Lab Work
LIFE-LONG lab work is very important in monitoring your progress and allowing us to provide proper medical care for you.
Procedure | During Weight Loss Stage | Within First Year of Surgery | Stable Weight Achieved** |
Distal Gastric Bypass & Duodenal Switch-Bilopancreatic Diversion | Every 3 months | Every 6 months | N/A |
Medial Gastric Bypass | Every 3 months | Every 6 months | N/A |
Proximal Gastric Bypass | Every 3 months | Every 6 months | N/A |
Adjustable Gastric Band | Every 6 months | Every 6 months | Once a year* See Below |
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty | Every 6 months | Every 6 months | N/A |
The lab work schedule begins 3 months during the weight loss stage, starting three months from your surgery date. Thereafter, every 6 months life-long.
We can provide lab requests if you are outside our local area or if your insurance requires you go to a "preferred" lab. Make sure the lab sends us the results.
*In addition to the regular lab work, the Adjustable Band patient must have an upper GI with barium swallow test once a year.
We have found that those patients who adhere to this follow-up program do very well in their weight loss and maintenance of good health.
For your success, it is imperative that you comply with this scheduled follow-up program, which includes the scheduled appointments after surgery and lab work. We encourage that you track these on your calendar to stay current.