Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery
For many people, lifestyle changes work to ward off obesity and its related medical problems, from aching joints to diabetes. But diet and exercise alone aren’t always enough. At Parker Adventist Hospital, our surgeons specialize in improving your well-being through bariatric surgery. And, we offer the support you need to be successful — for a lifetime.
Our Services
Have you tried to lose weight with diet or exercise and been unsuccessful?
Our team of experienced weight loss surgery experts work closely with your surgeon to help you achieve optimal weight loss success. We provide continuity of care and foster a collaborative environment between our team and your surgeon. The multidisciplinary team consisting of board-certified surgeons, dietitians, nurses and other specialists, is sensitive to your needs, well-educated about weight loss surgery and dedicated to helping you achieve long term success.
But most importantly, we remain by your side with our aftercare program to ensure that all your questions are answered and that you remain on a successful course of weight loss following your surgery.
Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric Surgery Options
- Gastric bypass. As the most common type of bariatric procedure, gastric bypass involves creating a new, smaller stomach pouch to facilitate eating smaller meals, which results in the individual consuming fewer calories.
- Sleeve gastrectomy. This bariatric procedure involves removing 80 percent of the stomach. The new stomach holds a much smaller volume of food and therefore restricts the individual from indulging in too many calories.
- Robotic Bariatric Surgery. Robotic surgery allows for less blood loss, less pain, and a shorter hospital stay. The gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, removal of a band and/or conversion to a sleeve, and other revisional bariatric procedures can all be done robotically.
Components of Our Program
- Nutritional counseling with a registered dietician specializing in weight loss surgery and management
- Psychological counseling with a psychologist
- Medically supervised pre-operative weight loss classes
- Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence accredited surgical facility with bariatric surgery trained care teams
- Weight loss surgery support groups
- Internet-based learning options
- Post-operative support with our registered dietician and psychologist
- On-going coordination with your bariatric surgeon
Your First Appointment at the Center for Bariatric Surgery
You will then complete a nutritional evaluation by our registered dietician. This is required by all insurance companies to obtain an authorization for surgery. Finally, you will complete a comprehensive psychological evaluation by our licensed psychologist who specializes in bariatric surgery.
Counseling
A successful bariatrics procedure begins long before you enter the operating room — and continues with daily shifts that last a lifetime. From the first time you contact our center, you’ll receive expert guidance on what to expect, how to take care of your health every day, and ways to make behavior changes stick.
Your support crew includes a bariatrics coordinator, as well as dietitians, nurses, and psychologists or other therapists. We offer online support groups that provide practical advice and emotional reinforcement from others just like you, coping with the same challenges and victories.
Minimally invasive surgery
All of our surgeries are minimally invasive, either laparoscopically or robotically. This means they involve only a few small incisions.
The benefits of minimally invasive procedures include:
- Less pain and scarring
- Reduced risk of infection
- Less blood loss
- Fewer risks, including infection
- Shorter hospital stays
- Faster recovery, and a speedier return to your everyday activities
Support Programs
An integral part of your decision to have safe weight loss surgery is the commitment to follow-up. We want you to be successful; therefore, we have designed support groups for you to attend and resources to guide you through the entire weight loss surgery process.
The learning, sharing and support you receive from your peers is a great way to keep your weight loss motivation high. By participating in weight loss surgery support group, you are more likely to reach your goals than if you tried alone.
Each support group features a speaker on a subject of interest to people who are anticipating or who have had safe weight loss surgery. A period of questions and discussion follows every featured speaker. All pre and post-operative weight loss surgery patients and their family members are welcome to join us.
We welcome anyone to attend these Support Groups. Whether you have had surgery, are thinking about surgery or are supporting someone who has had surgery, we welcome you.
Why choose our bariatric surgeons?
At Parker Adventist Hospital, our four experienced surgeons perform hundreds of bariatric procedures each year. They use the most up-to-date, minimally invasive techniques, including robotic and laparoscopic surgery. This means you’ll heal faster, with fewer scars.
For long-term success and weight loss, bariatric surgery patients need support. Here, you’ll find a top-notch lineup of caring clinicians to guide you as you move forward from surgery. Your team includes a bariatrics coordinator, as well as dietitians, psychologists, nurses, and support groups of patients just like you.
And if you qualify for surgery at Parker Adventist Hospital, all this care and support is provided to you free of charge. It’s all part of our commitment to caring for the community.
Our Center for Bariatric Surgery has earned top certifications and distinctions in the field, including those given by CIGNA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Joint Commission and the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. That’s important not because of the plaques on our wall, but because it means we lead in taking care of our most important priority — you, our patients.
FAQs
Most insurance companies provide benefits for bariatric surgery at Parker Adventist Hospital. A self-pay option is also available. If you qualify for surgery at Parker Adventist Hospital, your nutritional and behavioral aftercare is provided free of charge, for a lifetime.
Before you book a date, you must undergo evaluations by our experts in nutrition and psychological health. Some insurance companies require you to take a certain amount of nutrition classes to qualify for surgery.
All services are provided through telehealth. You will complete a nutritional evaluation by our registered dietician. Finally, you will complete a comprehensive psychological evaluation by our licensed psychologist, who specializes in bariatric surgery.
Small steps to improve your health — starting right now — can go a long way toward a successful weight loss surgery.
Our nutrition and behavior change experts, at Parker Adventist Hospital, will guide you on specifics. But in brief, eating a nutritious diet, getting regular physical activity, quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol all help you prepare, recover, and return to a full, active life.
Good hydration is essential for health and healing. After weight loss surgery, it’s a challenge to drink enough, because of the changes in your stomach. Caffeine should be limited because it can act as a diuretic or irritate the stomach lining.
It is important to follow the guidance of your surgical team.
Yes, absolutely. However, you’ll want to wait at least 12 to 18 months. Your weight must be stabilized for at least a full year for your health, as well as for the health of the baby.
