Surgical Treatment of Obesity

Pre-surgical Evaluation

In order to begin the process, each candidate must:

Fill out a detailed questionnaire.
Complete a 7-day dietary recall. We ask candidates to record the type and quantity of food they eat for 7 consecutive days, noting everything they eat and drink. It is important that they be accurate. We will have a rough idea of the accuracy based on the person's weight and the amount of calculated calories they need.
Have a photograph of himself or herself at his or her current weight.

Once he/she has completed these, the candidate can make an appointment with us to be evaluated. At that time, we will go over the information in the questionnaire, explain the procedure thoroughly and determine the patient's suitability for the procedure. If they elect to undergo the procedure, we will begin the necessary testing.

Preoperative testing

Once an individual qualifies for this procedure, he or she must undergo extensive preoperative testing. This includes:

A sonogram of the gallbladder
An upper GI series in which the patient drinks barium and x-rays are taken
A chest x-ray
An electrocardiogram
A 5-hour glucose tolerance test in which the patient is asked to drink 100 grams of sugar and blood is drawn at intervals for 5 hours
A 24-hour urine collection for testing of hormone levels
A psychological evaluation
Measurements of energy expenditure and respiratory capacities
A second opinion by a physician who is an expert in nutrition
A large amount of blood work

Once these have all been completed and checked the patient can be scheduled for surgery.

Preparing for surgery >>

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