Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is morbid obesity?
A: Morbid obesity is weight of 100 lbs. above ideal or a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater.

Q: What is Body mass index?
A: It is a calculation taking into account a person's height and weight (See BMI Calculator under Who Qualifies).

Q: What is the incidence of morbid obesity?
A: It is almost epidemic, affecting nearly 15 million Americans.

Q: What are the surgical options for morbid obesity?
A: Surgical approaches include restrictive procedures that limit the amount of food a patient can eat, an example being laparoscopic gastric banding.
Other options include mal-absorptive procedures like the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The majority of patients in the US choose a combined approach which is called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. At the Bariatric Institute of Wisconsin we perform both of these procedures using a minimally-invasive laparoscopic technique.

Q: What are the advantages of laparoscopic surgery?
A: Surgical procedures used to treat morbid obesity include the traditional open technique as well as a new minimally-invasive or laparoscopic technique.
Bariatric Institute of Wisconsin offers this new minimally-invasive laparosocpic surgery which means less postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay and a rapid return to normal activities. There are fewer complications when surgery is performed laparoscopically. 98% of BIW patients have surgery laparoscopically.

Q: How do I know what surgery to have, the LAPBand ®, or the
Roux-en-Y?
A: Your surgeon will meet with you to discuss all of the weight-loss surgical options and recommend the procedure he feels is best suited to your needs and overall health.

Q: Is this surgery covered by insurance?
A: Most insurance companies will cover bariatric surgery, however, some have excluded this important health option.

Q: How long will I miss work?
A: Most patients miss between 2 and 4 weeks of work depending on the type of surgery and their overall health.

Q: How much food can I eat after surgery?
A: Generally you will eat three small meals and two snacks a day, totally about 1,000 calories.

Q: What can't I eat again?
A: Your first meals after surgery will be liquid, then small portions of pureed foods will be introduced. Finally small portions of healthy foods will be part of your regular diet. High sugar or carbohydrate food should always be avoided.

Q: After I reach my desired weight, will I have a lot of loose skin? If so, what can be done about that?
A: We can arrange for a consultation with a skilled plastic surgeon for loose skin removal.

Q: When did Bariatric Surgery first become available?
A: In the 1970s.