If you’ve had trouble losing weight, our team can help you decide whether bariatric surgery is the right option.
If you are struggling with obesity and have been unable to lose the weight on your own, the MetroHealth Weight Loss Surgery & Weight Management Center is here to help. Our multi-disciplinary team members are experts at helping patients make informed decisions about bariatric surgery when other methods, such as diet, exercise and lifestyle changes have failed.
MetroHealth offers two types of bariatric surgery that help patients lose weight and improve overall health. You and your surgeon will decide which procedure – sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass surgery – is best for you.
But first, how do you even decide if you’re ready for that conversation?
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Find out your BMI. To check a person’s risk from too much weight, the body mass index, (BMI), is used. BMI compares weight and height in a single number that estimate’s one’s health risk from weight.
If your BMI is 35 or higher (moderate obesity) and you have one or more health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, GERD, etc. or if your BMI is over 40 (severe obesity), you are eligible for bariatric surgery.
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Are you living with one or more serious health conditions? In addition to the ones mentioned above, bariatric surgery is proven to help manage – or in some cases, eliminate – conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, depression, anxiety, joint pain/arthritis, back pain, heart burn, asthma, and fertility issues.
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You must be willing to make lifelong changes to your eating and physical activity habits. Avoid drinks with bubbles, carbonation and caffeine for at least one year after surgery.
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If you smoke or use other tobacco products, quit at least two months before surgery and never use again.
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Use contraception to avoid becoming pregnant for at least two years after surgery.
Once you have a referral from your primary care provider (PCP) for both the surgeon and the weight management team, you’ll get more information on whether surgery – and which type of surgery – is best for your individual needs.
The bariatric surgery weight loss journey is a serious and lengthy commitment; you’ll attend 3-6 months of weight management visits (depending on your insurance and medical history) before surgery, and you’ll have regular follow-up visits with your Weight Management team for at least 3 years after surgery.
And while any major surgery carries with it some risks (which your weight management team will review with you), the rewards are many, especially if you have serious health problems or are at increased risk of developing them.
Ready to start your weight loss journey?
Register to watch the online seminar or call us at 216-778-7433.
MetroHealth’s Weight Loss Surgery and Weight Management Program has been recognized as a Comprehensive Center with Obesity Medicine Qualifications, a distinguished level of certification from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). Our program is the first in Ohio to receive this high level of certification.
