Is Weight Loss Surgery Right For Me?
Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix, but it can be part of a comprehensive plan to help you find lasting weight loss success. With surgery you may be able to relieve problems caused or worsened by obesity and jumpstart a healthier, more active lifestyle.*
You may be a candidate for weight loss surgery if you are:
- Over 18 years of age
- Obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or above
- Struggling with an obesity-related condition like hypertension, heart disease or sleep apnea
- Have tried or are currently trying to lose weight through other means such as diet and exercise
- Psychologically ready for weight loss surgery and willing to commit to a whole new lifestyle
- Not drug or alcohol dependent
What are the benefits of weight loss surgery?
According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), a weight loss procedure can significantly improve your health and free you to pursue an active and happy life. Benefits of bariatric surgery may include:
- Significant and lasting weight loss: By changing your gastrointestinal anatomy, certain bariatric procedures allow for significantly less food consumption, and affect changes in your intestinal hormones that reduce hunger and increase your feeling of fullness. Studies show that more than 90 percent of bariatric patients are able to maintain a long-term weight loss of 50 percent excess body weight or more, when combined with dietary and lifestyle changes.
- Improves or resolves related conditions: Bariatric surgery has proven to significantly improve diseases caused or worsened by obesity, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea, arthritis, asthma, acid reflux and more. It has also shown to drastically reduce - or even eliminate - type 2 diabetes.
- Longer life: Several large studies of severely obese people have found that those who have had weight loss surgery have a significantly lower risk of death than those who have not. The exceptionally low mortality rate is remarkable, considering that most patients affected by severe obesity are in poor health and have one or more life-threatening diseases at the time of their surgery.
- Happier, healthier you: Significant weight loss from bariatric surgery brings more than just physical benefits. Studies have shown that self-esteem, work, social interactions and sexual function all improve. Singlehood is significantly reduced, as is unemployment, disability, depression and anxiety. All paving the way for a new you.
How much does weight loss surgery cost?
The cost of a bariatric procedure depends on several factors, including the type of surgery you're having (gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass surgery) and length of hospital stay. Many health insurance plans cover bariatric surgery, though plans vary. If you're a candidate for a weight loss procedure, our team will work closely with you and your provider to help determine your coverage.
Weight Management Option
As an alternative to surgical weight loss management Journey Weight Loss offers weight loss medical weight management that allows the patient dietary changes and lifestyle modification through non-surgical methods. This may involve food logging, dietitian visits, exercise and in reducing calorie intake and increasing metabolic rate with the overall goal being reduction in total body weight.
Patients can expect to lose 30-35% of their excess weight in 1 year.
Next steps to your Journey
- Complete Screening for Sleep Apnea
- Attend a bariatric informational seminar
- Call your insurance company to verify that Bariatric surgery is a covered benefit
- Attend a consultation with Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Dalencourt
- Keep a daily food log
- Attend appointment with our Dietitian
- Attend appointment with a Mental Health Professional
- EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) procedure (only patients interested in bariatric surgery)
- Attend Support Group meetings
- Obtain surgical clearance from your primary Physician
- Pre-operative education with the Bariatric Coordinator
- Start liquid diet prior to surgery
* Medical information provided on this site, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. Patient results may vary. Consult your physician about the benefits and risks of any surgical procedure or treatment.