Qualifying for surgery

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Complete a pre-operative evaluation with the surgeon, a nurse specializing in cardiovascular risk reduction, a nutritionist and a psychologist.
Receive prior approval from your insurance company
Commit to our post-operative program and to long-term lifestyle changes.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria, patients with a body mass index (BMI) between 35 and 40 are eligible for surgery if they have weight related co-morbidities, such as sleep apnea and diabetes.
Also according to the NIH, Patients with a BMI over 40 are candidates, even if they do not have weight related co-morbidities.
Check your BMI here
Your obesity must have persisted for at least two years.
You have tried multiple medical weight loss attempts in the past five years.
Your age is between 18 and 64 years (Over age 65 is evaluated on a case-by-case basis).
You should not have untreated metabolic cause for obesity, such as thyroid or adrenal disorders.
You should not have psychological or medical problems that would limit surgical success. Candidates with inpatient psychiatric admission within the past two years will be reviewed individually.
You should not be drug, alcohol or tobacco dependent.
If you are a current smoker, you must agree to quit and be smoke-free for a minimum of three months before surgery.
If you have a history of substance abuse, you must be substance free for a minimum of two years.
You cannot be pregnant and must be willing to postpone pregnancy for one to two years after surgery.

Some health insurance companies consider bariatric procedures elective. For this reason you must obtain insurance approval for the surgery.
For patients not covered by insurance, there are self-pay options.
While many of the costs incurred during the evaluation process will be covered by insurance, some charges may become the responsibility of the patient.