Talking to my doctor about about VSG

Hello!  My name is Kathryn.  I'm sitting at around 240 pounds and typical weight loss programs have not worked for me in the past few years.  I'm in pain.  I'm always exhausted and I do not feel like a normal 30-something.   I've been researching weight loss surgery for a while now and everything I've seen indicates that VSG is  the best next step for me.  I'm talking to my doctor about it tomorrow and I'd like to leave that office with a referral to a surgery program.  

Any advice on what to say to my doctor to make this happen?  

If you intend to self pay then don't say a dang thing. I didn't want it in my chart notes that I was considering wls. All follow ups have been paid for as though they are normal check ups. Otherwise they would be denied under my plan. 

No, I intend to go through my insurance since I don't have much of an income.  And I'd also much rather have my doctor's cooperation in all this.  

Check your insurance policy carefully and see if bariatric surgery is covered.

You can - and SHOULD - go to a bariatric informational seminar... or two or three! They're free.  Join the OH group for your State of residence (or country; not sure where you live; your message posted on Pacific Time, yet location says Salem, MA?? Maybe all the messages here post on PT - never noticed!).

Look around in that group's archives for surgeon recommendations, or just ask. The State groups are not always very active, though, I've found, so the group's archives may be your best bet. In my case, the Maryland group is not very active, but the archives showed three possibilities in the general area I wanted to pursue. In the end, I went with Johns Hopkins Bariatric Center of Excellence because... Johns Hopkins.   ;)   Had a fantastic experience, fully covered by my medical plan. Would recommend Dr. Schweitzer and his team to anyone considering bariatric surgery.

Good luck! My only regret is not getting it done sooner!

I have a PPO so I didn't need a referral, but I suppose I would be prepared to list all the things you've tried to lose weight and the results of those attempts as best you can recall. I had to do that for my surgeon.

First, if you haven't already, call your insurance company to find out their requirements.  That will prepare you for when you talk to your doc.  

From there, I recommend just telling your doc what you've told us.  This is what I've tried, this is how I feel, this is why I think WLS is right for me, and this is what my insurance company requires.  

If you get nervous talking to your doctor, how about making some notes to take with you? You can help plan out what you want to say, and if you get freaked out or intimidated or something, you can just read off your list. "Here's what I want to do and why I think it would be a good idea. What's your professional opinion?"

Most insurance requires a BMI of over 40 to qualify. At 240 you need to be 5'4" or under. Another way to qualify is to have a BMI of 35-40 with 2 comorbitities (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc) which means that you need to be 5'9" or less. 

Ask your doctor if they are willing to do pre op and post op care. Some are not willing to do that. Ask your doctor if they have worked with a specific clinic or surgeon before and then research the snot out of that clinic and surgeon until you are convinced that they are the best option for you. 

I'm 5'2 which puts my BMI around 42. 

In June 2015, when I had the procedure, my insurance only required one comorbidity if between 35-40 BMI... a change from years past, I know.