Once you have chosen a bariatric surgeon for your seminar and consultation, keep the following questions in mind as you move forward:

• Is your chosen surgeon board certified?
• How many surgeries has your surgeon performed?
• What is your surgeon’s complication percentage?
• Is your surgeon experienced in laparoscopic procedures and is it their primary form of surgery?
• Where does your surgeon perform bariatric surgery?
• Does your surgeon have a network of anesthesiologists who are trained and experienced working with bariatric patients?
• What are the pre-operative requirements required by your surgeon to get to surgery?
• Does your surgeon require a pre-operative liquid diet?
• What types of insurance does your surgeon accept and do they have a staff member to help guide you through the insurance process?
• Does your program have a Patient Advocate to support you through the process?
• Does your program have onsite clinical dietitians, clinical psychologists or exercise physiologists?  If not, do they have referral information for providers?
• Does the program offer support groups?
• What type of follow-up does your surgeon require?
• Is your surgeon a BLIS Surgeon, participating in the BLISCare complication protection program?