Do You Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery?
National Health Service –NHS– uses the following criteria to determine if an interested patient is a candidate for this type of weight-loss surgery:
1) The person has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40.
2) If the person’s BMI is greater than 35, and he/she has health problems related to obesity.
These conditions include: obstructive sleep apnea, severe arthritis, and diabetes. Bariatric surgery can dramatically improve these problems, and in addition, you can benefit even with minimal weight loss.
3) Show that traditional weight loss programs, such as diet and exercise, have not yielded results, even after being consistent for six months.
Weight loss surgery should be considered as a last resort if traditional methods do not provide the desired results.
4) You are ready to commit to permanent lifestyle changes and specialized obesity follow-up services after undergoing surgery.
This procedure should not be a quick solution. Ideally, surgery is only the beginning of a new lifestyle that is healthier and more conscious.
5) Understand the risks and benefits of this procedure. You need to be healthy enough to withstand the potential risks.
Once you find out if you’re a candidate for weight loss surgery, it is essential to be fully informed before evaluating weight loss surgery. Understand and accept the risks and benefits.
Things to consider
The NIH, as well as the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery also recommend that your bariatric surgery be performed by a board-certified surgeon with specialized experience/training in bariatric and metabolic surgery, and at a hospital that has a multidisciplinary team of experts for follow-up care. At CMQ Hospitals we have the team you need: Weight Loss Surgery Specialists