Am I Eligible?

Bariatric surgeons at North Mississippi Medical Center perform surgery to promote weight loss by restricting food intake or interrupting digestive processes for morbidly obese people.

Only morbidly obese persons (usually greater than twice the ideal body weight) are considered for surgical treatment. Otherwise, the expected risks may outweigh anticipated benefits.

Who is a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

• Weight loss surgery is recommended for individuals with BMI ≥35, regardless of presence, absence or severity of co-morbidities.
• Weight loss surgery is recommended in patients with type 2 diabetes and BMI ≥30.
• Weight loss surgery should be considered in individuals with BMI of 30-34.9 who do not achieve substantial or durable weight loss or co-morbidity improvement using nonsurgical methods.

A patient is morbidly obese when his or her weight creates or will create other medical problems. Morbid obesity is a chronic condition, a disease that is very difficult to treat. This disease can severely impair the quality of life.

The most exact way to define morbid obesity is to use the Body Mass Index (BMI)

The risk of death doubles in obese individuals as compared to non-obese individuals. The risk of cancer quadruples (four times higher).

Also, the risk of death from diabetes or heart attack is 57 times greater than the general population.