So you’ve struggled with obesity for many years of your life and now – having been unsuccessful with multiple attempts at diets and currently struggling with a host of conditions that are related to your weight – you’ve decided that surgery is your best option for losing weight and getting healthy. Certainly, no one enters into the decision for weight loss surgery lightly. There are many decisions to make including whether or not you are up for the procedure itself, the recovery that takes place after, and the lifestyle changes that must be made in order to achieve and maintain weight loss goals. Ultimately, your choice of doctor will make the biggest difference in your surgery experience, recovery, and life following surgery. Your weight loss doctor will determine if you are a candidate for surgery and, if you are, will work with you to establish an individual plan for surgery, recovery, and lifestyle changes.

So how do you choose the right weight loss surgeon for you?

• Logistics. If possible, you’ll want to choose the most qualified weight loss surgeon nearest to your home. Your survey will require pre-surgery testing as well as follow-up care. You’ll want your doctor close by for convenient appointments and easy access.

• Reputation. In the age of the internet, we now have access to all the information we need in terms of professional reputation, and the reputation of our medical professionals is no exception. Get online to read about other patients’ experience with a doctor that you are considering.

• Experience. How many weight loss procedures has your doctor performed? Do they specialize in a particular surgery? What is their treatment philosophy and plan for after-care?

• Fit. In the end, you want to work with a weight loss surgeon who is a fit for your personality and that works in a way that makes you most comfortable.

Your choice of weight loss surgeon will set the tone for your experience so be sure to choose wisely and after much research.