Bariatric Surgery: Overview
Weight loss surgery, also known as
bariatric surgery, has been recognized as a safe and effective treatment for morbid obesity and weight-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. However, bariatric surgery is not for everyone.
You may qualify for bariatric surgery if:
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You are at least 100 pounds overweight or your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 40 or higher (or at least 35 if you have one or more weight-related health conditions).
- You have been overweight for at least 5 years.
- You have made serious weight loss attempts with other methods but only had short-term success.
At CHRIAS, our board-certified surgeons are dedicated to provide the most advanced and unsurpassed care in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nearby regions. To better serve you, we offer our services in multiple convenient locations.
Delaware Bariatric Surgery Options
Drs. Irgau,
Wynn,
Peters,
Singh, and
Ibrahim perform safe and effective
laparoscopic bariatric procedures that reduce the size of the stomach and restrict how much the patient can eat at one time:
There are other weight loss operations currently being performed at other centers nationally; however, our surgeons do not perform the vertical banded gastroplasty, biliopancreatic switch, Fobi pouch, or jejunoileal bypass.
Choosing between the different operative procedures involves the surgeon’s preference and consideration of the patient’s eating habits.
Procedures & Costs
At CHRIAS,
Drs. Irgau, Wynn, Peters and Singh perform laparoscopic weight loss surgery using minimally invasive techniques. During a laparoscopic procedure, surgeons make several small incisions, approximately 5 mm to l.5 cm in size, rather than one large incision. Surgeons also use long, thin surgical instruments and insert a narrow video camera through one of the small incisions to view the operative site on a nearby video monitor.
Laparoscopic approach to surgery results in minimal skin cutting, rapid healing, faster recovery, and less postoperative pain than the traditional surgery. However, it is still major surgery and requires general anesthesia.
In a small number of patients the laparoscopic method cannot be performed. The likelihood of choosing or converting to the “open” procedure may be increased by a history of prior abdominal surgery, inability to visualize organs or bleeding problems during the operation. The decision to perform the open procedure may be made by your surgeon either before or during the actual operation. When the surgeon feels that it is safest to convert the laparoscopic procedure to an open one, this is not a complication, but rather sound surgical judgment strictly based on patient safety.
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The CHRIAS team is committed to the highest standards of surgical care of patients suffering from morbid obesity. We firmly believe that the surgical procedure is only one component of a comprehensive bariatric program and they attribute their excellent results not only to their surgical expertise, but to the multidisciplinary approach they have adopted in their patient care.
The CHRIAS weight loss surgeons work in close cooperation with a multidisciplinary team, which includes an endocrinologist, a psychologist, a nutritionist and an exercise physiologist. These teams also offer support group meetings at their facilities.
If you are interested in a consultation for weight loss surgery, please attend a free weight loss surgery seminar where you will be able to schedule an appointment. Your initial consultation will be done through Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery. If you are a candidate for surgery, your procedure will be done by our physicians through Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery.
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The cost of your weight loss surgery will vary, based on where you live, your insurance plan and even your employer’s insurance benefits. Today, many health plans (including Medicare and, in some states, Medicaid) cover the cost of bariatric surgery. This means that some, if not all costs, may be paid.
To see if you have coverage for bariatric surgery, speak with your employer or call your insurance company. To make the insurance process easier, be prepared with the following documentation:
- Previous weight loss attempts including medically supervised diets, weight loss programs, and gym memberships
- Co-morbid conditions
- Current medications
- Visits to healthcare professionals for obesity-related issues
- How morbid obesity affects the quality of your life
- If the insurance company turns down your request for bariatric surgery, you may be able to appeal the decision. The specialists at CHRIAS will help you with the appeal process, should this become necessary.
If your insurance does not cover bariatric surgery, you can also pay for surgery out of pocket or use a loan or a financing program for medical procedures. Ask us about financing options we offer.
Insurances Accepted:
- Aetna
- Amerihealth Caritas
- Highmark Blue Cross
- Horizon Blue Cross
- Other Blue Cross Plans (if the back of the insurance card says send claims to local Blue Cross plan)
- Cigna
- Health Options
- Humana
- Medicaid of Delaware
- Medicare
- United Health Care
Potential Weight Loss Surgery Expense Tax Savings
In the year you finance or pay cash for your bariatric surgery, you may be eligible to receive thousands of dollars back in potential tax savings. IRS Publication 502 states you can deduct your medical and dental expenses when they total more than 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (see IRS publication 502, page 2 —
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf [
Option Link 2]). Check with your accountant or tax advisor for more information.
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