Gastric Bypass Requirements: Who Is an Ideal Candidate?
Surgical requirements are important when determining the right weight loss procedure for a patient. It ensures that only suitable patients undergo the surgery, reducing the risk of post-op complications and maximizing the benefits of the weight loss procedure. If a patient does not met the requirements for gastric bypass surgery, another bariatric procedure may be deemed more ideal.
With this in mind, the team at our Tijuana, Mexico weight loss surgery center would like to go over the basic requirements for a gastric bypass. This will help you understand how helpful the surgery can be for people struggling with excessive weight.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
A patient’s BMI is one of the most important measures of excess weight and candidacy for a particular surgical treatment. The BMI is a numeric value derived from a person’s weight relative to their height. It’s a generally good method of measuring obesity in the general population.
As a baseline, good candidates for gastric bypass surgery have a BMI of 40 or higher, putting them in the “very severely obese” range and higher. For a sense of scale, a “normal” BMI range is 18.5 to 25, and the “overweight” BMI ranges from 25 to 30.
The Presence of Comorbidities
A person could undergo gastric bypass surgery with a BMI of 35 or greater if comorbidities are present. Comorbidities are chronic conditions that develop as a result of obesity, leading to a serious impact on the well-being of the patient.
Common comorbities associated with obesity include:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Heart disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Unable to Lose Weight Naturally
Many patients who come to Tijuana Bariatrics for gastric bypass surgery have been unable to lose weight naturally through diet and exercise. If you are unable to lose weight through regular exercise and a healthy diet over the course of a year, you should consider bariatric surgery.
Well Enough to Undergo Surgery
Even though obesity can affect your cardiovascular health and other aspects of wellness, it’s important that patients be healthy enough to undergo a surgical procedure. During the consultation process, we can determine if you are a good match for a gastric bypass given your current health and wellness.
Knowledge of the Risks and Benefits
Before undergoing any sort of surgical procedure, it’s important that patients are aware of the various risks and benefits involved. This helps ensure a good pre-op and post-op period, as well as realistic expectations about the results of surgery. We will be sure to cover these in more detail during the consultation process.
Committed to Long-Term Health and Wellness
A good diet and regular exercise are the best ways to maintain the weight loss benefits of gastric bypass surgery. Patients undergoing any sort of surgical weight loss procedure should be committed to future healthy living in order to help shed weight and keep it off for years to come.
Contact Tijuana Bariatrics
If you are interested in gastric bypass surgery and would like to learn more about the procedure and what it entails, be sure to contact our team of bariatric surgeons. You can reach our information center in San Diego by calling (800) 308-3607
