Should More Patients be Eligible for Weight Loss Surgery?

In an article recently published by General Surgery News, several doctors put forward the idea that bariatric surgery could benefit patients with a BMI below 35 just as it does for patients whose BMI exceeds that threshold. Current standards say that only patients with a BMI over 35 are eligible for weight loss surgery in Los Angeles, but after studying cases in which people with a BMI below 35 had a procedure, it was found that the benefits for them were great as well.

While the results just from patients of Dr. Feiz & Associates are not big enough sample to wholeheartedly support this change, what is clear is that the risks associated with bariatric surgery are much lower than many people used to think. One of the reasons for this past threshold was that the procedures were perceived as risky, so they would only be performed when a patient’s obesity was detrimentally affecting their health. Now that we know bariatric surgery is as safe as common procedures like an appendectomy, this concern merits revisiting. For now, though, if you have a BMI over 35 and believe you can benefit from bariatric surgery, don’t hesitate to contact us today!