Is Weight Loss Surgery
for Me?
The Mount Sinai Program for
Surgical Weight Loss
If you are severely overweight (roughly 100
pounds or more), and have been unsuccessful at dietary
or behavioral approaches to weight loss, you may be
a candidate for laparoscopic weight loss surgery.
Important: Surgery is NOT a
"magic cure" for obesity! Surgery is a TOOL
to help you lose weight! Even after a weight-loss
operation, it necessary to follow a special diet and
exercise regularly. You may need to take vitamins,
calcium and iron supplements every day for the rest
of your life! You may need to take other medications
as well. Most importantly, you will need to follow
up with your surgeon and primary care doctor on a
regular basis!
It is important to recognize that weight
loss surgery is major surgery! Even with minimally
invasive surgical techniques, weight loss surgery requires
general anesthesia, several days in the hospital, and
several weeks of recuperation.
Because of this, the decision to have
weight loss surgery is a very major one! By reviewing
the information on this website and discussing this
issue with your primary care doctor and your surgeon,
you can determine if you are a candidate for this type
of surgery.

How Do I Determine
if I'm a Candidate?
In order to determine if you are a candidate
for weight loss surgery, it is helpful to know your
Body Mass Index, or BMI. The easiest way to do this
is to use our BMI Calculator.
This index combines your weight and height into a single
number. If your BMI is greater than 35 or 40, you may
be a candidate for a weight loss operation.
|