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Education & Testing
Patient Education
Pre-operative patient education is an important key
to long-term success after bariatric surgery.
The N.E.W. Program
philosophy is to only provide state-of-the-art
minimally invasive surgery only when combined with
directed pre-operative patient education and
long-term post-operative support. Our primary goals
are to improve every patient's quality of life and
to maximize their health and their life expectancy.
With an in-depth pre-operative education program,
our patients have access to information that informs
them about the most commonly accepted operations in
bariatric surgery. We expect that this educational
process will help our patients to be better prepared
to achieve their weight loss goals.
Available resources for all patients include
educational videos, handouts and summaries, written
tests, brochures, published books, booklets and
our website. Of course, one-on-one
discussions with your psychologist and surgeon, both
experts in bariatric surgery and weight loss, are
part of the standard pre-operative consultation
format.
We expect every patient to understand the basic
differences between the standard weight loss
operations available, the potential benefits of
surgery, the basic risks involved, and to be able
to select the most appropriate bariatric operation
for them. We also want every patient to know what to
expect after their surgery in terms of
recovery-time, nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Pre-operative patient education is a key component
of The N.E.W. Program.
Our commitment to patient
education is clearly demonstrated by the materials
and effort that we provide.
Pre-Operative
Testing
The following tests and evaluations may be ordered
to assist The N.E.W. Program
in performing safe and successful weight loss
surgery. When medically indicated, other tests may
also be required before surgery. Any unsuspected
findings may result in additional testing or a slight
modification of the way the surgery is performed.
Occasionally, a problem is detected that needs to be
corrected before surgery can be performed. Again,
pre-operative testing is done with the main goal of
maximizing safety at the time of surgery.
Potential Test Categories:
Cardiology - Heart Testing
Gastroenterology - Stomach, Large & Small Intestines
Pulmonology - Lungs and sleep apnea
Radiology - Gallbladder and liver, Phlebitis (clots)
Laboratory - Kidneys, diabetes, nutrition
Psychology Evaluation
Nutritional Considerations
No unnecessary tests are obtained.
Possible Tests And
Descriptions
Cardiology-Heart testing
Echocardiogram - An ultrasound of the heart that
produces a moving picture. It is useful for
examining the valves of your heart, the function of
your heart, and the size of your heart.
EKG - Electrocardiogram, a tracing of the
electrical activity occurring during heartbeats,
used in diagnosing potential abnormalities of your
heart's rhythm and detecting evidence of a previous
heart attack.
Stress Test - An EKG of your heart's function
before, during, and after a period of exercise
(using either treadmill exercise or certain
medication to speed your heart rate). This helps to
detect areas of your heart that may not be getting
the best blood flow and may be susceptible to heart
attack.
Gastroenterology-Evaluation of
Stomach, Large and Small Intestine
EGD - Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy or
esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) is an examination
of the lining of the upper part of your
gastrointestinal tract, which includes the
esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (the first part of
the small intestine). This test is useful in
diagnosing problems such as hiatal hernia, GERD and
peptic ulcer disease.
UGI - An upper gastrointestinal series, or barium swallow, is an x-ray test used to examine
the upper digestive tract (the esophagus, stomach,
and small intestine). Because these organs are
normally not visible on x-rays, you will be asked to
swallow a liquid that does show up on x-rays
(barium). This test is useful for diagnosing
cancers, ulcers, hiatal hernia, some causes of
inflammation in the intestine, and some swallowing
problems.
Colonoscopy - An endoscopic examination of the
colon. Your doctor uses a thin, flexible tube called
an endoscope, which has its own lens and light
source. It is essential in diagnosing colon cancer
and finding polyps that could later become
cancerous. This test is also useful for evaluating
the causes of abdominal pain, bleeding, anemia and
diarrhea. Considered one of the routine tools used
in colon cancer prevention.
