Question:
If I only have 55 lbs. to lose can I qualify for Bariatric surgery?
I'm 50 with 50 to 55 to lose. I have Hypothyroidism,Fibromyalsia,depression,chronic fatigue,asthma joint and back pain. I know I would look and feel so much better if I could dump this, but after a chronic illness I gained 55 in 11 yrs. I am better recently and have done a LC no sugar diet, walking without walker and cane and still no results. I want to do surgery and wonder if I can qualify. I have GIC insurance and noted Beth Isreal Deoconess Med. Center does this procedure in Boston a 2 hr. drive from me. Any advice? Another prob. is I have suffered from binge eatting a bolemia for the past 22 yrs. on and off. Will this help or hinder my chances? — Kate C. (posted on July 15, 2001)
July 15, 2001
My first impression was with only 55 pounds to lose, I don't feel that any
reputable surgeon would touch you. There are very real risks and serious
complications associated with this surgery. 55 pounds is just not worth
taking that risk. I really am sorry that you feel so awful. I don't think
that I would recommend actually gaining weight in order to have this
surgery. I wish that I had ONLY 55 pounds to lose when I started this
journey. I too gained weight much more rapidly than 11 years. (How about 11
months!) While I don't know anything about your personal situation, 11
years ago you were 39, right? Could your weight gain be menopause or
hormone related? Not that that makes it any easier. But, as you know some
women do gain weight through these years. To have only gained 55 pounds in
11 years is great. I would consider myself fortunate. Shelley
— Shelley.
July 15, 2001
You might check into the lap band. Theres a rumor it might be approved for
lower bmis when loss can help them with their problems. Self pay for a band
is a LOT less too.
Something to think about.
We should ALl remember how hard it is to loose 50 or a 100 pounds.
— bob-haller
July 15, 2001
Kate, please don't let the fact that your BMI is not high enough (more than
likely)to qualify for a gastric bypass depress you...although I suspect
that it has. There are options. If you are now at your highest-ever
weight, gaining more weight to qualify probably isn't a viable solution. I
was also below 40 BMI, but all I had to do was stop dieting for 10 minutes
to gain the additional 25 pounds I needed to qualify. I did this during my
research phase, so the first time I went to my surgeon's office I did
qualify. (I'm now one year post-op.) Yesterday, however, my surgeon told
me that he is going to be doing the newly approved "adjustable
band" laproscopic surgery. He believes it is a good option for
someone with a lower BMI who has some medical problems and can't take off
the weight by dieting. He also likes the fact that it is fully reversible,
and less expensive for those who have to self pay. If this procedure had
been available one year ago, I probably would have chosen it...not that I
am unhappy with my surgery, don't get me wrong....just that I remember how
crushingly disappointing it was being told that I didn't qualify and how I
had to scheme and plot and gain weight. I felt like I was trying to pull
something over on the surgeon, my pcp, and the insurance company, and
worried (silly me) about being arrested for insurance fraud. I urge you to
look into the new lap band. It sounds like it could be your answer.
— Anne G.
July 15, 2001
As to our last anymous poster saying surgery would leave someone seriously
underweight with bad side affects this isnt necessarily so.
A bypass with a larger pouch and little actual bypass or a vbg could well
get the weight off safely. Its a matter of the right surgeon and getting
insurance approval.
Surgery can kill but so can being too heavy, so one cant exercise or be
healthy.
— bob-haller
July 18, 2001
Kate as I sit here and read some of the answers posted it makes me very
angry. I would agree with #1 talking to your doctor about a band. #2
Don't sit here and listen to those people who have decided to criticize you
because you "only have 55#'s to lose" because if it was that easy
to lose that amount of weight why would any of us have considered this
surgery!!! Some insurance will pay for the banding due to the fact that
you have so many co-morbidities the problems that I see you facing would be
only a couple and one is finding a surgeon who will do it (but there are
some great doctors out there who will)in you local area. The second one
would be that you insurance might not pay, but if you do want it and the
insurance won't cover it then some doctors will also take payments. I wish
you the best of luck and keep your head held high.
— BOK
May 26, 2002
No, DON'T gain weight just to qualify for the surgery!!!! I
thought my health was somewhat good because I didn't have any medications I
had to live on to survive, but when I went for my pre- op testing it was
dicovered that my liver has been damaged due to what my doc. thinks is
fatty liver.
Gaining more weight in order to qualify for the surgery could KILL you all
by it self. To gain weight in order to qualify seems insane to me. Take
care of yourself the best you can. Gaining weight would be terrible for
you, and the WLS is not the answer for all troubles. Maybe the gastric band
alone would not be too invasive for you, and would also help you lose the
extra weight. Remember- your objective here is to LOSE weight. Start
calling doctors. Get all the advice you can from the medical community.
They can help a plan for you. Don't give up. There are answers for
everyone.
— Andrea B.
May 26, 2002
Hi again. I hope I didn't seem too blunt with my first post
(listed after this one) It wasn't you that wanted to gain in order to be
accepted for WLS, but other posters had suggested it, and I guess my first
post was reffering to those post. Since people do still read the post later
on, I thought it was worth responding to. I hope everything will
work out for you. Blessings~
— Andrea B.
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