Gastric Bypass Surgery

What should you expect? We get this question quite a bit. Under-going gastric bypass surgery should be no split-second decision, it is a complete lifestyle change. What do we mean by this? The foods you eat will change, the drinks you enjoyed will change, your taste buds, your exercise patterns and your diet plan will change, it’s a completely new you.

So, when deciding on which weight loss procedure to undertake, it is important to know the difference, the causes, and the risks of each procedure.

Before Gastric Bypass Surgery:

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure has been the gold standard for surgical weight loss intervention for decades in the US. In fact, it was back in 1991 that the National Institutes of Health first recommended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery for patients who had a Body Mass Index over 35 and suffered from any obesity related health condition, or people who had a Body Mass Index over 40, regardless of health.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has a long and distinguished record among many bariatric surgical procedures that have come and gone over the decades. A number of multi-institutional and long-term studies demonstrate that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery improves health, creates the condition for dramatic long-term durable weight loss, and results in improved life expectancy in population studies.

Most patients find that they will be able to complete the pre-operative process for gastric bypass surgery quickly, and that the time from seminar to a surgery date is about 2 – 3 months. This period depends heavily on the patient’s motivation and schedule to get the checklist items completed and the requirements met of their specific insurance company. Some insurance companies may add 6 – 9 additional months to this time frame based upon their pre-authorization requirements.

Yes, our surgeons require that you lose 10% of your excess body weight (different from your total weight) prior to surgery, but you aren’t going to have to do it alone. Our patient advocates will assist you in this effort by putting you on a specific pre-operative diet. It is called the Step-by-Step Pre-Operative Diet and may range from 4 – 8 weeks or longer for some patients. This diet will be discussed in detail at your Steps to Success Class, which will be scheduled by your patient advocate.

After Gastric Bypass Surgery:

Most patients will only need to take 1-2 weeks from work after surgery. Many of our patients even return to work after a few days! You will work closely with your surgeon to discuss your particular needs, but this is where the real journey begins.

Let Western Bariatric Institute help you achieve your dreams, your new life begins today. Call WBI and schedule a consultation.