UT Southwestern Medical Center's Clinical Center for the Management of Obesity provides comprehensive treatment for weight loss and obesity. The center is a regional and national referral center for weight-loss surgery, having achieved many milestones:

• We performed the first Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in Texas in 1999.
• We were the first in North Texas to perform laparoscopic gastric banding
  surgeries in 2001.
• We have performed approximately 4,000 procedures and trained more than
  100 surgeons nationwide.
• UT Southwestern University Hospital - St. Paul has been designated a Bariatric Surgery
  Center of Excellence by the American College of Surgeons.
• The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery has been designated by the American
  College of Surgeons as a regional educational center for surgeons in the southwestern United States.
• UT Southwestern has received major funding from the National Institute of
  Health for interdisciplinary research in the causes and treatments of obesity.

Weight control can often be achieved through proper diet, exercise and counseling. However, when a patient is seriously overweight or obese, surgery may be a consideration. UT Southwestern's weight-loss specialists provide guidance to patients who might be considering weight-loss surgery, including the benefits and risks of each surgical option.

Who is eligible for surgery?
With rare exception, UT Southwestern adheres to the  National Institute of Health guidelines regarding weight requirements for laparoscopic, weight-loss surgery:

• Body mass index (BMI) greater than 40
• BMI greater than 35 if patient has high-risk, associated complications
• no previous extensive abdominal surgery (usually excluding appendectomy, Caesarean section, gallbladder removal and hysterectomy)

Note to New Bariatric Patients:
Please print out our Bariatric Patient Questionnaire and bring the completed form to your first appointment.