Do You Qualify for Weight Loss Surgery? Here’s Everything You Should Know

Weight loss surgeries have gained popularity as a method to help individuals improve their health and manage conditions that often come with being overweight.

Although these procedures are highly effective, they may not be suitable for everyone.

This is because of the strict qualifying criteria and the significant risks associated with these weight loss surgeries.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at when weight loss surgery may be considered, potential risks to be aware of, and alternatives you can explore when you need to slim down.

What is Weight Loss Surgery?

Weight loss surgery — also known as bariatric surgery — refers to a variety of procedures designed to help individuals with severe obesity shed excess pounds.

These surgeries limit the amount of food the stomach can hold to help an individual create an automatic calorie deficit. Over time, this leads to weight loss.

Benefits of weight loss surgery

In addition to weight loss, these surgeries offer numerous health benefits for individuals struggling with obesity and related conditions. These include:

• Improvement in your overall health, with certain conditions — like severe sleep apnea and high blood pressure — often resolving completely

• Enhanced quality of life, such as increased energy, improved mood, and greater ability to engage in physical activity

• Improvements in mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety

• Improved self-esteem and confidence

• Increased longevity due to lower risks of heart disease and certain cancers associated with being overweight

Who Qualifies for Weight Loss Surgery?

Not everyone wanting to lose weight qualifies for surgery because of the various risks involved.

There are several criteria that a person must meet before they are eligible — we’ll take a closer look at these below.

Body mass index (BMI)

A person who qualifies for weight loss surgery must have a specific BMI related to other health conditions:

• Severe obesity: Individuals with a BMI of 40 or higher are considered severely obese and usually qualify for weight loss surgery.

• Obesity related health conditions: People with a BMI of 35 to 39.9 and at least one or more obesity-related comorbid conditions — such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease, and others — may also qualify. These conditions increase the risks associated with obesity and they often improve with weight loss.

Medical evaluation

Individuals who undergo weight loss surgeries must schedule a thorough medical evaluation with their doctor.

This evaluation assesses your overall health and nutritional status and checks for any conditions that could complicate the surgery.

A medical evaluation may also include lab tests, cardiovascular assessments, and specialist consultations.

Psychological assessment

Complex surgeries — like many weight loss procedures — can impact your mental health, so it’s important to have a psychological assessment beforehand.

This will help your doctor determine your readiness to adhere to the lifelong changes required post-surgery.

It also helps identify any untreated medical health conditions that could affect the outcome of the surgery.

Assessment of previous weight loss attempts

Potential surgery candidates must typically demonstrate attempts to lose weight through traditional methods like diet changes and following an exercise program.

These efforts should be monitored by a medical professional, who will document the process.

You’ll need to supply these documents as proof that your efforts have failed and to show that you may now be eligible for surgery.

Age considerations

While there's no universal age limit for weight loss surgery, candidates are typically between 18 and 65 years old.

Exceptions may be made based on individual health conditions and potential benefits, but these are rare.

Adolescent bariatric surgery may be considered for young individuals in specific cases, such as when severe obesity poses immediate health risks and other weight loss methods have been unsuccessful.

Types of Weight Loss Surgeries

There are several different weight loss surgeries, depending on the amount of body fat you need to lose. Common procedures may include:

• Gastric bypass: This procedure involves creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach. The pouch is then connected directly to the middle part of the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum). This decreases the size of the stomach, helping to reduce food intake and promote weight loss.

• Sleeve gastrectomy: In this surgery, about 80% of the stomach is removed, leaving a tube-shaped stomach about the size and shape of a banana. This significantly limits the amount of food consumed at one time.

• Adjustable gastric band: This involves placing a band around the upper part of the stomach to create a small pouch to hold food. The size of the stomach opening can be adjusted by injecting saline into the band through a port under the skin.

• Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS): This more complex procedure involves removing part of the stomach and bypassing a large portion of the intestine. This limits food intake by reducing the size of the stomach.

Risks of Getting Surgery for Weight Loss

While weight loss surgery offers substantial benefits, some of these procedures are high-risk and can have various complications. These include:

• Surgical complications – such as bleeding, infections, and blood clots

• Postoperative complications – including leaks at the sites where intestines are sutured together, hernias, blood clots that can travel to the lungs, and wound infections

• Nutrient deficiencies due to decreased mineral absorption caused by the surgery

• Long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause conditions like anemia, osteoporosis, and accelerated neurological decline

• Regaining lost weight if you fail to adhere to lifestyle and dietary changes

• Gastrointestinal issues – including nausea, vomiting, bloating, and diarrhea

• Gallstones caused by rapid weight loss

• Difficult psychological adjustment to rapid weight loss

You can address and prevent some of these risks with proper preoperative care, attending follow-up appointments after surgery, and committing to a healthier lifestyle.

These strategies can also ensure the long-term success of your surgery and decrease the risk of requiring more procedures to maintain your weight loss results.

Alternatives to Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery can be an effective method for shedding excess pounds, but it’s not a good option for everyone.

In this section, we’ll look at popular alternatives for losing weight that may help you reach your goals.

Medications

Various diabetes medications have recently gained popularity because of their ability to promote weight loss, such as:

• Orlistat (Xenical, Alli): Works by inhibiting the absorption of fats from the diet to help reduce calorie intake.

• Liraglutide (Saxenda): A higher dose of the type 2 diabetes drug that mimics an intestinal hormone signaling to the brain that your stomach is full.

• Phentermine/Topiramate (Qsymia): Combines an appetite suppressant with a drug that increases feelings of fullness, reducing the amount of food you consume.

• Naltrexone/Bupropion (Contrave): Combines medication for substance addiction with an antidepressant to influence pathways in the brain associated with appetite.

• Semaglutide (Wegovy or Ozempic): A newer option, originally used to treat type 2 diabetes, that affects insulin secretion and reduces appetite.

These medications are designed to reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, and alter how your body absorbs and stores fat.

They may also be more accessible and are typically considered for individuals with a BMI of 27 or higher if they have other weight-related conditions.

Although they can be useful in kickstarting your weight loss journey, many of these medications are most effective when used alongside dietary changes and exercise.

Weight loss medications can also cause various unpleasant side effects that may make them less appealing.

Nonsurgical procedures

Nonsurgical weight loss procedures can be just as effective as surgery, with shorter recovery times and a lower risk of complications.

They are usually considered when traditional weight loss surgeries aren’t suitable for a person’s condition and may include the following procedures:

• Intragastric balloon systems: This involves placing one or more saline-filled balloons in the stomach to decrease its size and promote a feeling of fullness.

• Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG): A newer, less invasive procedure that reduces stomach size by using sutures to limit food intake and promote early satiety.

• vBloc therapy: This method utilizes a device implanted under the rib cage that sends electrical pulses to the vagus nerve, signaling fullness to the brain.

Remember that the qualifying criteria for these procedures are the same as those for weight loss surgeries, making them less accessible.

Where Can You Learn More About Maintaining a Healthy Weight?

If you’re looking for more information on weight loss surgeries or want to learn about other ways to achieve your ideal body weight, LifeMD can help.

We can connect you to a team of medical professionals who can provide guidance on strategies and prescribed medication to help you lose weight safely.

Through the LifeMD Weight Management program, you’ll have access (if you qualify) to innovative GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and others. The program approaches weight loss comprehensively, pairing medications with ongoing clinical support and care, lab testing, and information that will help you drop pounds.

To find out if you qualify and for more information about the program, get started today.