Eligibility Requirements
Who is Eligible for Surgical Weight Loss?
The NIH has recommended surgical weight loss for severely overweight individuals who have not been successful with dieting and exercise alone.
You may be eligible for weight loss surgery if you:
- Have failed attempts at weight loss in a medically supervised weight-loss program that have been documented.
- Have a BMI greater than 40 without associated co-morbidities.
- Have a BMI greater than 35 with one or more of the co-morbidities.
- Are able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the principles involved with surgical options, long- and short-term risks, complications, and what is required after surgery.
Surgery is not recommended for patients who have been diagnosed alcoholism, overt psychosis, excessive somatization, and major cardiopulmonary disease, as these conditions can lead to greater risks during and after surgery.
What is Obesity?
According to the National Institute for Health (NIH), obesity is defined as having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height.
Obesity is a chronic, life-threatening disease, not a cosmetic problem, and it occurs over time when you eat more calories than you use. Over two-thirds of the adult population in the United States is overweight or obese, and nearly 8 million people of those are considered morbidly obese. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death, with 400,000 deaths per year.
What is Severe Obesity?
Severe or morbid obesity is often defined as being 100 pounds or more overweight and/or at least twice your ideal body weight. A better way to determine obesity is by calculating your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This index combines your weight and height into a single number. This will help you determine whether or not you are a candidate for weight loss surgery.
Generally, patients whose BMI is 40 or greater are considered morbidly obese. In addition, patients whose BMI is between 35 and 40 with several co-morbidities may also be considered for surgical weight loss.
What Are Co-Morbidities?
Co-morbidities are additional conditions that may have an adverse affect on the primary condition that you are being treated for. If you are morbidly obese, you are at a much greater risk for many medical, psychological, and social problems. By losing this excess weight, you can lower your risks to that of a normal-weight person.
Common co-morbidities associated with obesity include:
- Adult Onset or Type II Diabetes
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Degenerative Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
- Gallbladder Disease (Cholelithiasis)
- Heart and Vascular Problems
- High Blood Pressure
- Increased Intra-Abdominal Pressure
- Kidney Problems
- Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome and Sleep Apnea Syndrome
- Pseudotumor Cerebri
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Respiratory Insufficiency of Obesity (Pickwickian Syndrome)
- Stasis Ulcers
- Stress Overflow Urinary Incontinence
- Thrombophlebitis
- Venous Disease
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