Press Releases
Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery
Oct. 29, 2009Durham, NC- The Duke Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery offers treatment options for people who are more than 100 pounds overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or a BMI of 35 and significant medical complications, such as Type 2 diabetes, joint problems, heart disease or sleep apnea.
After discussing the situation with their physician, patients should contact their insurance company to learn their requirements for patients prior to surgery, such as documentation of previous attempts to lose weight or participation in a non-surgical weight control program.
“One of the biggest challenges for bariatric surgery patients can be gaining insurance approval for the procedure,” says Ranjan Sudan, MD, general surgeon and vice chair for the Surgical Education Department of Surgery and medical director for the Duke Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery. “Patients’ primary care physicians can help them complete the requirements and necessary documentation.”
The next step is to attend a free seminar that provides important information about the weight loss program, obesity and weight-loss surgery. Attendees will complete an application that will help identify any medical problems that may need to be resolved before they can receive clearance to have a weight-loss procedure. The application will also help specialists determine whether a specific individual is a candidate for weight loss surgery and which procedure would achieve optimal results.
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“Laparoscopic procedures require a high degree of surgical skill, and our team has performed them hundreds of times,” says Dr.
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