You first need to fill out completely all our forms and mail them to our office. Once all the forms are received in their entirety, we will call you to setup your appointment at your earliest convenience. Please use blue or black ink only – no pencil.

After the doctor has determined that you are a candidate for the surgery and you agree that this surgery is what you want, then we wait for insurance approval. After the approval letter is received in our office, the surgery can usually be scheduled within 1 to 2 weeks.

Protein: All meats (beef, chicken, pork), fish, eggs. Try to choose leaner cuts and avoid fried foods as they have extra calories. Lean, thin sliced luncheon meats such as turkey or even ham cut into small pieces work well. As with all foods, remember to cut the food into very small pieces, eat only one small piece at a time, chew very well, and eat very slowly.‍

Calcium: Skim milk, sugar free / fat free yogurt, cheese (although cheese can be high in fat and calories). Despite consuming foods rich in calcium, all gastric bypass patients should also take calcium in the form of a calcium plus vitamin D supplement to equal or exceed 1000-1200mg/day of supplemental calcium.

Calcium is a very important supplement for gastric bypass patients as the portion of the GI tract which is most active in the absorption of calcium is partially bypassed. Calcium is necessary for bone strength, and without it bones can become weak and brittle, a disease called, osteoporosis. It is slow to develop, has no early symptoms, and is difficult to treat if present. This is a definite example of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

Contrary to popular belief, our gastric bypass patients are not required to take their supplements as a chewable tablet or liquid – although many patients prefer to do it this way. The vitamin should be a complete multivitamin which includes iron of at least 18mg. Not all multivitamins contain iron, so you will have to read the package. We typically recommend two chewable Flintsone vitamins (or comparable) taken at least once daily. Calcium citrate is somewhat better absorbed than calcium carbonate, and vitamin D is necessary to maximize absorption of calcium from the GI tract. Many of our patients take Viactive™, or Caltrate Plus D™ (calcium carbonate), or Citracal™ (calcium citrate). Make sure your calcium supplement has vitamin D in it, and take an amount to equal at least 1000 – 1200mg / day. We also recommend not taking more than 600mg at a time as more than that may exceed the intestine’s ability to absorb all of it.

Patient’s should take a regular, daily fiber supplement such as Metamucil™, or Citrucel™, or the myriad others available over the counter. Fiber should always be taken with water. Gastric bypass patients may not be able to take a whole standard dose at once because they may not be able to drink that much water at once. They may take it as a divided dose.

There is no set time that is right for everyone. The type of work you do (manual labor vs. desk job, etc.), your own pain/discomfort threshold, and other medical conditions you have effect this. In general, though, about 85-95% of patients are back to work 2-3 weeks after the laparoscopic approach. You and your surgeon will share in that decision at your first post-operative visit.

Stomach surgery increases a patient’s risk of ulcers as does the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDs. These include medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and most of the over-the-counter pain medicines. Taken for the occasional headache, they are probably safe. Problems arise with chronic or repeated use of these medicines for aches, arthritis, etc., and they should be avoided in that scenario. We strongly advise against the powdered salicylates such as Goody’s Powders, Stanback, or equivalents in our gastric bypass patients. Tylonel is safe in most cases, but check with your doctor if you have any questions.