Mercy Bariatric Center - Joplin

Tired of all the things you can't do because of your weight? Mercy Clinic General Surgery - Joplin can change that. We're more than a surgery center. We'll guide and support you before, during and after your weight loss surgery to ensure your long-term success. Mercy Bariatric Center says "Yes, you can."

We offer a comprehensive team approach for each patient. The services of dietitians, psychologists, specialized nurses and physicians working together helps patients achieve success with weight loss goals.

What is Bariatric Surgery?

Bariatrics is simply the field of medicine focused on obesity, its causes, prevention and treatments. Bariatric surgery is divided into two different approaches to helping treat obesity: restrictive, where the stomach's size and capacity are reduced, and malabsorption, where the stomachs ability to absorb calories and nutrients is reduced.

At Mercy Bariatrics our team of leading experts is ready to help you meet your weight loss and health goals. We provide a variety of bariatric procedures including gastric sleeve, gastric banding and gastric bypass. In addition to your primary care physician, we call on our psychologists, dietitians, physical therapists, cardiologists, pulmonologists and surgeons to ensure your success. Bariatric surgery is just one part of your lifelong commitment to better health-but we're here to help.

Am I Eligible for Bariatric Surgery?

Bariatric surgery is a great way to help build a healthy lifestyle, but it's not for everyone. For weight loss surgery to be a viable option, patients must meet the following criteria:

You're 100 pounds or more over your ideal weight and have one of the following conditions:

1. A body mass index, or BMI, between 35 and 40, and
   • Diabetes
   • Sleep Apnea
   • High Blood Pressure
   • Your weight is causing health problems
2. Or have a BMI of 40 or more and none of the above health conditions.

Disclaimer: Surgery may be associated with its own set of problems, such as infection, poor wound healing, and rarely even death. Therefore, you and your surgeon should carefully discuss the risks of your current health condition compared to the risks and benefits of surgery.