Steps before surgery

We’d like to take this opportunity to review some criteria that will impact you as we work together to help you lose weight.

It is important to understand that your commitment to losing weight starts long before entering an operating room. Prior to surgery, we require a five percent weight loss under supervision of our clinic. There are two reasons for this.

First, showing a commitment to a lifestyle change and dedication to your health is essential to your long term success.

Second, preoperative weight loss causes shrinkage of the left lobe of the liver, which is beneficial in the technical aspects of the bypass surgery. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Prospective patients must also be smoke-free for six weeks before surgery can be scheduled and must remain non-smokers for the rest of their lives.

We have adopted this policy to reduce the risks of complications, especially ulcer formation.

If you are a smoker, we greatly encourage you to work on smoking cessation prior to entering Salem Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program. The easiest way for you to do this is through your primary care physician.