Surgery Step-by-Step
Please review these required steps for weight loss surgery candidates.
A candidate for bariatric surgery at Ellis Hospital is required to meet one of the BMI criteria outlined on the Bariatric Surgery page and have a letter of medical necessity from his/her primary care physician.
Please note: The steps listed below require approval from your individual insurance plan. For managed care and HMO patients, please remember to get referrals when necessary from your primary care physician.
1. Once you have obtained a letter of medical necessity from your primary care physician, then you can register for one of the mandatory Bariatric Orientation Seminars.
2. You then undergo a consultation with a surgeon to discuss benefits, risks and expectations/considerations of surgery, and you are given educational materials to review.
3A. If the surgeon decides that you are a qualified candidate and you choose to pursue the surgery option, then within five days of your consultation with the surgeon, you will undergo laboratory tests, including a series of X-rays and an electrocardiogram (EKG).
3B. If you do NOT qualify for surgery, then you will be referred to a nutritionist at the Ellis Hospital Bariatric Care Center and back to your primary care physician to develop and pursue alternative weight loss options.
4. You must then undergo consultation/screening by a psychologist, nutritionist, and endocrinologist. Other clearances might also be necessary (i.e., for pulmonary and other conditions that might increase risks of surgery).
5. You must adhere to a medically-supervised diet program for at least two weeks prior to surgery. If you do not follow the diet program, then surgery may be delayed and/or canceled.
6. If your surgeon gives you final clearance, then about two weeks before surgery, you will complete a pre-admission visit at Ellis Hospital (visit includes examination by the surgical physicians' assistant, a meeting with an anesthesiologist and additional lab tests).
7. You will then undergo surgery (either open or laparoscopic) at Ellis Hospital
8. Your post-operative care will begin with visits from a nutritionist the day after your surgery and prior to your discharge. Hospital stays average two to five days.
9. Follow-up appointments with your surgeon will be scheduled.
For more information about Weight Loss care at Ellis Medicine, please call 518.243.1313.