Questions for your doctor before weight-loss surgery
Questions about the medical reasons for having weight-loss surgery
- What are the reasons someone should have weight-loss surgery?
- When is weight-loss surgery not a good choice for someone who is overweight or obese?
- How are diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and severe arthritis affected by weight loss surgery?
Questions about other ways to lose weight besides surgery
- Are there other ways of losing weight that I should try besides surgery?
- What can a nutritionist or dietitian do to help me?
- What is a weight-loss program? Should I make an appointment to be seen at one?
Questions about weight-loss surgeries
- What are the different types of weight-loss surgery?
- Is there a difference in how much pain I will have afterward?
- Is there a difference in how long it will take to get better?
- What are the scars like from each type of surgery?
Questions about the risks of weight-loss surgery
- What are the risks or complications of the different types of surgery?
- What can I do before surgery to make the risks lower?
- For which of my medical problems (diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure) do I need to see my doctor?
Questions about life after weight-loss surgery
- How will eating and drinking be different?
- Will I still need to worry about calories?
- How much weight will I lose?
- How fast will I lose it? What does rapid weight loss feel like?
- Will I continue to lose weight?
- How can I prepare myself emotionally for life after surgery? What types of feelings can I expect to have?
- Can I talk with people who have had weight-loss surgery?
- What happens with excess skin after surgery?
Questions about how to choose the right doctor and hospital for your surgery
- Is your doctor a board-certified surgeon (by the American Board of Surgery)?
- Is your doctor trained and experienced in performing weight-loss surgery?
- Does the hospital have a complete weight-loss and bariatric surgery program?
- Is the hospital where your doctor performs surgery accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery MBSAQIP (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Quality Improvement Program)?
Reviewed By: John E. Meilahn, MD, Bariatric Surgery, Chestnut Hill Surgical Associates, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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