What We Provide
for Our Patients
Pre-Op Consultation:
When a Physician's office or prospective patient calls our center for a pre-op consultation we will schedule the patient for an appointment with our surgeon within a timely manner. The scheduler will inform the patient of anything that he or she will need to bring to the appointment. At the time of the consult, the surgeon will weigh the patient, calculate their BMI and assess their co-morbidities. He will then review all the benefits and risks of obesity surgery will discuss the actual surgical procedure appropriate for the patient. The surgeon will answer all questions that the patient may have concerning the procedure. Once the surgeon/patient consult is completed, the patient will be directed to our administrative coordinator and she will provide the patient detailed instructions for completing the process to submit necessary paperwork to the insurance company for authorization for the procedure.
Dietary Consultation:
After the patient's initial consult they will be directed to attend our Nutrition Class. The class is taught by a registered dietician specializing in bariatrics. All patients will attend this class prior to submission of paperwork to the insurance company for authorization. This diet is directed specifically to the bariatric patient. The patient is instructed in post surgical dietary protocols. The patient is taught how to manage their dietary intake in order to maximize their weight loss while maintaining their nutritional needs following surgery. The dietician is available for consult with the patient at any time following surgery for further guidance.
Psychiatric Evaluation:
We require a psychiatric consult to evaluate that the patient is psychologically prepared for obesity surgery and able to cope with the many changes that will be taking place following surgery. The consult may be scheduled the patient's area with a provider familiar with bariatric surgery. If this can not be accomplished in a timely manner, our office will assist the patient in obtaining an appointment with a provider in Ocala.
Post Operative Care:
Following surgery the patient will be seen in our office for staple removal, then at 6 weeks, followed by 3 month follow-ups until their weight loss has stabilized. Our Florida Bariatric Center registered nurse is available to triage medical questions and to give guidance to the patient. At any time, if the patient needs to be evaluated by the surgeon this will be done. We have a surgeon on call 24 hours a day for patient needs.
Local Support Group:
Research indicates that patients who participate in a support group tend to have greater success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is important that they be provided with the opportunity participate in a support group. We will provide our patients with local support group locations and meeting times. This gives the patient an opportunity to attend at least one group meeting each month. The meetings provide educational topics related to bariatric surgery patients along with a question and answer period where participants are able to give to and receive support from their peers.
Insurance Authorization and Billing:
Once the patient has met the requirements for processing, the surgeon will dictate the letter of Medical Necessity. Our authorization specialist will forward the entire packet to the insurance company. She will inform the patient that she has done this. Authorization usually takes a period of 4-6 weeks. On occasion the authorization is received sooner. Once the authorization is received, the nurse will contact the patient to schedule their surgery. The patient may be responsible to place a small deposit prior to surgery. Following the surgery, the billing office will submit the claim to the insurance company for payment. Once final payment is received if there is a balance the patients deposit will be applied and any amount remaining will be returned to the patient.
