Our Process

Your Journey

Because there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to weight loss, our process begins with a real conversation about your health, your story, and your goals. From the first discussion through surgery and recovery, a compassionate, experienced team will guide you through a tailored process to support you. Our goal is to provide numerous touch points for our patients before and after their surgery, so they never feel alone.

Your weight loss journey begins with a phone call to our Bariatric Surgery Program at 305-674-2202. Our trained schedulers will ask brief health screening questions, after which they will advise on the next steps of your appointment.

Before you come in, a surgical coordinator will contact you to navigate through your insurance referral and verification process. At your initial office visit, you will get to know your surgeon, physician assistant, nutritionist, and surgical coordinator.

This dedicated team is here to ensure you receive the best level of care, guiding you throughout your weight loss journey. During your appointment:

• Your surgeon and physician assistant will medically assess you for surgery and share required qualifications.
• Your dietitian will advise you on diet, exercise, nutritional supplements, and compliance to your prescribed regimen.
• Your surgical coordinator will navigate the appointment scheduling and insurance authorization process.

Once your initial visit is complete, you will be given a list of appointments that are required prior to surgery, including a follow-up visit with your surgeon and nutritionist, bariatric lab work, psychiatric evaluation, and any additional testing that is required based on your individual history. The surgical coordinator will work with you to ensure all pre-operative requirements are completed.

While you will have our dedicated help throughout your journey, this process does require significant involvement on the patient’s part. Patients must agree to comply with all therapy, required lifestyle modifications, and recommendations made by their physicians and health care providers to achieve and maintain the best results possible.

Two weeks before surgery, you will visit the office for an appointment with your surgeon, physician assistant, nutritionist, and surgical coordinator. You will be given orders for any remaining pre-operative testing that may be required, along with instructions for the day of your surgery. On the day of your procedure, you will present to Mount Sinai’s Skolnick Surgical Tower. After final pre-operative preparations, your surgeon will speak with you, and you will be brought into the operating room.

Bariatric surgery typically takes 2 to 4 hours, but this can be shorter or longer based on your case. You can expect to be in the hospital for two days following the procedure. Our bariatric-trained nurses will care for you throughout your hospital stay, as well as the surgeon and nutritionist, who will provide feedback on your progress and discharge instructions.

Two weeks after surgery, you will have a follow-up visit in the office with your entire care team, who will assess your progress, answer any questions you may have, and further inform you on the process moving forward.

Our Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery team is committed to your long-term success and will work to coordinate subsequent office visits ranging from two weeks to six months to one year after surgery, followed by annual visits. Our support goes beyond the surgery itself—we stay connected through regular check-ins and wellness planning, empowering you to sustain a healthy weight and a healthy life for many years to come.