You are likely to be a candidate for bariatric surgery if you present any of the following conditions:
Your Body-Mass Index is greater than or equal to 40.
You have around 100 pounds (45 kg) more than your ideal weight.
You have a Body-Mass Index greater than 35 and suffer from severe problems related to obesity such as diabetes or cardiopathies.
You have tried, for a period of time, diverse methods (exercise, nutritional help, support groups) for the definitive weight loss without achieving successful results.
It is important to note that other factors influence how good of a candidate a person is for surgery. The potential patient ideally should have an acceptable operative risk, do not suffer from uncontrolled psychotic or depressive disorders, and do not have alcohol/substance abuse.
Potential candidates must have realistic expectations and understand that obesity surgery will provide them with a tool to achieve a desirable lifestyle change, rather than instantly fix their weight problem.
If you are a woman planning a pregnancy, it is highly advised that you do not get pregnant within the first 12-18 months after surgery. This is paramount to know, since there are nutritional deficiencies associated with weight loss and the surgery that can endanger the fetus and your life.
FIND YOUR BODY MASS INDEX (BMI):
Your chosen surgeon will advise if you are a candidate for surgery based on all the different aspects mentioned before and recommend the most adequate weight loss procedure for each individual case.