DFW Bariatrics and General Surgery, Dr. Sachin Kukreja’s practice, posted this video on its YouTube channel on April 23, 2025.
From the video’s description on YouTube
Did you know? It can take weeks or months to complete all of the things that need to happen before you can get bariatric surgery. Let’s break that down and talk about why.
The tasks to complete before bariatric surgery can vary greatly depending on your doctor and your insurance company’s requirements. This is a general overview, based on how we do things at DFW Bariatrics.
1⃣ Proof that you have tried to lose weight through diet and exercise, but were unsuccessful. Some policies want monthly documentation of participation in a weight management program for a year. Others only require documentation from your doctor at the time of your consultation.
2⃣ A mental health appointment, to be sure that you understand that you’re making a permanent change to your body and that you are mentally prepared for that commitment.
3⃣ Dietitian visit(s) to go over the pre-op, post-op and life-long diet changes that you can expect after surgery. Some insurance plans only require 1 and others require up to 12, over the course of a year.
4⃣ Our office requires a cardiology workup to make sure your heart is healthy enough for surgery and anesthesia.
5⃣ A sleep apnea assessment to make sure your breathing is as healthy as possible. Patients with obesity can have chronically low oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels due to long-term trouble with breathing at night.
6⃣ Imaging of the esophagus and abdomen to look for possible issues. Finding out that you have issues with your esophagus, a hiatal hernia, or acid reflux can change which type of surgery is right for you.TL;DR The length of time required to prepare for surgery depends on how quickly you can get all of this done according to your insurance requirements. I promise each part of the process is for your own safety, and making you successful in the long run.
If you have a question about bariatric surgery that I haven’t gotten to yet – drop a comment for me!
More videos from the practice are on Dr. Sachin Kukreja’s profile.
