Getting Started

Once you have decided to undergo bariatric surgery, it is important that you become well-educated about the procedure and how it can affect your lifestyle. You can be better informed by reading about it through books and online resources like the Patient Information resource in this website.

To help you better decide on your next step, talk to your attending physician about your health condition. Ask your physician questions regarding your current health and request him/her to refer you to a reliable surgeon who specializes in bariatric surgery.

Make an initial appointment to discuss your case with the surgeon. Don’t hesitate to ask the surgeon regarding the previous cases he/she has handled which are similar to your current condition. After this initial interview, you should be better guided on what bariatric procedure you want to pursue. After this consultation, you will be required to attend a seminar and a psychological screening to evaluate you for the procedure. If results are favorable, a pre-operative physical exam and testing will be conducted and you will then be scheduled for surgery.

Another concern to take care of before your surgery is to make inquiries regarding your health insurance coverage. You can ask the staff from the bariatric team to help with this process. Insurance approval usually takes from a few weeks to months.