Change Your Life! - UT Medicine Medical-Surgical Weight Loss Center, San Antonio, Texas

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines for treating obesity, surgery is an option when other therapies have failed and the patient is at high risk for serious disease or death related to obesity. The NIH recommends that for treatment to be successful, it must be long-term and must combine dietary therapy, physical activity, and behavior therapy.

These guidelines, considered the standard of care in this country, are followed (with some variation) by most major insurance plans:

Body Mass Index (BMI) is 40 or above (at least 100 lbs. over your ideal body weight).

BMI is 35-39 with associated life-threatening conditions.

The patient is well-informed and motivated.

The disease of morbid obesity severely impairs the quality of life.

The patient is able to participate in treatment and commit to long-term follow-up.

The patient has failed at non-surgical measures within the last year or more, as shown by a detailed history in established weight control programs.

The patient has no contraindications for surgery such as:
     · Being unprepared to make lifestyle and/or behavior changes
     · Active alcoholism
     · Active drug abuse
     · Hepatic cirrhosis with impaired liver function tests
     · Serious psychiatric disability

Careful consideration will be given when:
     · The patient has peptic ulcer disease
     · The patient's age is under 18 or over 65
     · The patient has had previous pulmonary emboli or deep vein thrombosis