Step 6: Nutritional Assesment

Once you have met with our psychologist, you must call our office to schedule an appointment with our nutritionist and one of our nurses: (212) 263-3166. You may not schedule this appointment until you see a psychologist (Step 5).

You must bring all required documentation (see Step 4) and a check for $325, payable to the NYU Program for Surgical Weight Loss. This is a one-time fee for the nutritionist and is not covered by insurance.

During this visit, the nutritionist will review your dietary history. (This Step does not guarantee your candidacy for surgery, which is determined in Step 7, the surgical consultation). The nutritionist will also review the pre-surgery diet with you (see below).

You will also meet with a nurse, who will obtain a complete medical history and conduct a physical. You can also use this opportunity to review any questions you may have regarding weight-loss surgery and to access Emmi , our web-based pre-surgical education tool.

For two weeks prior to your surgery, you will be placed on a low-calorie, mostly liquid diet, which is limited to 1,000 calories per day and contains at least 50 grams of protein. Your calories will come from protein/meal replacement shakes. These shakes can be purchased directly from our office, through our local Optifast distributor, or at your neighborhood drugstore or grocer. You will also be permitted to have low-calorie vegetables in small portions at dinner.

Step 7: Schedule a Surgical Consultation