Pulmonology
ABGs - Arterial Blood Gases: A blood test that
indicates how saturated with oxygen your blood
becomes when it passes through your lungs. A small
sample of blood must be drawn directly out of an
artery. This test is useful in diagnosing pulmonary
disease.
Nocturnal Oximetry - A test that measures your
oxygen saturation while you sleep. An estimate of
your oxygen saturation can be measured easily and
painlessly with a clip that fits on your finger and
is attached to a monitor. If you have sleep apnea
(inability to breath properly when asleep), this
test may detect periods of low blood oxygenation
while you sleep.
Sleep Study - An overnight sleep study is
required to establish a diagnosis of obstructive
sleep apnea. Patients spend an overnight period
under observation and monitoring by sleep
technologists and physicians. Sleep apnea means a
person stops breathing intermittently during their
sleep.
Spirometry - A test that measures how forcefully
you are able to inhale and exhale when you are
trying to take as large a breath as possible. This
test detects certain lung diseases such as emphysema
and severe asthma.
Radiology
Chest X-Ray - An X-Ray picture of the lungs.
Mandatory before surgery for older patients and
patients with a history of lung disease or smoking.
Mammogram - A mammogram is an x-ray of the
breast. It is useful for finding cancers when they
are too small to be felt as a lump.
Abdominal Ultrasound- Ultrasound is a painless
way to view the structures inside your abdomen using
sound waves, a type of sonar detection that
generates a black and white picture. This test is
useful for finding gallstones, checking the liver,
and evaluating other organs.
Laboratory
CBC - Complete Blood Count: A blood test used to
determine the number of red blood cells, white blood
cell and other blood components. This test can be
used to diagnose anemia, infection, and other
problems.
CMP - Complete Metabolic Panel: A blood test
used to check body chemistry and electrolytes. This
test is helpful in assessing kidney and liver
function, blood sugar, and possible alteration in
your body chemistry.
Lipid Profile - A blood test that measures total
cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. This test
is used to help determine risk of coronary artery
disease.
HgbA1C - Hemoglobin A1C: This is a blood test
used to detect the presence of diabetes mellitus
and/or poor blood glucose (sugar) control.
TSH, T4, T3 - Tests of Thyroid Function
Psychological Evaluation
Clinical Interview - An interview with the
clinical psychologist covering such areas as your
medical and psychological history, your prior
attempts at weight loss and your social and health
history.
Psychological Questionnaires - You will be given
four take-home tests to complete. Tests include such
topics as quality of life, health attribution,
eating behavior and depression.
Report - The final report is a compilation of
the results of the interview and the questionnaires.
This evaluation is important for three reasons: 1.
It assures your physician that you are
psychologically able to accommodate the lifestyle
changes necessary following the proposed surgery. 2.
It will provide information which may help us assist
you with behavioral compliance and life-style
adjustments after surgery. 3. Many insurance
companies require psychological screening before
they will pay for the procedure.
Nutritional Consultation
3-Day Dietary Intake - You will be asked to
write down everything you eat and drink for three
days prior to your first appointment so that the
program dietitian can determine your usual eating
patterns and calorie intake.
Dieting History and Interview - Patients provide
a written history of previous weight loss attempts
in their registration packet. During the initial
dietary consult, patients are asked about eating
problems, exercise habits, motivation for overeating
and other facts pertinent to assessment of their
readiness for bariatric surgery. Information on
dietary changes before and after surgery is also
provided.
Nutrition Assessment - The final assessment
combines information on dietary intake, eating
patterns, and dieting history. It will provide
information to our team about necessary dietary and
exercise changes to maximize your success in weight
reduction.
Instruction of Post-operative Dietary Guidelines
- This is designed to help you maximize your weight
loss after surgery. These guidelines will also help
to avoid any malnutrition and to ensure the
healthiest weight loss pattern possible.
Remember, bariatric surgery typically results in
massive permanent weight loss and, if done
correctly, should dramatically improve your health
and quality of life. The pre-operative testing
described above will help your surgical team to
ensure that the surgery is done in the safest
possible way.
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