Requirements for Obesity Surgery at Our Center near Queens, New York

If you have been dealing with morbid obesity for years and have been unable to control your weight through behavioral and dietary changes, you may be a candidate for obesity surgery. At our bariatric surgery center near Queens, New York, we will determine if you would benefit from gastric bypass, or LAP BAND® Adjustable Gastric Band surgery, and help you through the entire process to ensure a successful outcome.

• Candidates for Obesity Surgery
• Process for Potential Obesity Surgery Patients

Candidates for Obesity Surgery

At the Winthrop Surgical Weight Loss Program, we follow a list of strict criteria established by the National Institute of Health when determining if you qualify for obesity surgery. In order to qualify for the surgery through our program, a candidate must:

• Have experienced unsatisfactory results using other weight loss methods such as diet and exercise programs
• Be over his or her ideal weight by 100 pounds or more for men and 80 pounds or more for women
• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater; or have a body mass index of 35 or greater and have a life-threatening disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, or sleep apnea, that would improve with weight loss

Candidates for obesity surgery at the Winthrop Surgical Weight Loss Program should also be free from alcohol or drug dependence. Although many patients seek obesity surgery at our center near Queens, New York to improve health or psychological problems, these issues must not be so severe that they prevent a successful surgery. Candidates should be highly motivated and committed to following a special regimen of diet and exercise after surgery.

It is important for our patients to remember that bariatric surgery is not a quick fix for long-term weight loss. As with any major surgery, there are risks involved with obesity surgery that must be weighed against the health benefits of long term weight loss.

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Process for Potential Obesity Surgery Patients

At the Winthrop Surgical Weight Loss Program, we want our patients to be well informed about everything involved in obesity surgery procedures performed at our New York facility. Several stages of preparation are required of all potential patients in order to make sure that their treatments will be safe and successful.

Determine Eligibility

The first step in the obesity surgery process is to contact our office for an initial consultation, at which we will determine whether you are a viable candidate. Once we establish that you are eligible, you will be scheduled for a pre-surgery consultation and a surgery date at Winthrop-University Hospital.

Enroll in a Support Group

We encourage all patients who are considering obesity surgery to attend one of our support groups. Potential patients can speak with people who have had bariatric surgery and get an idea of what life is like after the procedure. Support group meetings are held once a month and cover both pre- and postoperative issues.

Prepare Patient Forms

Before your pre-surgery consultation appointment, you can download our Patient Registration Form and our Patient History Form. To save time and simplify the process, please fill out these forms and bring them with you to your consultation. If you are unable to print these forms, we can mail them to you before your consultation.

If you are using insurance to cover the cost of obesity surgery, you will need to submit information to your insurance company for authorization. Your insurer may also require that you obtain a referral from your primary care physician prior to your obesity surgery consultation.

Attend a Pre-surgery Consultation

During your pre-surgery consultation, you will receive a detailed account of the process of undergoing obesity surgery at our hospital near Queens, New York. You will meet with one of our surgeons, Dr. Alex Barkan and Dr. Collin Brathwaite, who will answer any questions you may have about the procedure. You will also meet the other team members involved in your surgery and treatment program, including our registered dietician and our bariatric care coordinator.

In addition, you will be weighed so that we have a starting point with which to compare and track your future weight loss. You will have a nutritional and dietary assessment performed so that our team can create your personalized postoperative diet plan. We will also provide details about recovery and the long-term follow-up steps required of our obesity surgery patients.

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Are You a Candidate for Obesity Surgery?

The first step toward long-term weight loss through surgery is to find out if you are eligible. If you believe you fit the criteria to be a candidate for obesity surgery, contact our center near Queens, New York today for a consultation.

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