FAQ

There are some misconceptions about the positive impact of weight loss surgery, like you won’t lose enough weight, you’ll lose too much weight or you will regain all of your weight.

The reality is that there are numerous studies which have shown the following:

• Gastric sleeve patients will lose about 65 lbs for every 100 lbs they are overweight
• Gastric bypass patients will lose about 75 lbs for every 100 lbs they are overweight
• Duodenal switch patients will lose about 85 lbs for every 100 lbs they are overweight
• Patients may regain a small amount of weight (5%) two or more years following surgery

In addition to weight loss, bariatric surgery has been shown to:

• Improve Type 2 Diabetes in nearly 90% of patients by lowering blood sugar and reducing medication dosage
• Cause Type 2 Diabetes to go into remission in 78% of patients
• Improve or resolve health problems like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, reflux disease, PCOS

While any surgery carries risk, the risk for complications and death with bariatric surgery is low and similar to that of a patient undergoing gallbladder surgery. Additionally, every New You Bariatric Center patient will have a stress test prior to surgery. During your consultation with the surgeon, all risks will be discussed.

ACOG (American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and ASMBS (American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) have both investigated patients undergoing bariatric surgery who wish to conceive. They have found that:

• Patients should wait 12 to 18 months before trying to have a baby so that the baby is not affected by rapid weight loss and so the patient can achieve their weight loss goal
• If a patient becomes pregnant before this recommended time frame, closer surveillance of the mother’s weight and more frequent ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s growth may be needed
• There is no increase rate of birth defects in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery
• Weight loss from bariatric surgery can improve PCOS, anovulation and irregular menses which improves fertility

Infants are at LESS at risk of being affected by obesity later, due to activation of certain genes during fetal growth (look up “epigenetics” – for more information). There is also less risk of needing a C section.

Yes, New You Bariatric has partnered with Prosper Health Care lending. You can get assistance with the entire cost of your surgery, or as little as your deductibles and out-of pocket expenses. You can apply online and get an instant pre-approval in as little as two minutes without affecting your credit. Visit our insurance and financing section to find out more information. You can apply right from our website.

If you are not able to qualify for a loan, the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) produces a helpful guide titled “Working with Your Insurance Provider – A Guide to Seeking Weight-loss Surgery.” This guide can help you work with your provider and advocate for your surgery to be covered. You can view the OAC guide on their website.

FMLA paperwork is coordinated between the patient, the patient’s workplace/HR and our office. Typically, patients will need to contact their company for FMLA paperwork. Patients will need to forward that paperwork to our office for completion. We will give patients three weeks from the day of surgery.

If patients need a release to return to work before this deadline, then they will need to request this from the surgeon during their follow up visits.

Extensions on FMLA are on a case by case basis. Since we have to send documentation and office notes along with the paperwork, we are unable to retroactively give people time off / extensions of their FMLA.

We will see each of our patients one week after surgery, one month after surgery, 3 months after surgery, 6 months after surgery, 9 months after surgery, 12 months and 18 months after surgery. We will usually see patients on an annual basis after the two year anniversary.

We will check labs and a REE at your six month visit, and each of your annual visits. For detailed information about each follow up, go to our surgery aftercare section.

All of our surgeries are performed laparoscopically. This helps our patients recover much sooner from surgery. Typically, patients can have up to three weeks to recover from surgery. Most patients can safely return to work though one to two weeks after surgery.

After surgery, we recommend that patients do not perform any heavy lifting, pushing or pulling greater than 20 lbs for a month after surgery. If you have a ventral hernia repair (abdominal wall hernia) performed at the same time, then you need to extend these restrictions for a total of six weeks.

Even though patients have restrictions on lifting after surgery, we do recommend that patients walk daily. This decreases risk for DVT (blood clots) and pneumonia. After a week after surgery, it is generally safe for patients to perform light aerobic exercise (i.e. walk on a treadmill, exercise bike, have intercourse).

There is a common misconception that the faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to have sagging or loose skin. However, this is more dependent upon several factors, including how much weight you lose, your age, your genetics, if you are a smoker, and if you exercise.

Patients who have excess skin can wear compression garments to help with appearance. There are some patients who will choose to undergo plastic surgery to remove excess skin. Most plastic surgeons recommend you wait 18 months after weight loss surgery before being evaluated.

We strongly recommend that when selecting a plastic surgeon, that you choose one that is both Board Certified in Plastic Surgery and has experience working with bariatric patients. There is a difference between plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons.

Some insurance providers will cover the cost of excess abdominal skin removal and breast reduction. We will work with your plastic surgeon to get them any pre-operative documentation that you will need for a pre-approval with your insurance company.

Visit our post weight loss plastic surgery section to get more information and who we recommend!

Bariatric patients will always need to take vitamins and protein supplements on a regular, daily basis. Generally, you will need a good multi-vitamin with iron, calcium, B12, and Vit D. Sleeve and gastric bypass patients will need to have 60-80 gms of protein supplement. Duodenal switch and revisional malabsorpative bypass patients need 100-120 gms of protein supplement daily. Visit our nutrition section for more information.

There will be some hair loss the first 3 to 6 months following weight loss surgery. Even if you are taking all your supplements, this can be noticed. However, this hair loss is almost always temporary. In the long term, patients will need adequate intake of their protein supplement and iron (as well as their regular bariatric vitamins) to avoid long term hair loss and thinning.