Evaluating Your Candidacy for Weight Loss Surgery
Posted on 09. Jan, 2012 by Ross C. in Weight Loss Surgery
The first factor to consider when evaluating your candidacy for weight 
loss surgery is one that sounds really obvious, but is ignored all too often. Please ask yourself this question: “How seriously have I tried to lose weight by other means?” Sometimes, people think surgery is some kind of “magic pill” that offers effortless weight loss with little to no risk. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. Quite the contrary. Weight loss surgery requires a serious commitment to a healthy lifestyle in order to be safe and successful. While it can be a positive life changer for a variety of candidates, the risks associated with this type of surgery cannot responsibly be ignored. Therefore, we implore you, along with your surgical consultant, to consider the following factors when evaluating your candidacy for weight loss surgery:
Common Qualifiers
If you are at a high risk for disease (especially life-threatening disease) or disability due to your condition, then you are a prime candidate for weight loss surgery. Also, if your obesity is the result of a genetic condition, weight loss surgery is often a good option to consider. Surgeons also like to stay away from candidates with any diagnosed psychological disorder or history of alcohol and/or drug abuse. Finally, if your obesity has existed for more than five years, or if you have an extremely high body mass index, weight loss surgery can generally help with that, too.
The Risks
Like any surgery, weight loss surgery carries real risks. You need to understand these risks up front. Your surgeon will explain them to you in detail, but here is an overview: First, any time an incision is made in your body, there’s the risk of an infection. This is minimized by the strict sterilization procedures followed in operating rooms, but it still happens sometimes. Secondly, surgery sometimes results in the formation of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blockage of blood flow in your lungs. Another potential risk associated with this type of surgery is peritonitis, which is when your stomach leaks into another part of your body. These aren’t all the risks associated with this type of surgery, so again, you’ll want to discuss this during your surgical consultation. Your surgeon’s post operative instructions will largely be geared toward reducing or risks which could manifest themselves after your surgery.
Managing Your Expectations
It’s important to have realistic expectations going into this experience. The surgery can indeed eliminate health risks and improve your appearance. Both of these factors can lead to an improved quality of life for you. Still, the surgery itself is not all that’s required in order to reap the maximum benefit of these positive changes. You will want to develop a while new set of habits after your surgery, and your surgeon, along with the support of the people who love you, can help in these areas. There are even support groups commonly available for people who have undergone bariatric surgery. We encourage you to avail yourself of those.
