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$9990 is what i have been quoted in Alabama @ Alabama Weight Loss. That includes the outpatient surgery, post op visits and surgery complication insurance. I have my consultation the 15th and will have more details. I will be self pay because my insurance has bariatric coverage but there is a 6 month waiting period and my BMI isnt high enough even with the comorbidities I have.

I just had a full TT, breast lift and augmentation done 4 weeks ago. Very very happy w my results. He is in Round Rock Texas. Dr Mahlon Kerr. Google him and he is on You tube. He has been on TLC for removing excess skin from Bariatric patients. Love love love my results!!

Hi, Rob--and welcome! All of that makes perfect sense! Just about everyone here has a very similar story of yo-yo dieting over the years and then gaining all the weight back--and then some. It's also quite common for our friends and family members to be very skeptical (or downright hostile) toward surgery and think that we could lose the weight for good if we just put our minds to it. We know better, of course. I'd say the best thing would be for your wife to learn as much about bariatric surgery as possible. Do you already have a surgeon in mind? Many of them have classes and information sessions that families can attend. My surgeon did, and that was very useful for my spouse to better understand the process and why it was right for me. If you don't yet have a surgeon, perhaps your wife could accompany you to the doctor who recommended the surgery. My primary care physician also recommended the gastric bypass for me, and I was quite skeptical at first because it seemed so extreme. He explained that I was very unlikely to lose a meaningful amount of weight and keep it off due to my history of yo-yo dieting. It sounds like your wife is not necessarily opposed to surgery, just uninformed. If you haven't already, you might want to explain to her what your journey has been like and why you think surgery might be the best option. It's really difficult for those who have not struggled with their weight to understand what we go through. Ultimately, you need to do what is best for you, regardless of what others think. It's wonderful if we can get the support and buy-in of all of our friends and family, but that doesn't always happen. You need to decide for yourself what will give you the best chance at a living a long and healthy life. Please keep us posted!

I’m scheduled for surgery on Monday. Due to Covid restrictions I’ve been recommended for a Home Care program where I have to give myself fluids and medicine via IV. Has anyone else done this, or gone home with an IV still in?

I can definitely tell a difference when I wear them and when I don't...I got bariatric-specific vitamin patches & I've been pleased so far. I googled and read about each kind to decide which ones I wanted to use first. Good luck to you in finding some you like!

Hello friends! I too am having my GS on the 17th. How Weber. I’m also having a nephrectomy surgery (kidney removal) includes on the same day. I am very very anxious, a little scared but I am very adamant of the success the doctors will achieve for me to start my new healthy lifestyle. I was already in the process of my Bariatric weight loss journey when I was blind-sided with a small mass on my kidney which is cancer. So, I’ll be having my right kidney removed along with 80% of my stomach... I’d appreciate any words of encouragement & any tips on the healing process if so.. We woman are so strong but it’s also OK to feel a bit vulnerable.. that’s human nature. GOD BLESS you all. ♥️

That looks just fine. Your protein might be a touch low for a guy, but in the ballpark overall (programs often have numbers like 60-80g for women and 80-100g for men, but generally men need a bit more owing to our typically greater lean mass/musculature.) I was aiming for 100-105 for the lean mass that I had and was trying to maintain, but my program was fine when I was at 90+, wanting me to add more veg at that point (which was only a couple of weeks out.) Things aren't all that precise in the nutrition world, so ballpark is usually fine! Actually, the "low carb, low fat" part is rather redundant, as any of our post op diets are by default low carb and low fat if we keep to our typical protein goals and keep the calories in a sensible range for weight loss (usually 1000 calories or less). People often get caught up in some of the magical macro limits or ratios promoted by some of the popular fad diets, but those just don't make any sense in our bariatric world. They might make sense (but usually don't) against a typical American/Western diet of 3-4000 calories, 300+g carbohydrates and 150+g fats, but our WLS and early post op restriction takes care of that. Tracking your intake is great, as that gives you a reference point of what you are doing and how that relates to what you may do in the future, and can help point out some of those "WTF - that's so not worth the calories" moments. I basically controlled to my protein and calorie goals, and worked to get as balanced and healthy a diet within the non-protein side, which in retrospect turned out to be a rough caloric split between fats and carbohydrates, though that wasn't a specific goal. As a side note, I found the tracking data to be particularly useful in finding my maintenance point after getting to goal weight, as it told me how many calories I was consuming in those final months, and relating that to my loss rate during that time, gave me a ballpark figure on where I should be to keep my weight stable - much better than any of those online calculators as this was based on real world data on...me! Good luck on your continued progress.

