What to Expect

St. Francis Surgical Weight Loss is a comprehensive program that emphasizes the completion of these steps prior to surgery. Read below to learn more about the steps required in pursuing the option of surgical weight loss.

Education

Attendance of a free Surgical Weight Loss Orientation Seminar is the first step towards the journey towards bariatric surgery. At this seminar, you will learn what to expect about our program and will receive a checklist along with a Personal Information Packet. This checklist will be your guide in preparing for surgery, as it outlines your next steps in the process, such as making appointments with your regular physicians and specialists, and seeing our Psychologist and Nutritionist. Find an Orientation Seminar >>

Forms and Physician Approvals

Once you have attended a seminar and received your orientation materials, your Personal Information Packet will need to be completed thoughtfully and carefully. You will also be required to provide your insurance information for approval.

You will need to contact your primary care physician to provide a referral and additional medical information as required. If any specialists who have treated you for health conditions related to obesity, such as a cardiologist, pulmonologist, orthopedist, or OB/GYN, they will also need to send records and letters of referral/medical necessity. Once collected, all of your personal and medical information will be submitted to the Surgical Weight Loss Program Manager.

Nutrition

A scheduled visit with our licensed dietitian is a mandatory component of the St. Francis Surgical Weight Loss Program. Good nutrition is a key component to successful weight loss following bariatric surgery. Our program includes an initial comprehensive nutritional assessment and ongoing nutrition consultations with a licensed dietitian. These sessions provide detailed information regarding what and how you are supposed to eat prior to and after surgery.

Weight loss surgery will change the way you eat for the rest of your life. Eating the correct foods, in the correct amount, will not only help you lose weight, but it will also contribute to overall good health and well-being. With only a small amount of space in the new stomach, patients are advised only to put in what is most nutritious and will contribute to overall good health.

Psychology

There is a common thread that unites those who have been successful in managing their weight following weight loss surgery: a demonstrated ability to accept that their surgery is not the magic pill that changed their lives. At some point, each has realized that their continued success depends on how they changed their habits and ways of thinking.

With this in mind, our program requires a pre-surgical psychological evaluation with a licensed social worker. In addition, ongoing support groups are available to patients from before surgery to years after surgery. 

Pre-Surgery Appointments

Once your information and referrals are received and you have attended the mandatory dietitian and psychologist appointments, we will schedule an evaluation appointment with your surgeon. Your surgeon will review your surgical options and prepare you for what to expect about surgery at ST. FRANCIS eastside.