At Crozer-Chester Medical Center, a person must meet the following criteria to qualify for weight reduction surgery: 

• The patient must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher
• If the patient’s BMI is 35 to 39.9, he or she must have associated diseases, such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes, sleep apnea osteoarthritis or other diseases as determined by your doctor and surgeon
• The patient must be over the age of 21
• The patient must prove that he or she has tried and failed at nonsurgical weight-loss therapies, such as a medically supervised diet or a commercial diet program, such as Weight Watchers.

Morbid Obesity

Physicians define morbid obesity as a BMI of 40 or higher; for example, a man or woman 5’6” tall weighing 245 pounds. Morbid obesity is often associated with serious, often life-threatening diseases including: 

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Some types of cancer
• Type-2 diabetes (starting in adulthood)
• Sleep apnea (periodic cessationof breathing while asleep; arrhythmias)
• Osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints
• Vascular disease
• Elevated cholesterol
• Pressure ulcers
• Venous statis disease
• Skin infections
• Reflux disease
• Depression and social dysfunction
• Infertility
• Higher risk of complications during any subsequent surgery, wound complications; complications after surgery.