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What Are the Different Types of Bariatric Jobs?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

Bariatric jobs consist of much more than a surgeon role. Nurses, anesthesiologists and respiratory personnel are all included in the operating room staff. This does not, however, make up the bulk of the bariatric jobs. Individuals, from counselors and weight-loss experts to personal trainers and dietitians, all work with patients for months or years prior to any surgery taking place. Several of the bariatric jobs are focused on post-operative care, such as physical therapists and life coaches. Even relationship experts are called upon to aid the patient in healthy relationship building when the time is right.

With obesity on the rise worldwide, some of the fastest growing opportunities within the medical profession are bariatric jobs. Beginning with the personal physician or family doctor, the bariatric patient is usually referred to a dietitian in an attempt to reduce body weight. Personnel filling bariatric jobs in the form of personal trainers and counselors often help the client reach a weight-loss goal. When this fails, the patient is commonly referred to others with bariatric jobs such as specialists who deal with the mental and physical relationship with obesity. Usually, this is the point that the option of surgery begins to be discussed seriously.

A bariatric surgeon may be responsible for performing gastric lap band surgeries.
A bariatric surgeon may be responsible for performing gastric lap band surgeries.

Key bariatric jobs that come into focus at this point include the cardiologists who make certain the patient's heart can withstand the operation, respiratory specialists who determine the patient's ability to survive the operation and the surgeon, who explains the overall procedure to the patient. Once the patient is readied for the procedure, the full group of operating room staff are called upon to complete the operation safely and successfully. In severe obesity cases, an emergency resuscitation crew is also called upon to stand by in the case of a life-threatening emergency.

With obesity on the rise worldwide, some of the fastest growing opportunities within the medical profession are bariatric jobs.
With obesity on the rise worldwide, some of the fastest growing opportunities within the medical profession are bariatric jobs.

After the operation, personnel filling other key bariatric jobs such as nutritionists begin to help the patient create sensible meal plans and snacks. Counseling staff, once again, work with the patients to help them understand cravings and the emotional and mental difficulties that accompany this type of procedure. Often, home care nursing providers visit the patient during the recovery period to dress the wounds as well as to provide medical monitoring used in evaluating progress by the surgical staff. Once sufficient weight has been lost, a surgical crew who specializes in the removal of excess skin is called upon to remove the massive amounts of loose skin that are common for patients who have lost a great deal of weight.

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    • A bariatric surgeon may be responsible for performing gastric lap band surgeries.
      By: llhedgehogll
      A bariatric surgeon may be responsible for performing gastric lap band surgeries.
    • With obesity on the rise worldwide, some of the fastest growing opportunities within the medical profession are bariatric jobs.
      By: fivepointsix
      With obesity on the rise worldwide, some of the fastest growing opportunities within the medical profession are bariatric jobs.