Bariatric Surgery

Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss

Overcoming obesity to live a healthier lifestyle takes commitment—new diet, new exercises, and more activity. Even if you’ve tried other weight-loss methods, you may be a candidate for the most effective treatment for obesity: bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery.

The experts at Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss can help you lose your excess weight and keep it off—for life.

The physicians and staff at Saint Luke’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss know you may be exploring many options before making this life-changing decision. 

Educational Seminar  
If you're considering bariatric surgery, this brief video explains the qualifications and options to participate in our program. Please watch this 3-minute video before requesting a consultation.

Information Packet  
For more information, please request a packet below.

What to Expect 

At Saint Luke's, our comprehensive treatment plan includes a multidisciplinary team of experts that care for you before, during, and after surgery.

Comprehensive support includes:

Education

Patients must attend a free online seminar before scheduling a consultation with a surgeon. The seminar allows patients to learn more about the types of weight-loss surgeries and what to expect, as well as information to help determine whether surgery is the best option for them.

Upon starting our program, patients must complete additional education requirements, including in-person meetings, to make sure they are prepared for surgery.

Leading up to surgery, you'll discuss the process, your progress, and your care plan with your surgeon and surgical nurse. This will prepare you for surgery and immediate post-op care.

Diet

After your initial surgical consultation, you'll attend diet and exercise classes to learn about what life will be like after surgery. You'll meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in the nutritional needs of bariatric patients. 

The dietitian conducts pre- and post-operative nutritional evaluations and provides counseling designed specifically for bariatric patients.

Exercise

An exercise physiologist customizes a program to meet the workout needs of each bariatric patient. You will have the opportunity to meet with the exercise physiologist multiple times before and after surgery.

Pre-operative exercise

The exercise physiologist will ask questions to assess your current fitness level and provide recommendations for fitness training. Many patients choose to schedule monthly appointments to assess their progress.

Post-operative exercise

Six weeks to three months after surgery, you'll meet with the exercise physiologist to assess your fitness level and your exercise training. You'll have the opportunity to schedule multiple sessions within the first year after surgery. These are not personal training sessions. Rather, these sessions will teach you life skills you can use at home or at the gym.

Psychological Support

Before surgery, you'll talk with a behavioral health specialist. A licensed psychologist conducts pre-operative screenings with each patient. The behavioral health team is available upon request for post-operative consultations to ensure you are not alone on your journey.

Language Assistance

Language assistance services, such as interpreter services and education translations, are available to you free of charge by calling 816-932-6145.

Types of surgeries

We offer three types of minimally invasive laparoscopic weight-loss surgery: 

• Sleeve Gastrectomy
• Gastric Bypass
• Duodenal Switch

Our surgeons perform the surgeries through small incisions in your abdomen by using laparoscopes, which improves recovery time and minimizes the risk of complications.

After surgery, you can expect to stay in the hospital one to three days. Following discharge you will continue recovery at home. Your care team will follow up with you on your progress and make sure you're meeting post-op requirements.

You will have follow-up appointments a few times in the weeks and months following surgery, to make sure you are on track. After your initial follow-up appointments, you will continue annual check-ins with your care team.

Insurance

View accepted insurance list.

Insurance coverage of bariatric surgery is subject to each patient's individual policy.

More insurance companies are covering the costs of bariatric surgery. We recommend confirming with your insurance provider whether it offers coverage and which options might be available. 

Self-pay is also available for the gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy procedures (this does not apply to duodenal switch procedures, which require insurance approval). 

Costs include all pre-op lab work, anesthesia, the surgical procedure, hospital stay, specific post-op appointments, and additional coverage to treat potential complications.