Bariatric Surgery Program

The Bariatric Surgery Program at the Long Island Weight Loss Institute was established by Dr. Kaplan in association with his colleague Dr. Collin Brathwaite of www.brathwaitesurgical.com, who was instrumental in the development of the bariatric surgical guidelines for the state of New York.

Before recommending bariatric surgery as an option, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Brathwaite will undertake a thorough evaluation of the potential candidate to assess appropriateness of the procedure. In general, bariatric surgery is recommended for people who are at least 100 pounds overweight and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40, or for those with a BMI between 35 and 39 who show evidence of weight driven disease. It is also critical that potential candidates are mentally capable of understanding the risks inherent in this surgery.

Bariatric surgery, sometimes referred to as gastric bypass surgery, involves surgical alterations to the stomach or small intestine so that significantly less food can be consumed and fewer calories absorbed.

Once surgery is deemed an appropriate choice, Dr. Kaplan and Dr. Brathwaite will create an individualized and comprehensive program involving pre-surgical care and counseling, post-surgical care and counseling, and a regimen for on-going success.

It should be noted that statistics show that complications of bariatric surgery are reduced dramatically with weight loss prior to surgery. Long Island Weight Loss Institute advocates pre-operative weight loss and uses the Center for Medical Weight Loss Liquid Diet Program as a component of treatment for pre-operative weight loss.

For more information about Bariatric Surgery go to: www.brathwaitesurgical.com