Are You an ideal Gastric Bypass Surgery Candidate?

Gastric bypass surgery is generally recommended to seriously obese patients who have met with long term failure to control weight gain through self-directed dietary modification and/or drug-supported weight-loss therapies.

Bypass is also appropriate for those who suffer from other weight-related illnesses that may be relieved through significant weight loss. A diagnosis of "morbid obesity" is often made when patients have a Body Mass Index of 40 or more, when a patient has been in excess of 100lbs over their estimated optimal weight for five years or more, and when co-morbid conditions such as high blood-pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and arthritis are considered life-threatening or a serious impairment to quality of life.

Gastric bypass candidates must be prepared to significantly alter lifestyle and eating habits and work with a multidisciplinary team of physicians and therapists to manage associated co-morbidities, especially during the first year to eighteen months after surgery.

Gastric bypass patients must strictly monitor nutrition, physical activity, eating behavior and pay special attention to their psychological needs in order to maximize long-term weight loss and sustain the improved quality of life made possible by the procedure.

Patients choosing gastric bypass must understand the procedure results in a permanent reduction in the size of the stomach and an irreversible reconfiguration of the digestive tract. The gastric bypass candidate should also understand and accept both the general risks of surgery under anesthesia and the possibility of dealing with complications specific to bypass surgery including anemia, osteoporosis and dumping syndrome (lightheadedness, heart palpitations, diarrhea and other symptoms associated with eating sweets or foods with high sugar concentrations).