Step 1 - Patient Seminar

South Texas Lap Band holds free seminars for those who are interested in knowing more about weight loss surgery procedures. In these seminars, held by Dr. del Pino, the public learns who qualifies for the surgery, the benefits, the risks, and the alternatives. What is involved before and after surgery, as well as how to be able to afford it. People leave with ease knowing that the staff of South Texas Lap Band is here to answer any questions that you might have. Please remember you are always welcome to come back again for another seminar.

Step 2 - Office Visit

After you attend our seminar, please call our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. del Pino, our weight loss surgeon. When you come to South Texas Lap Band for a visit, you can be assured our staff is prepared to help you understand what weight loss surgery means and how you can go through it faster and easier. The first visit will probably be the one that takes longer. This visit helps us know the details and your specific needs. Dr. del Pino will meet with you on a one to one basis. He will answer all your questions and he will help you decide which procedure is best for you. He will also determine what additional work up needs to be done so that your surgery will be done safely.

Step 3 - Education

South Texas Lap Band is dedicated to educating its patients on how they can achieve a better and healthier way of life. Our offices contain different brochures and information that patients can take home with them for their review, or to be shared with friends and family. We believe that in order to achieve the results you want; you and those around you must understand how weight loss surgery works and have support from them.

Step 4 – Payment Options

Many Insurance companies cover weight loss surgery procedures; however, each insurance policy is different. Our staff will work to help you understand the criteria required by your insurance company. We will submit all required information to make your approval process run as smoothly as possible.

If your insurance company does not cover that weight loss surgery, or if you do not have insurance, don't get discouraged. You will be impressed with our patient financing programs. Please, feel free to ask our staff about them.

Step 5 – Pre-operative Work-up

All patients without exceptions must complete extensive mandatory work-up to minimize the chance of complications and maximize safety and excellent outcomes of weight loss surgery. The work-up is the same for all weight loss surgery procedures:

• Psychology or psychiatry evaluation: mandated by insurance companies to make sure you understand what surgery is all about
• Nutrition evaluation: to assess your nutritional knowledge and status
• Physical therapy evaluation: to assess your mobility and plan for post-operative work-up plan
• EGD and biopsy: Dr del Pino evaluates the anatomy of your stomach and rule out diseases of the stomach
• Pulmonary clearance: requires pulmonary function tests and chest x-ray. May require additional sleep studies if the specialist suspects that you suffer from sleep apnea
• Cardiac clearance: requires EKG and lipid panel. May require additional testing including 2D-Echo and/or stress test to assess the fitness of your cardiovascular system
• Pre-operative anesthesia evaluation. The specialist who will put you to sleep during surgery meets with you before surgery and reviews all the pre-operative work-up information to determine the best and safest anesthesia for you
• Pre-op lab work