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Where
do I start?
You must first attend an
education meeting in order to schedule an appointment. The education meetings are
the first Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. One of the physicians will
speak at the meeting and we will tell you everything you need to do from
here.
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Can
I bring someone with me to the education meeting?
Yes, we encourage you to
bring one support person with you. I regret that we do not have room
for more than one person. This support person should really learn
everything you learn about the surgery so they truly understand what a
life change this surgery will be for you.
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Does
my insurance cover gastric bypass surgery?
There are still some insurances
that do not cover the surgery. The best thing for you to do is to
call your member services number on your insurance card and ask if they
cover gastric bypass surgery for medical necessity.
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Do
I qualify for surgery?
Criteria that you must meet
are listed as follows:
-
100 pounds over weight or a
BMI of greater than 40 or a BMI of greater than 35 with at least two co-morbidities
listed
-
Documentation of at least one
physician-supervised diet plan in the last five years
-
No history of major psychiatric
illness
-
No history of drug use or alcohol
abuse within the last year
-
You must have a personal
physician who will support the patient for Gastric Bypass surgery and will
actively follow them after their operation
-
You must document commitment
to participate in postoperative exercise and support program
-
You must have a complete understanding
of this procedure, the risks, and life-long changes in eating habits
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How
long does the process take before I can have surgery?
First you must attend an
education meeting. These are the first Monday of each month at
6:00 p.m. in our office. From there, you gather up your medical records
over the last five years, your Primary Care Physician support letter, and
fill out the history and physical and demographic information in your packet.
Once you return all this info to our office, we will call you for an appointment
with the physician of your choice. If you have had a previous weight-loss
surgery of any sort, you will also need to obtain those operative records
if possible. We can usually schedule your appointment within 2 –
3 weeks.
Once you consult with the
physician and we determine you are a candidate for surgery, you will be
sent for other evaluations to clear you for surgery such as Cardiac, Pulmonary
and Psychiatric. You may also need some other testing that will be
determined on an individual basis. We have a team of physicians that
we use for those evaluations, and they are also the ones that follow you
in the hospital if needed. Once those evaluations are received back
in our office and everything is cleared through your insurance, we can
schedule surgery. Depending on how quickly you get through your
evaluations and how quickly your insurance clears your surgery, you could
be having surgery in as soon as three months. However, it is very
individualized and is a long process that takes patience.
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What
procedure does Surgical Associates perform?
The weight-loss surgery techniques we perform are the Open or Laparoscopic Roux-en-y procedure, as well as the Lap Band procedure.
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How
do I know if I qualify for laparoscopic surgery?
This is very individual and
is a choice to be made between you and your surgeon. It depends on
how much you weigh, what past abdominal surgeries you may have had, and
if your body habitus is conducive to the laparoscopic instruments that
need to be used.
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What
hospital is the surgery performed in?
Our Bariatric program is
based at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. However, if the surgery
needs to be performed at SouthCrest Hospital in Tulsa due to insurance
reasons, that is also an option.
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How
long will I be in the hospital?
Most people are in the hospital
3 – 5 days for Open surgery and 2 -3 days for laparoscopic.
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How
long will I follow-up with my surgeon after surgery?
Unless otherwise indicated,
your visits will be at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year.
You will be advised to follow up with your Primary Care Physician for anything
not related to your surgery.
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What
about support after the surgery?
We offer a support group meeting on the second Tuesday of each month and you are strongly encouraged to attend post surgery. We have speakers at the meetings as well as times for personal growth.
You will be required to attend at least one support group meeting between
consult time and your surgery but will be encouraged to attend as many
as possible. We also offer an online support group for our patients.
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When
can I exercise after surgery?
Part of the preop instructions
are to get started on an exercise program. You will be encouraged
to start back on the exercise plan as soon as you can. Walking is
always the best and the less strenuous. Water exercising is also
good. You will not be allowed to do any weight lifting or strenuous
exercise for at least six weeks. Exercise after the surgery will
help increase your weight loss and can also help the skin from sagging
as much.
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How
soon can I go back to work?
Most people can start back
to work at three weeks at least part time if they do a desk job.
You are very tired for the first 2 – 3 weeks. Some people need a
longer period to be off and that can be up to six weeks. This time
off is also the time for you to get your food and water regimen down before
you get back out into everyday activities. This is your “new beginning”
so it is very important to feel comfortable in it before returning back
to activities.
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What
about excess skin? What happens to it?
This depends on a lot of
different factors. Mostly it is already genetically decided what
type of elasticity your skin has. Exercise always helps to tighten
and tone the skin. It also depends on how much weight you have to
lose. People that have more weight to lose will naturally have more
skin.
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Will
I need surgery to remove the excess skin? Does Surgical Associates
do the surgery?
Not everyone requires surgery
to take care of the excess skin. It is mostly a personal choice.
However, there are cases where the skin causes problems in everyday activities
or problems to the skin itself such as rashes. This should all be
documented by the physicians that you see, and if needed, you will be referred
to a plastic surgeon who specializes in this surgery.
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Will
my insurance cover surgery to remove excess skin?
Unfortunately, at this time,
most insurance companies will not cover it, but some do. The most
important thing is documentation of the medical necessity for it.
You will need to check with your individual insurance plan.
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