Making the Right Choice
Surgical weight-loss is not the “easy way out” for obese persons. Rather, it is a major life-changing experience that requires patients to go through a great deal of preparation and to develop a lifelong commitment to diet and exercise.
See how others got started
The preparation phase can last several months. It can include securing an approval for weight-loss surgery from your health-insurance provider, obtaining a letter from your family doctor confirming that you have seriously tried to lose weight, and having a psychiatric evaluation of the causes of your weight gain. If you have chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea or heart disease you may need to complete additional medical studies, such as a cardiac stress test.
To help you recover from weight-loss surgery and learn how to eat again, you will need to learn about your post-surgery diet. You also will need to learn about nutrition and exercise so you can avoid regaining the weight you lost through surgery.
Our surgeons require patients to complete the Lehigh Valley Health Network New You Program (Nutrition, Exercise, Weight Management), a six-month program that helps you prepare for surgery, recovery and weight-loss maintenance.
Need and eligibility for weight-loss surgery is determined by your Body Mass Index (BMI) and any underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, you may have. So, if you haven’t already done so, calculate your BMI now.
In general, a patient is eligible for weight loss surgery when he or she has
- A BMI of 40 or more
- A BMI of 35 to 40 AND two or more medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, that are worsened by obesity.
Learn more now about the advantages and disadvantages of Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding, Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.
