PREPARING FOR SURGERY

Pre-Op Program

No matter if you are required to complete medical weight management before your surgery is approved or not, the preoperative program is designed to prepare you for surgery and begin the education process for your long term success. The better prepared you are for surgery, the faster you will recover and more comfortable you will be in the process. Listed below is a basic outline of the process. This is of course modified according to any individual needs or circumstances.

• Once you have been accepted as a patient at SOBC, you will meet with the nurse practitioner who will review your medical and surgical history, order labs, order diagnostic tests as needed, and make referrals to specialists as needed.

• You will be instructed by the dietician on a specific nutritional program to follow to optimize your health before and after surgery.

• You will meet with the Fitness Trainers at Baxter Fitness at specific intervals before surgery to review or modify your preoperative exercise program. Exceptions can be made as to which fitness program you join, please discuss with team once you enter the program.

• You will be required to attend at least 3 SOBC virtual support groups prior to surgery. Most people find these sessions really helpful. Even those who previously didn’t like group meetings!

• You will undergo a psychological evaluation by an independent psychologist who will evaluate your appropriateness and readiness for bariatric surgery. The SOBC team will make this referral.

• You will meet with the surgeon twice prior to surgery. At the first meeting the surgeon will review your medical and surgical history and discuss your surgical options. You will be able to ask questions at this meeting. The second meeting occurs within one to two weeks before surgery, at which time you can ask more questions and you will be asked to sign the informed consent for surgery.

• Within one month prior to your surgery date, you will attend a pre-op educational class where we go over many details of the pre and post-bariatric surgery process. You will be allowed to ask questions, in fact, we encourage it!