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Our Services > Bariatric Surgery > Am I a Candidate? > Selection Guidlines
- Communication Access: You must have a reliable e-mail address that can accept "attachments." Note: It is important that you DO NOT use your work e-mail address. You can expect to receive a high volume of very personal e-mail at the address that you send us.
- You must have appropriate financial resources to cope with the costs associated with the surgery itself and you must be prepared to communicate with us during the postoperative period in the event of a problem or complication.
- Preoperative Screening Information: You must complete the online patient registration application.
- Age between 16 and 64 (rarely, exceptions are made to very well motivated, very well informed patients that have strong support of their family and their physicians).
- Patients must presently be working, either in or out of the home.
- No history of previous obesity surgery. That is, we do not accept patients that have had previous vertical banded gastroplasty, “stomach stapling,” Roux-en-Y or other types of previous weight loss surgery. (We are no longer accepting patients for revision of other types of weight loss surgery.)
- History of major abdominal surgery needs to be carefully reviewed. (Some operations such as appendectomy, gallbladder removal and hysterectomy may be acceptable.)
- No history of alcohol abuse or drug use.
- The patient must show evidence of a strong, supportive and stable family structure and have the documented support of their immediate family.
- The patient must have a supportive personal physician (family practice or internal medicine) who will:
- Support the patient’s desire to undergo weight-loss surgery
- Perform a detailed, meticulous and complete preoperative evaluation;
- Agree to be actively involved in the post-operative follow up.
- No history of major psychiatric illness.
- If the patient has had depression, the patient and his or her psychiatrist must have a plan in place for the diagnosis and management of depression postoperatively.
- No history of:
- Recent Prednisone Therapy for any reason
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Other Collagen Vascular Disease
- Patients need to have a documented commitment to participate in a post-operative exercise program.
- Evidence that the patient can work with staff by following directions and communicating in a timely manner.
- Documented commitment to maintain the initial postoperative and yearly long-term follow-up to decrease the risks of complications such as ulcers, vitamin, mineral and other nutritional deficiencies.
- Frequent post-operative follow-up is required. All patients must be prepared to provide feedback in the first, sixth and 12th months during the first year, and once per year thereafter to include follow-up information and appropriate labwork.
If you are unable to follow these guidelines, you may wish to explore other treatment options. |
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