Are You a Good Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

Obesity is an epidemic facing thousands of people and can lead to various health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol. Many of these health problems can be avoided with the use of innovative tool to reduce patient obesity and increase the health and vitality of patients that have undergone the procedure. Recent innovations, like the Lap-Band system is a weight loss surgery that has been proven effective. How is eligibility determined for the Lap-Band procedure? There are several factors involved in the process, including; body mass index, failure of traditional weight loss methods, lifestyle choices and health history and the commitment to the dedication that the procedure will require. Once all of these factors have been assessed, patients are then accepted or rejected for the procedure.

Body mass index or BMI requirements have been correlated by the National Institute of Health. To undergo the surgery, patients must have a body mass index of 40, or be at least 100 pounds over their ideal weight. Other patients with lower body mass indexes accepted into the program are those suffering from obesity related illnesses. These illnesses include; diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, depression and hyperlipidemia. The body mass index scale is used to determine the level of obesity that an individual suffers from. There are five levels of body mass index classifications,

they are as follows:
Healthy Body Weight – BMI from 18.5 to 24.9
Overweight – BMI from 25.0 to 29.9
Obese – BMI from 30 to 34.9
Severely Obese – BMI from 35 to 39.9
Morbidly Obese – BMI 40 and above

The next factor which determines eligibility for the Lap-Band procedure is the failure that the patient has experienced when attempting traditional weight loss methods. In most cases, patients have attempted to lose weight through weight loss programs and traditional diet and exercise methods. Once these attempts have proven unsuccessful, weight-loss surgeons determine if these patients are suitable candidates for the weight loss surgery. The patient must be interested in actively changing their lifestyle, and provide proof that these weight loss efforts have failed in the past. Surgical intervention is viewed as a last response; therefore it is avoided if weight loss is attainable through other means.

Next, the weight loss surgeon takes into account lifestyle and past health history. A patient must be ready to adapt to all of the changes that will be required after the surgery has been completed. Patients are chosen that abstain from smoking, drinking and other abusive habits. Patients with these habits are asked to quit, than make another visit to the program. Long term success depends on abstaining from these unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Commitment is the final eligibility requirement and one of the most important. Patients must be committed to changing their lifestyle for the better, this includes attending support group, partaking in regular exercise and following the recommended healthy diet rich in lean meats and vegetables and meet with health care professionals on a regular basis to determine results and make any adjustments to the weight loss program.

Although the procedure may be completed overnight, the process takes may not. Results can be seen from effort placed into the program. Each of these eligibility requirements is as important as the next and all patients should encompass the basic requirements before even attempting to consider the surgical weight loss program. Changing your lifestyle, losing weight can lead to a healthier, longer and more active life.