Most insurance companies require documentation of at least six months of physician- directed/supervised weight loss attempts pre-operatively. Crozer-Chester Medical Center’s Nutrition Department offers nutrition counseling sessions for patients before and after surgery.

After bariatric surgery, a patient must change their normal eating patterns. Initially, the significant reduction in stomach capacity is associated with early satiety, so a patient must eat three small, nutrient-dense meals per day, plus two to three small healthy snacks and avoid drinking liquids with meals. In addition to limited food intake, the surgery decreases absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. As a result, a patient is required to take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of his or her life. The patient must continually strive to consume adequate protein and fluids.

Crozer’s Department of Nutrition Services has designed a program to help patients make these lifelong dietary changes. All patients meet with a Crozer registered dietitian before surgery to discuss a special pre-operative diet as well as the progression of the post-operative diet. During the patient’s hospitalization, a nutritionist is available to answer any further questions or address any concerns pertaining to diet.