitations prior to surgery. This process helps candidates to prepare for surgery while exploring what life after bariatric surgery will be like.
Proceeding With Bariatric Surgery
If you would like to move forward with the bariatric surgery process, seminar registration is the first step. At one of our free informational events, you can learn more about what DHR Health Bariatric and Metabolic Institute has to offer. Explore our eligibility process, and learn about the road to surgery with our assistance.
Am I a candidate for weight loss surgery?
Ready to find an answer to the important question? We are always available to speak with you. Give DHR Health Bariatric and Metabolic Institute a call at 956-362-5673 or contact us online!