Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies

I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone considering weight loss surgery. It will become a valuable tool in helping you make your decision. Should you decide to have WLS, it will guide you through the numerous tests and insurance hurdles, the hospital stay, potential complications, post-op diet, and post-op emotions. I read this book three times on my journey towards WLS. I'm now a couple of weeks post-op and continue consulting it several times a week. One of the authors is the surgeon that Al Roker selected for his weight-loss surgery (before she had written this book). Roker wrote a short intro to the book that explains how he extensively researched WLS and interviewed eight surgeons before selecting Dr. Kurian. Roker has the money to go to any surgeon in the world, and the fact that he chose Dr. Kurian among the eight that he interviewed emphasizes Kurian's expertise in the field. What impressed me most about this book was that the authors provided reliable and exhaustive information but didn't try to "sell" the readers on having this surgery. Unlike most other WLS books, this one covers not only the standard Roux-en-Y and its variations but also other procedures increasingly being considered by patients, such as Lap-Band and bibliopancreatic diversion. Less common procedures are also described. After a description of each procedure, the authors provide a list of pros and cons to that procedure. Every step of the journey towards WLS is explained in detail here, including the numerous tests the surgeon will require, getting insurance approval, the hospital stay, the post-op diet, potential complications, and psychological factors. It is truly exhaustive.

Wherever I go when I have this book it's title attracts attention! The book has everything from is this surgery right for you? To recipies and even has a excerpt frm Al Roker. If you are having surgery or even thinking about having it get this book! I am so happy that I read the reviews before I bought this book. I am anticpating surgery by summer 07. This is my WLS Bible. You will NOT be dissapointed getting this fablous book. It explains the surgery, what to expect, the day before surgery, what happens in the hospital etc.... I love this book and it will be with me untill I have my surgery,good luck to those who want to or are contiplating to have surgery.

I read this book from cover to cover, and found it to be excellent. As the director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (www.nawls.com) I already had read a lot about weight loss surgery -- and I still learned quite a bit from this book! I highly recommend it to pre-ops and post-ops alike.

I have researched most info on line...this book would have saved me the time and effort spent scouring the web for input. I love the layout of this book, taking time to comment on each stage in the process of changing your life. Even a section on "Is this surgery right for you". I call it my wls bible. I was pleasently surprised to find a foreword by Al Roker. I'm really excited about the course I am choosing for myself and this book is a wonderful guide to help me along the way. It should be required reading for anyone thinking about making this huge life changing decision.

I purchased this book shortly before my surgery. I was impressed with how thorough it was. It re-verified the information that I had received from my surgeon and local support group but also gave ideas for many recipes and discussed the non-physical changes more in depth than even my surgeon's handbook did.