Patient qualifications

Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater are considered candidates for gastric bypass surgery.

Patients with a BMI of 35 to 40 may qualify if they have certain other medical conditions related to obesity, including, but not limited to, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea or high cholesterol.

Your health insurance company may have criteria that must be met for payment for this surgery, including a medically supervised weight loss program or a BMI greater than 40 for longer than five years. These criteria often vary from one insurance carrier to another.

Patients applying for the Salem Hospital Bariatric Surgery Center program must complete a preoperative nutritional and psychological/psychiatric consultation to determine their ability to participate successfully in the program and to cope with the changes that will occur after their surgery.

Candidates for this program must understand that this surgery may not be successful unless the patient is committed to a change in lifestyle that includes strict attention to diet, regular exercise and scheduled follow up appointments with their surgeon and dietitian.