Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery

Our Comprehensive Team Approach

Our program combines four components: medical, nutritional, psychological, and surgical. Our multidisciplinary team evaluates the patient before surgery and continues with education and treatment after surgery.

What Can I Do to Prepare?

Bariatric surgery is like other major surgeries. You can best prepare by knowing the benefits and risks of surgery and by closely following your doctor's instructions.

How Do I Mentally Prepare Myself?

• Understand the surgical process and what to expect afterward.
• Keep in mind that you’ll never be able to eat the way you did before and that you'll have to watch the way you eat for the rest of your life.
• Talk to people who have had bariatric surgery. You can hear the stories of other patients in the Testimonials section.

How Do I Physically Prepare Myself?

Before we gain weight on the outside, your body is busy gaining weight on the inside of the abdomen. The liver is one of the organs that enlarges and gains fat as we gain excess weight (commonly referred to as a “fatty liver”). Similarly, as we lose weight, we first lose weight from the inside of the abdomen. For example, a 5-10 pound weight loss just before surgery will help shrink the liver. This can facilitate faster surgery and may decrease postoperative pain.
This can often be achieved by replacing one meal a day with a low carbohydrate protein shake.

How Long Before I Can Have My Surgery?

If you’ve been contemplating a weight loss surgery for some time, it’s only natural to be anxious to get started once you’ve decided to go ahead with it. The good news is that Dr. Feiz & Associates employs a comprehensive team approach that makes for a great deal of efficiency in terms of time. However, the amount of time between the first consultation and the date of surgery depends on several factors, many of which are dependent on our patients’ ability to finish the necessary evaluations.

While some patients may be able to prepare for surgery as soon as two weeks after their initial consultation, every bariatric procedure is different, so the full amount of time can vary. Delays may be necessary for a few reasons.

What Factors Can Delay a Weight Loss Procedure?

The Patient Needs to Lose Weight. This might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes we will determine that, in order to maximize the safety and effectiveness of the procedure, the patient should try and lose some weight prior to the procedure. We understand that weight loss is difficult – the whole point of these procedures is to make it more achievable. However, most obese people have been temporarily successful in losing at least some weight, sometimes repeatedly throughout their life. It’s often a good idea to try that one last time.

A Patient Has to Stop Smoking. If you’re a smoker, you’ve probably been reminded a great many times that the only thing worse for a person’s health than obesity is smoking. Not surprisingly, smoking also raises the likelihood of complications and operations should be avoided until the patient has stopped smoking for at least thirty days prior to the procedure.

Insurance. We will do our best to help patients ensure that their procedures are covered whenever possible. However, as you are probably aware, insurance companies can move slowly and resolving issues can often take a little time.

Scheduling. Patients can expect to get scheduled within a week or two after receipt of insurance authorization and obtaining completed medical clearance from a primary care physician or specialists.

Get Started Now.

Our team at Dr. Feiz & Associates knows that it’s in everyone’s interest to perform bariatric surgeries in as timely a manner as possible. However, the weight loss process won’t begin until after you book your initial consultation at our offices. To get started, call us at the phone number above or reach out via our contact page.