Morbid obesity is serious business and so are your finances. Given the rising cost of medicine nationwide, and also in California, it’s only natural for prospective weight loss surgery patients to be concerned with issues such as gastric sleeve cost. Dr. Michael Feiz, M.D., FACS is a hugely experienced physician with a compassionate, caring approach who realizes that issues such as finance can occasionally cloud important medical decisions.

As one of Southern California’s premier practitioners of less invasive weight loss surgery options, Dr. Feiz does not want gastric sleeve cost to be the determinant factor in patients’ decisions regarding bariatric surgery. He wants all patients to understand that sleeve gastrectomy surgery and other common procedures are often covered by medical insurance. Patients who are covered need to look into their insurers policies regarding this type of coverage, which is often dependent on whether the insured’s medical condition meets certain established criteria.

Of course, too many of us these days either do not have medical insurance, or have only very basic policies that may not cover procedures such as a gastric sleeve. In those cases, the patient’s out-of-pocket charges will obviously be a great deal higher. Even so, depending upon the state of your health and your financial situation, paying out-of-pocket for such a procedure may nevertheless be the wisest course for your particular situation. As a highly compassionate physician who takes a global approach to the health of his patients, Dr. Feiz is there to consult with clients about every aspect of weight loss surgery options.

For more information on gastric sleeve cost, please contact us today. There is no charge for first consultations with Dr. Feiz.

Is a Gastric Sleeve Right for You?

When thinking about gastric sleeve cost, there is another vital point to consider: do you qualify for bariatric surgery? Gastric sleeve surgery performed by a board-certified surgeon is safe; however, no surgery is ever completely without risk. If a potential patient does not meet certain criteria, the chances of complications increase and it becomes likely that the potential risks outweigh any likely benefit.

According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgeons, a candidate for bariatric surgery must meet the following qualifications:

• The patient must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or greater than 35, or be at least 100 pounds overweight.
• The patient must be unable to both achieve and maintain a healthy weight loss for a substantial length of time.
• If a patient does not have a BMI equal to or greater than 35, they may still be eligible for bariatric surgery if they have a BMI equal to or greater than 30 and suffer from one or more weight-related health problems.

Check out the Weight Loss Journey of one of our wonderful patients

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Sleeve Gastrectomy Benefits

Money is a fact of life, but so is our health and happiness. Sleeve gastrectomies have been proven effective and have saved countless lives nationwide and around the world. Many would call their results priceless.

In a sleeve gastrectomy procedure, anywhere from 75 to 85 percent of a patient’s stomach is removed and reconfigured into a sleeve-like structure. This is effective for two reasons. For one thing, the patient’s reduced stomach size means the patient feels full much sooner. This can also make overeating highly uncomfortable for the patient, thus reducing the likelihood of actually doing so. Secondly, though it is not completely understood how this occurs, the production of ghrelin is dramatically reduced in patients who get a sleeve gastrectomy.

About Ghrelin

Ghrelin, often referred to as the hunger hormone, is widely believed to be a major culprit for the failure of most attempts at serious weight loss. When the body perceives that it is consuming fewer calories – perhaps during an initially-successful diet – it increases the production of ghrelin, creating nagging sensations that feel like actual hunger and which, probably more often than not, lead to a relapse for those trying to lose large amounts of weight. By impairing the body’s ability to produce ghrelin, however, it appears that a sleeve gastrectomy can free the patient from the constant pangs which make defeating severe obesity next to impossible for most over the long term.

Bariatric Surgery for a Healthier, Happier Life

Of course, once obesity is gone for good, there are innumerable benefits. Type 2 diabetes is perhaps the single frequent serious health issue facing obese people, and there is strong evidence regarding weight loss from a bariatric procedure and diabetes that go beyond prevention. Strong evidence has shown that patients who have gone through with the gastric sleeve surgery very often see their symptoms reduce or even enter remission.

There’s much more. Patients can often return to a more active lifestyle and benefit from a significant boost to their self-confidence and overall quality of life. Returning to a healthy weight – or perhaps getting to one for the first time – can also help to lead to noteworthy improvements in other facets of health, including a positive effect on hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular diseases, and even reducing the chances of having a stroke. In short, obtaining sleeve gastrectomy surgery really can make the kind of difference that can help build a healthy and happy life.

If you feel that sleeve gastrectomy surgery is an option for you, we encourage you or visit our contact page or call us at the phone number above.