The purpose of this study is to describe the life changes that occur in the 12 to 18 months after undergoing bariatric surgery.

Thank You for My New Life: The Bariatric Post-Operative Experience written by

• Angela F. Wood RNC, NNP-BC, PhD Associate Professor, Carson-Newman College
• Stephen G. Boyce MD, FACS, FASMBS Medical Director, New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery
• Jama K. Stinnett LPN, CPHQ Program Coordinator for new Life Benter for Bariatric Surgery

Click here to read Thank You for My New Life

You may wonder why the paperwork is necessary and even critical to your success.  Here is a little insider information about how your paperwork can make a difference!
 
As you may already know, the first step in pursuing weight loss surgery through The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is to attend our Free Informational Seminar.  At the close of every seminar each patient is given a Bariatric New Patient Packet. This packet is a necessary part of your first consultation with the surgeon.  

Why is it so important ???  Well,

• Having a complete packet will help us avoid delays in starting your appointment.
• Correct information about your current insurance coverage will help us know which insurance plan covers you and what it requires to approve you for surgery.
• Answering the medical questionnaire thoroughly will help the insurance company see that you have made attempts to manage your weight before going on to surgery and that all medical information has been considered.
• Parts of the insurance requirements may already be met and the forms will reflect the work you have already done.
• The medical information will be very helpful in the care you receive from your surgeon. By knowing your medical history as well as any existing health problems you may have, our surgeons can better prepare you for a safe and effective surgery.

The joy of patient paperwork does not end there, however. Even after you have had surgery, we update patient information forms annually. This is essential so that we have updated consent forms giving the staff permission to view your records and to bill your insurance for any services you receive through our office. 

We try to mail this paperwork to you prior to your appointment so that you can fill it out without being rushed and bring to the office completed.  This cuts down on your wait time because once we get the information; we must then transfer it to your file in our computer.  Knowing your correct contact information helps us better serve you as we may need to contact you about the progress of your journey or your medical condition.

We request that all patients, new and existing, arrive ten minutes earlier than your scheduled appointment time. Even if we don’t need to update your address or phone, the clinical staff may have written questions for you to complete to facilitate your discussion that day. 

Although all these forms seem redundant, especially to post-op patients, they are an essential part of the data used to track your progress and are very helpful to the clinicians you will see at your follow-up visits. The information you provide to them in this paperwork will direct them in how to advise you to be successful in our program.

So put your thinking caps on, practice that penmanship and welcome to the TEAM!

Thank you from the administrative staff!
Donna Hicks
Stephanie Hamilton
Melissa White

I often get asked by patients and their families at the pre-op visit “Why do people regain weight after surgery”? So, why does this happen? While observing a few older patients (some from our practice and some from others), I have noticed several poor dietary behaviors develop, such as eating in between meals, overeating, and eating wrong combinations of foods. It is never a good practice to snack in between meals. This will lead to a great amount of calories. Also, I would find that patients would choose high carbohydrate snacks, such as starches and simple sugars. Both of these lead to a lack of satiety and increased hunger as they are quickly digested and burned. High carbohydrate snacks also lead to hypoglycemia in the bypass patient with nausea, sweats, and dumping like symptoms a couple of hours later. If the calorie load is higher than the need, then the remainder is stored as fat. Folks tend to snack for a variety of reasons. Examples could be stress, loneliness, and boredom. For those who cannot seem to understand why they overeat, I recommend psychological counseling. A licensed psychologist can take a closer look into the causes behind the overeating and help the person find other alternate forms of stress relief. For those where boredom is an issue, I recommend taking up a new hobby. If loneliness is an issue, try joining a support group, working out at a fitness center, chatting online or volunteering time and services. All of these things will expose one to many different and interesting people and will help foster friendships.
Overeating at meal times is another cause of weight regain. Several things can lead to this, but I will only name a few. To avoid overeating at restaurants, half the portion served and immediately ask the server for a box. Not only will one be cutting portion sizes to a normal size, there will be leftovers for another meal. If an extended time is spent socializing, get refills on non-caloric beverages such as decaffeinated tea, coffee, and lemon water instead of opting for more high caloric drinks such as cocoas, smoothies, and alcoholic beverages. When dining at home, fill your plate from the stove. Research has shown that people are less likely to overeat if extra food is kept in cooking ware and not served at the table. Finally, if taking too much time to eat is a problem, set a timer for 20-30 minutes for each meal. This is sufficient time to allow one to eat and prevents excessive intake.
Finally, proper food combinations are essential to weight loss, weight stability, and satiety. Many patients have heard our dietitian say, “There are no wrong foods, just wrong combinations of them.” For each meal, make sure that 50-70% is protein. Research has shown that a higher protein diet promotes weight loss. Because proteins make us feel satisfied longer. Proteins come from a variety of sources: low fat dairy products, eggs, lean meats, seafood, legumes, nuts, seeds. In addition to protein, choose low fat and low carbohydrate sides such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, whole grain snacks, and whole grain pastas. Limit starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and peas. Many empty calories and fat grams come from some of the things we use to prepare our foods such as butter, dressings, sauces, and condiments. A few suggestions would be using spritzers instead of dressings for salads, opting for light sour cream in place of butter for a potato. One may also want to consider diluting marinades or asking for sauces on the side if eating out.

Let’s get the new year off to a good start with good eating behaviors and lifestyle choices!

Kristine Vanhoose, FNP-BC

Only surgeons that meet selective BLIS criteria (lowest complication rates) are chosen to be insured by BLIS.  This insurance policy allows me to offer my cash pay patients this important financial protection.  I am dedicated to preventing my patients from having financial responsibility for complication related evaluation and treatment.  The best part is that this insurance is included in my already low cash pay package price that I have negotiated on my patients behalf with the hospitals and anesthesia!

You can think of BLIS insurance like the warranty on a new car.  The cost of repairs (complication related medical evaluation and treatment) is included in my self pay price.  Like any warranty, the policy states that you will need to be sure to return and let me help you in the event of a complication in order for the coverage to be in effect.
I am very excited that my patients now can rest assured that the financial threat of surgical complications has been taken care of when I perform their surgery.