Are You a Candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

Although it may seem like a quick fix to a lifelong struggle with weight, bariatric surgery, or weight-loss surgery, is a major step toward leading a healthy life.

Bariatric surgery is an operation that reduces the size of the stomach using one of a variety of procedures such as adjustable gastric band, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or robotic-assisted bariatric surgery.

Research has shown that bariatric surgery can cure, or help patients prevent, obesity-related conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and sleep apnea.

Is weight-loss surgery right for you?

If dieting hasn’t worked for you in the past, you may be considering weight loss surgery. Because the decision to have bariatric surgery can be a difficult one, the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program provides prospective and current patients with all the information they need to make informed choices.

All patients considering bariatric surgery at Penn must meet specific criteria before being scheduled for a screening evaluation.

These criteria are based on universal standards established by the National Institutes of Health and include:

• Exceeding your ideal body weight by more than 100 pounds or 45 kg
• Body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 or BMI greater than 35 with medical complications related to obesity, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and high cholesterol
• A documented history of weight management and weight loss attempts with supervised diets and exercise programs
• No indication of active alcoholism, active drug addiction or major psychiatric disorder

Patients must undergo a complete pre-operative evaluation that includes physical and psychological assessments.