Weight Loss Surgery
Improve Your Health, Improve Your Quality of Life
Providence bariatrics programs are devoted to helping patients achieve their weight loss goals. We understand that the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t create results, so we work with you to establish the best course of action for your body and help you make the best choices for your personal health.
For over a decade, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett and Northwest Weight & Wellness Center have partnered to provide exceptional bariatric surgical services.
Your journey towards bariatric surgery will be guided by our collaborative team to help you achieve your goals and become a healthier version of yourself.
- Nationally accredited Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
The pioneering surgeons at Northwest Weight & Wellness Center were the first to establish three Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence in Washington State.
- Life-changing results beyond the scale
Substantial improvements in general health (cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, BMI, diabetes, and sleep apnea).
- Comprehensive program, personalized plan
From early evaluation through post-surgical care, our teams work in tandem to maintain the highest standards of care and superior surgical outcomes. We also provide continuous support, including a clinically proven diet and lifestyle program for long-term success.
You can watch our free webinar at your convenience. You'll learn what to expect from weight loss surgery, how to identify if you are a candidate, and how our weight loss surgery program may change your life.
Maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits for your overall health, but sometimes it isn’t that easy. If diet and exercise alone haven’t worked, or you have certain obesity-related conditions, your doctor may recommend bariatric (weight-loss) surgery.
Our bariatric doctors understand the complex genetic, biologic, environmental, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to obesity. We know how discouraging it can be when you’ve given it your all but still can’t lose weight and keep it off.
At Providence, our team can help you achieve lasting weight loss through a holistic approach that’s more than just surgery. From early evaluation through post-surgical care, we’ll help you lose weight quickly, safely, and effectively. For those who live far away, telemedicine appointments may also be arranged. You’ll have nonstop support, including a clinically proven diet and lifestyle program.
Our partners at Northwest Weight & Wellness Center are available to discuss your options and answer your questions about bariatric procedures. While many insurance plans cover weight loss surgery, it’s important to understand your benefits — and how to receive them. Ask about payment options and procedures. You are welcome to attend their live virtual seminar.
At your first appointment, your doctors will evaluate your health and medical history. You’ll learn about each procedure we think could be right for you, including its potential benefits and risks.
At Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, we use minimally invasive techniques when possible. They involve very few — and very small — incisions so you heal as quickly as possible.
We perform revisions to prior surgeries as well as many common procedures such as:
- Gastric bypass surgery - The Roux en Y Gastric Bypass is the gold standard and most common weight-loss surgery. It promotes weight loss by restricting food intake and causing a minimal amount of malabsorption (disruption in the body’s ability to absorb fat and other food elements).
- Gastric sleeve surgery - During gastric sleeve surgery, the surgeon removes about 85 percent of the stomach, so it takes the shape of a tube or sleeve. The new, tube-shaped stomach is closed with staples.
Weight loss surgery isn’t for everyone. Doctors take several factors into account to determine if you’re a good candidate for a bariatric procedure.
The first and most obvious factor to determine if you qualify for weight loss surgery is your body mass index (BMI), which measures overall body fat based on height and weight. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, patients with a BMI of 30 or greater are considered obese. This translates to 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women.
If your BMI is 40 or greater, you’re a candidate for weight loss surgery, providing you meet additional criteria. You’re also a candidate for bariatric surgery if your BMI is 35-39.9 and you have at least one obesity-related risk (or “comorbidity”) such as diabetes, sleep apnea or hypertension.
Other considerations help determine whether you’re a candidate for bariatric weight loss surgery, such as the following:
- You’ve attended an informational seminar
- You’re at least 18 years old
- You’re a non-smoker
- You’re not a heavy drinker
- You’re well informed and motivated about necessary lifestyle changes
- You’ve received pre-surgical mental health, medical and nutritional counseling
- You’re willing to commit to supervised after care (support groups, nutritional counseling, exercise)
- You’ve been overweight for more than five years
- You’re healthy enough to tolerate surgery
- You understand the risks associated with surgery
Choosing to have weight loss surgery is an important and very personal decision. At Providence, our goal is to provide knowledge and support as you consider your options. Our providers will guide you through the process and be by your side at every step. In fact, you’re already working on the first step – becoming informed.
Here’s how the rest of the process works:
- Attend a live virtual seminar. Our physician partners at NWWC will cover the basics of weight loss surgery and help you understand your options. You’ll have the opportunity to talk to bariatric surgeons and other patients who’ve lost weight after surgery. Register online.
- Verify insurance eligibility. While many insurance plans cover weight loss surgery, it’s important to understand your benefits – and how to receive them. When you schedule your appointment, be sure to verify your insurance eligibility with the office staff.
If you decide weight loss surgery is the right option for you, your surgeon will schedule a series of pre-operative appointments, which could include the following:
- Consultation with nursing staff - Focused primarily on education, your nurse – many of whom have had weight loss surgery themselves – will help you understand the changes you’ll have to make after surgery.
- Psychological evaluation - You’ll meet with a therapist who’ll help you mentally prepare for your new life. The therapist might suggest you keep a journal of your feelings and challenges, as well as the activities you look forward to after surgery. You might find it helpful to log your reasons for choosing surgery and outline a plan to maintain progress.
- Medical review with your surgeon - You’ll meet with your surgeon to review your medical history and gain a better understanding of the surgical process. It’s possible the doctor will order additional tests, such as blood work, a chest X-ray, an electrocardiogram (EKG), a sleep study or an echocardiogram (ECG). The doctor might also ask you to lose 10-30 pounds to reduce the size of your liver before surgery. This makes surgery easier, faster and reduces the risk of complications. The surgeon’s staff will help you with this weight loss.
- Support groups - When you’re trying to lose weight, a solid support system is vital. Support groups allow you to ask questions, share your struggles and get help and encouragement from others traveling the same path. For more information, contact your surgeon’s office.