Am I a Good Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

Losing excess weight is difficult for many people for a range of reasons. And when you’re especially overweight, weight loss is often more important from a health standpoint and significantly more challenging. 

If you’ve tried your best to reach a healthy weight range without success or have high obesity-related health risks you’re concerned about, you may be a good candidate for weight loss surgery—which are also known as bariatric surgeries. 

Dr. Sutker Michael offers minimally invasive bariatric surgeries, including gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, to help you reach your weight loss goals for protected long-term health. Read on to learn more about these procedures, as well as whether one may be a good option for you.

Weight loss surgery basics

Weight loss surgeries typically help you lose weight by physically limiting the amount of food your stomach can contain (sleeve gastrectomy) or by reducing the number of calories your body absorbs by bypassing or shortening part of your small intestine (gastric bypass).

Dr. Sutker performs all bariatric surgeries using only small incisions and relies on the da Vinci®  robotic surgical system to bring a high level of precision. If you previously had a weight loss procedure and are no longer seeing benefits, he can also provide revision weight loss surgery using these techniques.

Weight loss surgery success rate

Research shows that good candidates for weight loss surgery may lose 30-50% of their excess weight within six months and over 75% in as little as 12 months of surgery. Longer-term findings showed that recipients could maintain 50-60% of their initial weight loss for 10-14 years. Factors such as having good support from friends or family, inability to exercise, and good overall health can increase your odds of success.

Importantly, successful weight loss surgery has been shown to lower your risk of numerous medical conditions, such as:

• Breathing problems
• Degenerative joint disease
• GERD and heartburn
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Sleep apnea
• Type 2 diabetes

Good candidates for weight loss surgery

Weight loss surgery is intended as a last resort for obese individuals. Having an obesity-related health condition such as sleep apnea, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or heart disease, may also make you a good candidate. 

To be eligible for weight loss surgery, you also need to be able and willing to adjust your lifestyle, including dietary changes and increased exercise, afterward for optimal results and long-term maintenance. 

If you have a mental illness, can’t safely undergo minimally invasive surgery, or feel unable or unwilling to quit smoking, you may not qualify for bariatric surgery.

To learn more about weight loss surgery or find out if you qualify for this treatment, call our office or request an appointment through our website.