Question:
i will be 57 in Oct. can i still go for gastric bypass and where do i start
— truck-n-on (posted on August 24, 2007)
August 24, 2007
I has the Lap bypass done two years ago this coming Oct. I was 63 and no
problems. I have lost 147 lbs. Talk with the doctor and he will tell you
which one will be best for you.. Good Luck..
"Carol"
— Carol Giusto
August 24, 2007
I was 6 weeks away from 58 when I had RNY lap done. Sorry I waited so
long.
— Diane C.
August 24, 2007
I have a friend who just had Gastric bypass @ 61, her weight at surgery was
400 lbs. / she is 6 mos post and now weighs 270 (-130)...start by talking
to your regular physician & make sure your ins. co covers what if any
procedures
— tiffany E.
August 24, 2007
I have not had surgery yet but I started by going to a seminar. They will
give you all the information you need to know.
— bnbarre
August 24, 2007
I was 58 when I had mine- I am now 59 and down 156#- start with your
primary care doctor- get his/her support then have them help you with the
insurance process. Be persistent if this is what you want- check to see if
any of your hospitals have support groups for by pass clients and see if
you can attend some to learn all you can- work with your doc to try to
locate a surgeon who specializes in this surgery- after all you wouldn't a
a general surgeon to do brain or heart surgery would you? Good luck. Donna
— dabby
August 24, 2007
I'm 45 and I thought I was too old but I was told as long as youre over 18
so I say go for it. I haven't had mines yet. A lady at my job was 55 when
she had her's and she look great. She even wears belly shirts now.
— bchicks42
August 24, 2007
I am 61, will have my wls on Oct 1st. I am so ready to be thinner. Had many
tests to go through to make sure there would be no surprises during
surgery.
— Evelyn J.
August 24, 2007
the oldest patient my surgeon did was 78
— Robert-P
August 25, 2007
I was 60 when I started the prescreening process and 61 when I had RNY
surgery. Your age is not as important a factor as your general state of
health, including mental as well as physical. I went through upper-GI,
lower-GI (ultrasound), heart testing, and psychological evaluation prior to
being approved. I also had a proctoscopy exam just prior to entering the
program or I would have needed one of those too. There may be some age
limit beyond which most surgeons or anesthesiologists will not perform such
elective surgery but I don't know what it is. It is certainly *NOT* 57.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 25, 2007
I was 57 last October and had my gastric bypass done June 5th of this year.
Would do it again in a heartbeat!!! Have lost 60 pounds and am absolutely
delighted. I started out with my PCP and my insurance company (Blue Shield
of California) who referred me to Dr. John Morton at Stanford. Good Luck
to you!!
— Sherry Leet
August 27, 2007
I will be 59 in Oct. and had the gastric bypass surgery last Monday. As
stated by another, I wish I would have done it a long time ago. I was
warned that my insurance would not cover it because I had Aetna HMO and
that I had to be under a doctor supervised weight loss program for several
months. Trying to get a regular doctor to supervise weight loss for me was
a joke.
Well, I had to quit listening to everyone and just do things myself. I
started my process by visiting with a highly recommended bariatric surgeon
in my area who would perform the operation and explained the process for
both gastric bypass and lapband. Based on my history, he suggested I have
the bypass. After contacting my insurance company, my bariatric
coordinator gave me the list of everything I would need to get approved.
Well two of the big ones I just didn't have - supervised weight loss and a
supervised exercise plan. What I did have was tons of records, receipts,
etc, I had accumulated over the years pertaining to weight issues, such as
Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Quick Weight Loss, Hypothyroid diagnosis,
bone spurs, back pain, hypertension, etc. I also noted the weight I was at
the time of each (I had 10 years of paper that I knew I was keeping for
some reason). I spent one weekend making a chronological list on a sheet
of paper to turn in to the surgeon. I also needed a letter from my PCP
recommending the surgery. My doctor, not totally supportive of bypass
surgery, but totally aware of my need to lose 210 lb., wrote a letter for
me. I do think his letter was the clincher as it was truely from his
heart. It reflected his opinion of the surgery, but under the
circumstances, it didn't appear I did not have any other alternative. He
noted I was carrying the weight of more than two people and my structure,
my heart and other organs would not be able to withstand the load the
additional weight would place on them. He said I was entering into my 6th
decade (Oh, that sounds so old) and consequences of my obesity would surely
lead to severe health complications or an early death. After that letter,
plus the list, I was approved within 1 month. I did see the PSYCH and a
NUT, but the exercise stuff was waived because of my back. It was a whirl
wind experience and it is hard for me to believe I am already 1 week out
from the surgery. I feel great and adjusting to the loss of my closest
friend, food. I don't dare get on the scale just yet because I know you do
experience a temporary gain due to all the fluids and air they pump into
you. However, I can already feel the difference - I can actually walk 20
feet without getting out of breath. I also know I will be able to resume
eating normal foods in the future but have truely committed myself to a
healthy lifestyle involving food choices and excercises
— BonnieP
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