Casco Bay Surgery

10 Andover Road
Portland, Maine 04102
207-761-6642
www.cascobaysurgery.com

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Bariatric Surgery Program
Support Group Schedules

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Due to the the large number of interested people and the limited space available for meetings, we must restrict attendance to our support groups to patients who are actively involved in an evaluation by the MMC Bariatric Surgery Team or who have already had surgery by one of our surgeons. Each patient may bring along a family member or support person. If you have moved to the Portland area after having surgery done somewhere else, please contact us before coming to a meeting. We track attendance at support groups; in order to get credit for the required pre-operative attendance, be sure you sign in.

Last minute cancellations (weather, etc.) will be announced on our phone greeting and/or on TV.

Pre-Operative Support Groups

Gastric Bypass Support Group

When: 1^st Tuesday of every month, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
           3^rd Tuesday of every month, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Where: MMC Bariatric Surgery Center
Who:
        - any post-operative gastric bypass patient looking for support
        - pre-operative gastric bypass patients who have been assigned clinic appointments
Format:
        - facilitated by a Bariatric Surgery Team member
        - open discussion of topics brought up by the group or by the bariatric team
        - occasional topic-focused discussions
This group satisfies the pre-operative attendance requirement (one support group) for patients seeking gastric bypass surgery but not lap-band surgery.

Lap-Band Support Group

When: 2^nd Friday of every month, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
           3^rd Wednesday of every month, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: Bariatric Surgery Center
Who:
        - any Lap-Band post-operative patient looking for support
        - pre-operative lap-band patients who have been assigned clinic appointments
Format:
        - facilitated by a Bariatric Surgery Team member
        - open discussion of topics brought up by the group or by the bariatric team
        - occasional topic-focused discussions
This group satisfies the pre-operative attendance requirement (one support group) for patients seeking lap-band surgery but not gastric bypass surgery.

Post-Operative Support Groups

	Gastric Bypass Support Group (open to pre-operative & post-operative patients)
	Lap-Band Support Group (open to pre-operative & post-operative patients)

Success-Oriented Support Groups (open only to post-operative patients)

These are discussion groups facilitated by a bariatric program social worker. They are directed toward achieving early and long-term success in weight control, body acceptance, relationships, and other areas. The groups encourage patients to develop and share strategies that help them to be successful in making the necessary lifestyle changes and to provide feedback and support to each other regarding their successes and struggles.

Strategies for Success Group

When: 2nd Tuesday of every month, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: Bariatric Surgery Center
Who: Any patient who is 3 months or more post-op from either gastric bypass or lap-band surgery
Format:
        - Facilitated by a social worker-therapist.
        - Focus on ways to increase mindful eating, make time for both healthy eating and daily exercise, respond effectively to triggers that may prompt overeating and/or making poor food choices, increase self-care techniques, conquer cravings, improve body image, and maintain a high level of motivation in order to prevent relapse.

Long-Term Success Group

When: Last Tuesday of every month, 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Where: Bariatric Surgery Center
Who: Any patients who is 24 months or more post-op from either gastric bypass or lap-band surgery
Format:
        - Facilitated by one of our therapists.
        - Focus on relapse prevention, body acceptance, and interpersonal relationships impacted by the surgery.

The Bariatric Surgery Center
12 Andover Road
Portland, Maine 04102
(207)-761-5612
Toll-Free: (866)-268-9274
Fax: (207)-253-6073

These pages were created and are maintained by Casco Bay Surgery, PA
Last updated 5/18/08