Obesity weighs heavily on life.  Obesity is a life-threatening disease affecting the lives of millions of Americans, and is associated with more than 30 medical issues including: Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.

What is Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric Surgery alters the stomach, limiting the amount of food it can hold and/or the calories that can be absorbed. Optum offers Gastric Bypass and Lap Band surgery. It is possible to improve or resolve obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and risk of developing coronary heart disease with both procedures. Bariatric Surgery is not a “quick fix”. It requires a commitment to life long change, both mentally and physically. Before surgery, you meet with your surgeon, and will be put on a six month nutrition program with Registered Dietitians. You may talk to a diet counselor, and be required to participate in a sleep study and/or other testing. After the surgery, your physician and team will follow your health and progress for a period of time. Your diet and daily activities will have a great impact on your success.

Is weight loss surgery successful?
Long-term research shows that morbidly obese patients who had weight loss surgery maintain a significantly greater weight loss over time. They also reduced high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and their diabetes symptoms compared to those who did not have surgery.

How do I know if I’m a candidate?
Talk with your doctor about Bariatric Surgery first. Typically, candidates for the surgery have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35+ with other risk factors such as heart disease or diabetes, but BMI is not the only qualifying factor.

Will my insurance cover Bariatric Surgery?
More and more insurance plans are including benefits for Bariatric Surgery, however each plan is different and some plans have specific criteria and processes to go through before being approved. It is important that you check with your own insurance plan to see if you have Bariatric benefits and check for any additional requirements.

Will weight loss surgery help my other medical conditions?
Conditions associated with obesity such as type II diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, joint pain and others, have been shown to improve significantly or even be completely resolved after weight loss surgery!

How is my diet affected before and after surgery?
Before and after surgery you will meet with our dieticians to discuss how weight loss surgery changes your diet. It is important to know that the surgery is one tool to help you with weight loss and changes in eating habits and diet will also need to take place for you to be successful. Remember you are not alone! We’re here to help you through this process and have resources in place to assist you throughout the process!