St. Joseph Medical Center is proud to be recognized as an Accredited Comprehensive Bariatric Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP®). Our experienced, board-certified surgeons specialize in the treatment of clinically obese patients. Our team goes far beyond surgery to provide a life-changing program that includes nutritional guidance, support groups, and coordination of counseling services.
1401 St. Joseph Parkway
Houston, TX 77002
713-757-7575
If you are significantly overweight, you may be at risk for a wide variety of health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, breathing problems, and depression—and you are not alone. 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. Considered one of the most effective and long-lasting treatments for morbid obesity and related illnesses, bariatric surgery may improve your health and quality of life.
If you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or a BMI of at least 35 with other existing medical problems, or you are facing other health risks due to obesity call 713.757.7575.
The best way to prepare for surgery is to make sure you understand everything you can about your procedure. Here are some suggestions that you can begin to work on right away.
Preparing For Surgery
Benefits: Check your 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. The weight loss attempts do not have to involve medication. They will need to include exercise, low calorie diets, and behavior modification.
Medical Records: Medical records are essential to establishing medical necessity. 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: A preoperative psychological evaluation is an essential part of preparing for weight loss surgery. 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.
We offers post-operative support groups. The groups will assist you with short term and long term questions and needs. Our surgeons recommend ongoing post-surgical support to help produce the greatest level of success for their patients.
