Weight Loss Surgery Program

Our virtual WLS education program includes:

Telehealth Consultation

An initial telehealth consultation/ assessment for surgery with the Registered Dietitian who specializes in bariatric nutrition.

Online Bariatric Education

This class goes over the necessary life-long eating habits, reading food labels, portion control, understanding the differences between fat-free, low-fat, reduced-fat, and light foods, how to calculate whether or not a recipe or prepared food is considered low-fat using the information from the nutrition label, how to identify hidden sugars in foods, reducing/removing “empty calories” from your fluid intake, the importance of protein, mini-meal examples and more.

Online Pre-Op Nutrition/Vitamin Class

This class includes information on vitamin, mineral, and protein supplements, including purchasing information are discussed. Vitamin deficiencies are real and can cause serious health issues; we see these issues regularly in patients not following a post-surgery vitamin/supplement regimen. Deficiencies can occur many years after surgery, and they are 100% preventable. Our goal is to help patients achieve optimal health and prevent all of these avoidable complications with detailed education and support. Also discussed are ways to avoid post-surgery complications that can happen at any time after your surgery such as dehydration, constipation, gas, etc. This class will help you prepare for the liquid diet your surgeon will place you on both before and immediately after surgery.

Letter to Surgeon

Clearance letter to the Surgeon indicating the patient is ready for surgery once you have completed all the mandatory classes.

Notice to all patients:

• Labwork must be ordered by your surgeon or primary Dr if you do not have a surgeon. The Dietitian will review your yearly labs in follow-up appointments with her. We offer one-on-one telehealth follow-ups and online coaching. It is your responsibility to make a once-a-year follow-up appointment or online coaching session for lab review. You will need to have the labs faxed to our office at 443-490-5060 for the Dietitian to review them. Labs are not automatically sent to our office from the ordering physician, it is the patient’s responsibility to send a copy to our office. We can also not request copies to be sent to us from your physician, this must be done by the patient. It is the patient’s responsibility to contact our office to make an appointment to review these labs and receive deficiency repletion information.
  
• Any additional services not listed above, have a fee for service for which the patient is responsible. (Ex. follow-ups, online coaching, classes, seminars, materials, memberships, etc.)
  
• Hardcopies of educational materials are available for purchase. The fee is $40 per class requested. Please call 443-490-1240 to request the materials. We will mail the hard copy materials to you directly.

Are you seeking REVISION surgery?

ASMBS guidelines have determined the need for pre-operative lab work to be done to identify any vitamin/ mineral deficiencies before surgical clearance may be granted. Your dietitian will discuss this with you at your initial consultation. Once you have had the required lab work completed and faxed to our office the dietitian will provide recommendations to you via email or phone consultation.

• All Services listed above, PLUS you may be required to complete our StriveMD 7-part CBT group. For more information contact 443-490-1240. There is a fee associated with this program that is due in full at the time of the first meeting. This is an out-of-pocket expense to the patient.