Should Patients Lose Weight Before Undergoing Bariatric Surgery?

From the desk of Dr. Alexander Abkin

I recently read the article, published by American College of Surgeons (ACS). It compared results of Bariatric surgery, such as Sleeve Gastrectomy and gastric bypass in patients, who were required to lose weight before surgery and who were not. It may come as a surprise to some, but some insurance companies and some Bariatric practices mandate weight loss beforehand of surgery approval. That has never been our practice routine, so to speak, unless patients surgery results (safety) can be improved, and in those patients we require them to lose about 10% of their weight, but for the most part we never (in 20 years) mandated it.

The study examined nearly 500,000 patients outcomes and found that small weight loss or no weight loss resulted in LESS complications that large weight loss prior to surgery! Again, it appears to me that our approach at Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeons of Morris has been the BEST PRACTICE for sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass ALL ALONG!

Click here to read the full article.