Getting Started

Are you ready to start your weight-loss journey and transform your life? To make it easy for you to get started we've provided the following step-by-step instructions.

Step One: Attend our Weight Loss Seminar

We do require interested people to either attend one of our free monthly seminars at Sebastian River Medical Center, or attend an online webinar.  Webinars are a convenient way to attend our informational seminar while never leaving the comfort of your own home or office. You can register for either the seminar or the webinar from this website or call our office 772.581.8003. Usually, seminars are offered on the first Thursday of every month, while webinars are offered on the third Wednesday of each month. However these times may vary so check our signup page for changes. Fruit and non-carbonated beverages are served at seminars.

Step Two: Call Your Insurance Company

We encourage interested people to check to make sure that surgical weight loss is a covered benefit within your insurance plan. It is very important that they are not excluded in your specific policy. Criteria for coverage will vary among insurance companies. Secondly, you may need to provide your insurance company with certain information and codes to determine if the procedure is covered.

The following codes will assist you when calling your carrier to determine if these items are a covered benefit.

• Primary diagnosis is Morbid Obesity 278.01
• The CPT (procedure) code for the Lap-Band Surgery is 43770
• The CPT code for the Lap-Sleeve is 43775.
• The CPT code for repairing or replacing your lap-band uses a variety of codes which include 43771, 43772, 43773 and 43774

Confirmed your coverage? If your insurance confirms that they will cover the bariatric procedure "If medically necessary" you're ready to move on to Step Three!

No bariatric coverage? If your insurance states that obesity surgery is excluded in your policy then the Lap-Band surgery will not be covered by your insurance. But, we would like to help you with identifying other financing options. Please contact Rebecca Godin, our office manager for more information at 772.581.8003.

Additional facility expenses: As with any other Outpatient Elective surgery, you may have co-pay, deductible, or out-of-pocket expenses that your surgical facility may require you to pay.

Step Three: Complete Your Patient Information Form

Please help us by downloading and completing the Patient Information form before your first office visit. You can download the Patient Information form by clicking here.

You will need to visit our office so we can make copies of the following information and submit your paperwork to your health insurance company for approval.

1. Medical Information: Please bring copies of any letters or medical records from other health care providers. Medical records for the past 5 years are necessary to file for insurance and to give the doctors a complete medical history.
2. Physician Recommendation: If filing for insurance, please provide a written recommendation for weight-loss surgery from your primary care physician.
3. Diet / Weight-Loss Info: Any documentation proving you participated in any diet / weight loss attempts. (This includes office notes, receipts or prescriptions.)
4. Insurance card
5. Driver's License
6. Physician Referral: If your insurance plan requires a referral for this consultation, please contact your primary care physician and have one faxed to our office fax at 772.581.8005 before your appointment.

Step Four: Call Us to Schedule a Consultation with the Surgeon

After attending either a bariatric seminar or webinar and deciding that surgery is something you are interested you have a couple of options, You can either make an appointment at the conclusion of the seminar or webinar.  Alternatively you can email us or call our office and schedule a consultation with Dr. Domkowski. During your consultation, we will have an opportunity to go through your weight history with you, decide which surgery is best for you and personally go through your desires and expectations regarding the weight loss surgery. Following your evaluation with the surgeon, we will make an appointment  for you with the nutritionists and we will tell you how to contact Dr. Lynn Williams, our bariatric psychologist. for an evaluation 

Step Five: Make Your Appointments with the Psychologist and Nutritionists

For the health and safety of our patients, we follow the National Institute of Health (NIH) guidelines for bariatric surgery. These guidelines require a psychological evaluation and a nutritional assessment before bariatric surgery. After we have confirmed insurance coverage or you have chosen an alternate method of payment for the procedure, and have consulted with the surgeon you will need to make an appointment with Dr. Williams for your psychological evaluation. We suggests you do this immediately so that you can get in to see her. We will make your nutritional appointment for you which will be at Sebastian River Medical Center. At your nutritional appointment you will receive a food scale and a diet handbook and be instructed on how to use it. 
 
There are a number of nutritional  supplements on the market that are tailored for people preparing for this usurgery. We have several suggestions in our dietary booklet that you will receive during your nutritional appointment. We do not endorse any one particular product. We have received positive feedback on several different products. These include Unjury, Isopure, Muscle Milk Lite and Pure Protein. Kellogs special K protein water is also a popular post operative drink.

Step Six: Your Pre-Operative Visit

Approximately two weeks before your planned surgery you will have your last appointment with Dr Domkowski. At this appointment we will review several things including any remaining questions you may have about the process. You will receive a surgical packet explaining your post operative course, what to expect and resources available to you. Please bring all your prescription bottles so the nurse can explain any alterations that may need to be made. We will also review the pre-operative diet with you and make sure you have all of your supplies. This diet is designed to make your surgery safer by reducing your liver size through a reduction in the amount of glycogen stored within the liver. We want to assist you throughout this process.

If you have any questions, please email or call our offices at 772.581.8003 so we can be of service. At Riverside Surgical and Weight Loss Center we are focused on providing "patient centered" care at each step along this exciting journey!