Who is a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?
It's important to understand bariatric surgery and whether it's right for you. Our team uses guidelines set by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine if you are a candidate for bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is usually recommended for people who:
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater
- Have a BMI of 35 or greater with one or more obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea
Other qualifying factors may include:
- History of documented dietary weight loss attempts
- Lifelong commitment to dietary, exercise and medical guidelines, and follow-up care
- Psychological evaluation
What Can I Expect With Bariatric Surgery?
Our bariatric team will provide you with ongoing support and determine:
- If weight loss surgery is the right treatment for you
- Which type of procedure is best for you
- If you are mentally and emotionally prepared to make long-term lifestyle changes
- That you have, or will have, the necessary support system
We will also perform a thorough assessment of your health, which may include the following:
- An application that describes your health and weight loss history
- Nutritional evaluation
- Psychological evaluation
- Medical exam
- Routine tests
- Calculation of your BMI
- Examination of any obesity-related health conditions you may have (i.e., diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, etc.)
Bariatric
(weight loss) surgery is not an immediate fix. It's a positive, ongoing
process of change and is meant to help you lose excess body weight,
improve or resolve other life-threatening conditions such as heart
disease, diabetes and sleep apnea, and maintain a new, healthy body
weight.
Hear from Nick Maraglia, one of our many success stories, as he discussed why he decided to have weight loss surgery at Rochester Regional Health. He lost more than 300 pounds and is now living a much healthier life!
Health Benefits of Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric (weight loss) surgery has many benefits that can lead to a healthier, higher quality of life. Combined with effective treatment and a commitment to long-term lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery can offer a better chance for a longer life.
A clinical study shows that gastric bypass surgery improves a patient’s life expectancy by 89 percent, and a review of more than 22,000 bariatric surgery patients showed improvement in or complete resolution of other conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea.
