Do you need bariatric surgery? Have you ever considered bariatric surgery to help you lose weight? How do you know whether it’s right for you? Do read on to find out…

The US Nati-nal Institutes of Health (NIMH) have established the following guidelines for bariatric surgery:

• 100 lbs overweight for males and 80 lbs for females
• Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher
• Disabling pain in weight-bearing joints
• Less than 100 lbs overweight, BMI of 35-40 and have a coomorbid condition such as:
  * High blood pressure
  * Asthma
  * obesity hypoventilation
  * Diabetes
  * Sleep apnea
  * Digestive disease (GERD)
  * Urinary stress incontinence
  * Depression

However, bariatric surgery should only be tried after conventional methods of weight loss have failed. There is no optimal age for bariatric surgery. There is not necessarily an upper age limit for weight loss surgery candidates, however certain conditions such as heart disease must be addressed before sugery is possible.

The risks and benefits of having an operation will need to be considered on an individual basis by your surgeon.  If you live and work in Texas, you can also consult with bariatric surgeons in San Antonio, as to whether this surgery is right for you.  So, do consider all of your options BEFORE deciding on bariatric surgery. However, if you fulfil all of the above conditions, then maybe bariatric surgery is for you. Whatever you decide, we wish you the very best!