It may seem overwhelming, but your journey through weight loss surgery with us happens in just a few simple steps, beginning with understanding your insurance and other payment options. Whether you are ready to move forward with surgery or are just beginning your research, contact our office at the number above and speak to a Patient Services Representative or Insurance Specialist who can help guide you further and work with your insurance company on your behalf to obtain coverage.
After we figure out your insurance coverage, we’ll take you the rest of the way.
Step 1 Call Us
Step 2 Benefits Verification
Step 3 Attend a Free Seminar
Step 4 Meet the Surgeon & Medical Acceptance
Step 5 Pre-Operative Testing
Step 6 Pre-Operative Education & Informed Consent
Step 7 Pre-Operative Appointment with Surgeon
Step 8 Hospital Admission
Step 9 Follow-Up Care
- Call Us
We’ll use the guidelines set forth by the National Institutes for Health and assess your individual situation to help you determine if you are a candidate for surgery. If so, we’ll mail you our brochure and Health History Form and secure a seat for you at our next seminar. You can also download the form by clicking the link below.
| Dallas | 877.623.4445
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| Groves | 800.664.9177 |
| Houston | 800.664.9177 |
- Benefits Verification
We will contact your insurance company to determine your level of coverage for bariatric surgery and call you within 48 hours of attending the seminar to discuss your estimated financial responsibility. Click here to learn more about insurance coverage. - Attend a Free Seminar
Our surgeons and staff will provide information about your options, 
risks and benefits of the procedures, and the insurance approval process, followed by a question and answer session. You will be weighed, measured and have vital signs checked. You will also be asked which procedure you prefer. Most patients are able to make the decision themselves; in some instances a health condition or your insurance company dictate the procedure that is best for you. In the event that you choose to move forward, you can provide your insurance card, picture ID and a completed Health History Form and we will begin the insurance approval process. - Meet the Surgeon & Medical Acceptance
Our surgeons will review the information you provide at the seminar to ensure you meet the National Institutes of Health criteria, then review your Health History Form to ensure the benefits of surgery will outweigh the risks. Your case will then be assigned to our Insurance Department for benefits verification. In certain cases you may be asked to provide more information or medical records, or undergo medical testing or make an appointment for a physical exam before accepting you as a patient. - Pre-Operative Testing
Once your insurance is settled, we’ll schedule a date for surgery date and any necessary pre-operative testing. Our surgeons carefully evaluate your individual risk factors and order these test accordingly. Your BMI, current medical condition, health history and type of procedure will determine the types of tests you may need. - Pre-Operative Education & Informed Consent
At this stage you’ll first meet with our dietitian to go through an extensive informed consent process. It can be a bit overwhelming, so we encourage you to bring a friend or family member. You will receive written information about your procedure, the post-operative diet and follow-up care, as well as a copy of "New Life, New You", our manual to help you achieve success after surgery. We encourage you to ask all the questions you need at this meeting. Afterward, you’ll be asked to sign several documents, including an Informed Consent and a Bariatric Commitment, which indicates your commitment to following surgeon’s orders, recommendations and follow-up schedule. At this stage, you’ll also be required to attend a support group meeting. - Pre-Operative Appointment with Surgeon
One to two weeks prior to surgery, you’ll have an appointment with a surgeon. We encourage you to bring a friend or family member to this visit. Your surgeon will conduct a history and physical, review your current condition, test results and any medications you are taking and conduct a physical exam. They will then review the surgical procedure, discuss the risks, review your Informed Consent and answer any remaining questions. If there were abnormal results from your pre-operative tests or any other problem in proceeding with surgery, your surgeon will discuss this with you. Otherwise, the next step is surgery! - Hospital Admission
Prior to surgery, your surgeon will answer any final questions and determine who will accompany you so they know who to communicate with once the procedure is complete. Then you will be transported to the operating room and given medication to help you relax and fall asleep.
After surgery you will go to the recovery room for about an hour. You will be closely monitored as you begin to wake up from surgery. You will be started on pain medications as soon as you are able to vocalize you are having pain. If necessary, you may also request Phenergan for nausea.
During the surgery and while you are in the recovery room, your family may wait in the surgical waiting lounge. Relatives and friends are not permitted in the recovery room. If you remain at Renaissance Hospital, you will go straight to the I.C.U. from recovery. This is where you will be for the remainder of your hospital stay. If your insurance mandates you go elsewhere, you will probably be placed on the medical/surgical floor. Once you have been moved from recovery and your monitors are connected, your friends and family members will be permitted to see you. - Follow-up Care
We take your follow-up appointments very seriously and expect you to do the same. You will need to make an appointment to follow-up at the Obesity Surgery Specialist office at the following intervals:
- 1 week post-op
- 1 month post-op (Lab work required)
- 3 months post-op (Lab work required)
- 6 months post-op (Lab work required)
- 1 year post-op (Lab work required)
- Annually threafter
