Exclusion Criteria for weight loss surgery

There are a number of reasons a patient could not qualify for weight loss surgery. When choosing whether or not to perform a procedure, surgeons will weigh the risks and benefits for each patient.

The health of the patient is the largest determining factor when deciding whether or not a patient qualifies for weight loss surgery. If the procedure poses more health risks than it will solve, than the procedure will not be performed.

There are a number of other factors that could render a patient unqualified for weight loss surgery. These factors do not result in an automatic refusal of the procedures, but could make them more difficult to pursue.

Some factors which could make qualification difficult include drug or alcohol addiction,
chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, and severe psychiatric problems.

An age below 16 or over 75 could make qualification difficult as well. This is because the procedures could pose severe health risks in those outside of the acceptable age group.

Other disorders may effect the patient’s health while undergoing surgical procedures. These include diseases of the blood that effect clotting or those which could cause haemorrhaging. Heart or lung conditions can also result in a lack of qualification because they pose health risks while patients are under anaesthesia.

There are four other risk factors that will result in automatic refusal of weight loss surgery. These include patients receiving treatment for cancer, those with inflammatory bowel diseases, those who are pregnant, and those with a pre-existing condition which causes bleeding in the stomach or windpipe.

These risk factors could cause life threatening complications during or after weight loss surgery. The specialist team will discuss other possibilities for weight loss with the patient.

The qualification process for weight loss surgery is strict for the safety of the patients. Those for whom weight loss surgery would pose significant health risks will not be able to receive the procedures.

Weight loss surgery should be viewed as a major lifestyle change. It is not an easy solution and is not intended as a cosmetic surgery. The weight loss procedures are made available so that those who are at a significant risk of dying from or developing life threatening conditions can increase their quality of life. Patients are only refused weight loss procedures for their own safety.