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How Do You Qualify for Gastric Bypass?

To qualify for gastric bypass surgery there are four distinct requirements that must be met-traditional weight loss methods have failed, you must be dangerously overweight, comorbidity factors must be present, and you must not be excessively overweight.

More Info: With 34% of American adults over 20 deemed medically obese, and an additional 34% deemed overweight, gastric bypass surgery has become extremely popular. ("Faststats-Overweight Pevalence", cdc.gov)

By making the capacity of the stomach smaller and bypassing a large portion of the intestines, bariatric surgery has made many of the formerly obese now happily svelte. However, gastric bypass is not for everyone. There are four distinct requirements you must meet before you can be considered for gastric bypass surgery.

Traditional Weight-Loss Methods Have Failed

Bariatric surgeons require their patients to attempt to lose the weight on their own. By the time a patient considers gastric bypass, they may have tried calorie counting, prepackaged meal plans, shakes, pills, or any number of exercise regimens. If you've tried these methods, only to have them fail, gastric bypass may be an option in conjunction with additional requirements. ("Gastric bypass surgery: Who is it for?", MayoClinic.com]

You Must Be Dangerously Overweight

Gastric bypass is not appropriate for those wanting to lose forty pounds. Most surgeons agree that a patient needs to have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above.  For most people this equates to be at least one hundred pounds over their recommended body weight before they would be a surgical candidate. (Flancbaum MD, 2003)

Comorbidity Factors Must Be Present

Obesity brings with it a host of physical ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, skin disorders, and joint pain. Some bariatric surgeons will not perform gastric bypass unless your obesity is directly influencing your health. If your health is otherwise good, non-surgical weight-loss methods are encouraged. Gastric bypass can be dangerous and is normally considered a choice of last resort. (Farraye MD, 2006)

You Must Not Be Excessively Overweight

In medical parlance, anyone weighing more than 225% of their ideal body weight is considered super-morbidly obese. (Mason, 495) Some surgeons may not consider patients who are super-morbidly obese due to the risk factors involved.