MedStar Health: Bariatric and General Surgery at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital

A preliminary indicator is your body mass index (BMI). This is a measurement based upon your height and weight. You can quickly determine your body mass index with this calculator.

If your Body Mass Index is a score of 40 or higher, you’re likely to benefit from bariatric surgery. This usually equates to about 100 lbs. overweight.

If your Body Mass Index Score is 35, but you also have a related health issue, such as such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea, you’re also likely to be a good candidate for a weight-loss procedure.

On average, about 90% of patients lose approximately 50% of their excess weight after bariatric surgery. These results take place over 18 to 24 months. And each bariatric procedure—and patient—has slightly different results. What’s more, patients usually feel more energetic and experience less pain as they begin to lose weight. This post-surgery weight loss can also result in hormonal changes, which can lead to even greater weight loss.

It depends on your condition and policy. Many insurance plans do cover weight-loss surgery. Our staff may be able to assist you in navigating the insurance process.

Worth noting, some insurance companies require that the surgery be performed at a facility that meets the ASMBS-approved quality standards (MBSAQIP). MedStar St. Mary’s is the only hospital in the Southern Maryland region to achieve this top accreditation.

Electing to undergo bariatric surgery is a major decision and a life-changing event. In order to yield the best possible outcome, new behaviors in diet and activity may need to be established. On average, it takes between three and six months to complete all the requirements to be approved for surgery. Your wellbeing is our utmost priority. We are fully committed to helping our patients understand and prepare for this life-changing procedure.

Since we use advanced techniques to minimize surgical incisions, you could be back home after just one day in the hospital. And depending on your procedure and your recovery rate, you could be back to work one week later.

Yes. In fact, weight-loss surgery may improve other health conditions, such as helping to control diabetes. After surgery, 60% of patients with high blood pressure were able to stabilize their condition and no longer needed meds. And 90% of sleep apnea patients stopped using their CPAP machines.

Weight-loss operations have been performed and refined over many decades. Today, they are among the most studied procedures in medicine. With the advance of robotic-assisted surgery, there are now smaller incisions, less complications, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries. In fact, the complication rates for bariatric surgery are less than those for knee replacement, gallbladder removal, or a hysterectomy.

Generally, women are advised to wait 12-18 months. Following the procedure, most women become more fertile, even with moderate weight loss. In addition, there’s much less risk of problems during pregnancy and childbirth after the surgery. Children born after their mother’s surgery are also less at risk of being affected by obesity. This is due to the activation of certain genes during fetal growth.