Free patient tool

Prepare for your weight-loss surgery consultation

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) starts with a consultation. Arriving organized helps you and your team make a careful, well-informed decision together. Fill in what applies, then print a one-page prep sheet to bring.

Nothing you type here is sent or stored by this website — it exists only in your browser and on your printed sheet.

Not heading for surgery? Start with the Medical Weight-Loss Appointment Checklist.

This free, private checklist helps you prepare for a weight-loss (bariatric) surgery consultation — what to bring, the health conditions and questions to raise, and how your kidney health, hydration, and kidney-stone risk are monitored before and after surgery.

Your privacy: This is a free educational tool. You don’t create an account or sign in, and nothing you type is sent, collected, or stored — it stays in your browser and only appears on the sheet you choose to print.

1 · What to bring

Tick these as you pack them. Your printed sheet will list them as reminders.

Photo ID, your insurance card, and any referral or authorization letter A current list of all medicines, injections, vitamins, and supplements (with doses), including any blood thinners and diabetes medicines A note of any nicotine, alcohol, or cannabis use Your most recent lab results — especially blood sugar (HbA1c), cholesterol, blood and urine tests checking your kidney health, liver tests, and vitamin levels — or lab/portal access Documentation of past weight-loss attempts (diets, programs, supervised plans, medicines) — many insurers ask for this Records of any past surgeries, especially on the stomach, bowel, or gallbladder Results of a sleep study, endoscopy, or heart tests, if you have had them A trusted friend or family member, if possible

2 · Your weight & health history

Rough figures are fine. This stays in your browser and is only printed on your own sheet.

Highest adult weight

Current weight

Lowest adult weight

Height

Waist circumference (if known)

How long have you lived with obesity?

When did weight gain start, and was there a trigger (pregnancy, a medicine, quitting smoking)?

What have you already tried — diets, programs, medicines, surgery? What helped, what didn’t?

Allergies or bad reactions to any medicine

3 · Health conditions to mention

Check anything that applies. These are important context for your team to discuss the safest options with you.

Diabetes or prediabetes High blood pressure Heart disease or history of stroke Obstructive sleep apnea, or loud snoring / daytime sleepiness Fatty liver disease Chronic acid reflux or severe heartburn Kidney disease (reduced kidney function) Kidney stones — now or in the past Blood clots in your legs or lungs, or bleeding problems Joint or back pain that limits movement PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) Gallstones Mental health conditions (such as depression, anxiety, eating patterns, or other concerns you discuss with a counselor or therapist) Cancer treatment, transplant medicines, steroid pills, chemotherapy, biologic medicines, or other medicines that may affect healing or infection risk Past problems with anesthesia, a breathing tube (intubation), or waking up after surgery If you could become pregnant: pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant If you could become pregnant: the birth control method you currently use

4 · Lifestyle & habits to discuss

Tick anything you’d like to talk about — daily habits shape the plan before and after surgery.

My typical eating pattern (meals, snacking, grazing, or night eating) Sugary drinks or alcohol Smoking, vaping, or other nicotine use The physical activity I can currently manage Support at home for recovery and diet changes How I cope with stress, and whether eating is tied to it

5 · Questions about the surgery

Pick the ones you want on your sheet — add your own at the visit.

Which procedure do you recommend for me (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, or another), and why? What are the benefits and the risks of that procedure in my situation? How might surgery affect my other conditions — diabetes, blood pressure, sleep apnea, kidney function? Because of my kidney history, are there kidney-related issues we should discuss when comparing procedure options, such as sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass? How will my kidney health, hydration, kidney-stone risk, and labs be monitored before and after surgery? How long do I need to be completely nicotine-free and smoke-free before and after surgery? How long should I wait to become pregnant after surgery, and what birth control is safest during rapid weight loss? Will my medicines or their doses need to change after surgery? What vitamins and supplements will I need, and for how long? What diet and eating changes come before and after surgery? What evaluations are needed before surgery (nutrition, psychology, tests)? How long is recovery, and when can I return to work and normal activity? What happens if I regain weight later, and what are the options then?

6 · My support & follow-up plan

Surgery is a long-term partnership. Tick what you understand or want to confirm with your team.

I know who will help me at home after surgery I understand follow-up visits and blood tests may be long term I understand vitamins and minerals may be needed long term I know who to call if I have vomiting, dehydration, severe belly pain, black stools, chest pain, shortness of breath, or kidney-stone symptoms

7 · My goals & main concern

What matters most to me about this decision

My biggest question or worry about surgery

Last reviewed: July 2026 · Amir S. Naderi, MD, FASN — Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology (ABIM)

Sources & independence

This checklist is informed by publicly available metabolic and bariatric surgery guidelines and quality standards, including ASMBS/IFSO indications, perioperative bariatric guidance, and the current MBSAQIP standards. It is an organizational aid, not a clinical protocol. Nephrobesity.com is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASMBS, IFSO, ACS, or MBSAQIP.

Clinicians: you are welcome to share this page with patients preparing for a visit.

My weight-loss surgery consultation — prep sheet

Created · nephrobesity.com

Name: Consultation date:

My weight & history

Conditions to mention

Lifestyle to discuss

Support & follow-up

My goals & main concern

Questions I want to ask

Bring to my consultation

Educational information only. This educational worksheet is for discussion only. It does not give medical advice, determine whether you qualify for surgery, replace a formal medical evaluation, or create a doctor–patient relationship. Review all information with your bariatric surgery team.

From nephrobesity.com · Obesity medicine & patient education, explained honestly.