Do I Qualify for Bariatric Surgery?
The decision to have bariatric surgery can be one of the biggest choices you and your family will make. While bariatric surgery offers many benefits, there are also some risks and potential complications that you need to know about. Successfully maintaining weight loss also means making major changes to your lifestyle and eating habits.
Do you Qualify as a Candidate?
Bariatric surgery is not an option for all overweight people. There are certain physical requirements that must be met to qualify for surgery:
You must be at least 100 pounds above your ideal body weight.
Your body mass index (BMI) must be 35 or higher with medical problems that are related to obesity.
Along with physical requirements, you will need to have a complete work up to determine if you’re a good candidate. This includes a psychological evaluation, laboratory blood work, a sleep study, and cardiology evaluation among other tests. You will also need to keep your clinic appointments with the bariatric team. All of these steps need to be completed before the bariatric team can clear you for surgery.
Are you Ready?
Tests and measurements are not the only qualifications for surgery. Bariatric surgery is not a simple fix for maintaining a healthy weight. You need to be dedicated to making major lifestyle changes in order to achieve your goals and remain healthy. To be successful you will need to change eating habits with the help of a dietitian. You will also need to include more physical activity in your daily life. A physical therapist can help show you how, but you must be committed.
Ask yourself:
- Am I willing to change how I eat with the help of my dietitian?
- Will I be able to commit to being more active every day?
- Have I thought about the risks of undergoing surgery?
- Do I meet the physical requirements for surgery?
- Will I be able to attend all of my bariatric clinic appointments?
- Am I ready to spend months participating in the process leading up to surgery?
