Important Information
New patient and telehealth visits available online
You can now meet our physicians and staff of the Tulane Bariatric Center via telehealth and start your weight-loss journey from the comfort of home. Our free, introductory "new patient" classes are now offered via Zoom, and they provide a great opportunity to see if weight-loss surgery is the right choice for you. And established patients now have the option of seeing our physicians with a virtual visit for most pre- and post-operative appointments. To learn more, please call (504) 988-5110 or click the buttons below.
More than 78.6 million American adults are obese, which accounts for one-third of the adults in our country.
Obesity and Your Quality of Life
Our caring, knowledgeable weight loss surgery team wants to help you take charge of your health. Obesity can seriously affect your quality of life and it can increase your risk of other chronic, life-threatening diseases, like:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Sleep apnea
- Heart disease
- Stroke
Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You?
Knowing your weight loss surgery options is important. There is not a single solution, but rather a combination of methods to treat obesity. These “tools” are part of a comprehensive approach to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, while improving your health. The right combination of tools and lifestyle changes are essential to a successful obesity treatment plan.
Bariatric surgical procedures cause weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold, causing malabsorption of nutrients, or by a combination of both gastric restriction and malabsorption. The most common bariatric surgery procedures are gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Each surgery has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Am I a Candidate? Calculate Your BMI
If you have tried to lose weight in the past, but haven't been able to keep the weight off and you meet certain requirements, you may be a candidate for weight loss surgery.
Many factors can help determine if you’re a candidate for weight loss surgery. Your body mass index (BMI) is a good place to start.
Calculate Your BMI
Your BMI is:
| BMI | Classification | Health Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18.5 | Underweight | Minimal | 18.5 - 24.9 | Normal Weight | Minimal | 25 - 29.9 | Overweight | Increased | 30 - 34.9 | Obese | High | 35 - 39.9 | Severely Obese | Very High | Extremely High |
If your BMI was higher than 30, you may be an eligible candidate for weight loss surgery.
Procedures Available
- Sleeve gastrectomy laparoscopic (gastric sleeve)
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band
- Revisions of previous weight loss surgeries
