Visitor Guidelines
As the second leading cause of preventable death, obesity is a major health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third of adults in America—more than 72 million people—are obese. If you have had trouble losing weight and/or keeping it off, surgical weight loss may be a solution.
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1-877-765-WELL (9355)
Port Arthur Weight Loss Seminar
Candidacy for weight loss surgery is determined by criteria published by the National Institutes of Health and is mostly based on an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a mathematical measurement of a person’s weight in relation to their height, and is used to determine if a person is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. Surgical candidates have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with one or more co-morbidities. A BMI of 35-40 is typically equivalent to 80-100 pounds of extra weight.
Our Bariatric Clinic respects your privacy and offers a separate entrance to our surgical weight loss center. Every patient enjoys an all-private custom built suite that includes
Obesity-related health conditions are health conditions that, whether alone or in combination, can significantly reduce your life expectancy. A partial list of some of the more common conditions follows. Your doctor can provide you with a more detailed and complete list:
Benefits: Call the customer service number at your insurance company, and ask for the benefits department. Ask if you have benefits for bariatric surgery. This information can also be found written in your policy on the exclusions page. You may be asked for CPT Codes, which are:
Surgical Clearance: This exam is used to determine that a patient does not have any underlying medical conditions that would prohibit them from having surgery. A letter/copy of the exam notes needs to be sent to our office after each exam is complete.
Pre-operative Lab Work: Each patient will be asked to have labwork completed, with a copy of your results sent to our office upon completion.
Diet Records: You will be asked to provide documentation of all recent medically supervised weight loss attempts. Most insurance companies require proof that you have tried physician-supervised weight loss attempts. We will review your insurance company requirements with you at you initial consultation visit.
Medical Records: Any visits to a doctor, surgeries, lab results, diagnostic procedures and ER visits should be included. Request records pertaining to your weight and any conditions worsened by your weight, such as hypertension, diabetes, degenerative joint disease, etc. We need records dating back five years, unless insurance indicates a need for more.
Psychological Evaluation: The importance of obtaining a thorough psychological assessment cannot be overstated. A detailed clinical interview and objectively scored psychological tests should be part of a comprehensive psychological evaluation. Many insurance companies require an evaluation for benefits and our surgeons require an evaluation for all patients.
Our team is here to help you achieve your goals and to support you as you prepare for this exciting change in your life. Here are some suggestions that you can begin to work on right away.
Physicians, nurses, dieticians and therapists each bring their specialty to help you discover a new way of life and continue successful weight loss at home. You have just the right support, just when you need it most.