my surgeon's office contacted and worked with the insurance company. They'd worked with them before, so they were pretty sure it would be covered. as far as it being covered, it depends on your mother's employer. Even if the insurance company offers coverage for bariatric surgery, the employer decides whether or not they want to include it in their workers' policies. My insurance did not cover it until this past year because my employer wanted to keep the policies as cheap as possible, so they had the insurance company exclude a lot of things, like bariatric surgery. So I had to change insurance for a couple of years so it would be covered (of course, now our normal policy covers it, too....but I'm glad I had it done back when I did it, even though I had to change policies at the time...)

Here you go! https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517 Can tweak the toppings too! It's a bariatric favorite!

If you can find another surgeon, RUN, don't walk away from the first practice. There are a lot of competent bariatric surgeons out there, but the office staff is what truly makes a good practice! You won't often see the surgeon but you have to deal with the staff every visit and the failure of nurses to return your phone calls is a major red flag. Even if you have to travel a bit to find a practice you like it'll be worth it. My doctor is 5 hours away and I'm so glad I "fired" the one that was only three hours away. The best of luck to you!

Bariatric Advantage has a Meal replacement that is Chicken Broth flavor. It was a life saver for the pre op liquid diet, I would add a drop of Tabasco or hot sauce to enhance the flavor. You prepared the shake with warm water ( hot water will make the protein curd). I highly recommend it. http://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatric-advantage-hpmr-high-protein-meal-replacement-flavors Sent from my SM-F707U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Sadly, it happens - more frequently a few years ago (6-10) when most bariatric surgeons were still learning how to do sleeves than more recently, but I guess that there are always some who are still learning! The sleeve tends to want to bend in the middle, or form an hourglass shape, if it isn't done quite right, it may not yield a total blockage type of stricture, but it can leave the narrowing that can impede the flow and/or exacerbate reflux problems. While most surgeons in the US are now far enough up the learning curve to usually avoid this problem, knowing how to fix it can be beyond their experience, hence many prefer to go with a bypass instead. It may be possible to correct your sleeve, but you may need to find a surgeon who is very well experienced with the care and feeding of the sleeve construction. My suggestion, if you want to go for a second opinion (which I think anyone should do when considering a revision,) is to book a virtual consult with Dr. Ara Keshishian, who happens to be on the wrong coast for you, out in Pasadena, CA, but he has been doing virtual initial consults for years before Covid as he has patients all over the country. This will at least give you a reading as to whether this is a viable option in your case, or give you confidence that the RNY approach is the best. If a resleeve is an option, then you can decide whether to travel across the country, or seek out another surgeon closer to you who can do it. I would suggest looking for one who routinely does the duodenal switch (DS) procedure, as they tend to have the longest and most extensive experience with sleeves. I believe that there are at least a couple in FL, and several further north along the East Coast. If you do choose to proceed with the RNY route, do discuss things carefully with your surgeon, as there are tradeoffs in how he proceeds. Limb lengths, as suggested above, are a compromise as if they are too short to minimize malabsorption, you can be more prone to bile reflux. There are several Facebook groups that cater to total and partial gastrectomy patients (primarily for cancer or gastroparesis) and bile reflux is one of their common complaints. When I was considering such a thing a few years ago, the surgeon I was dealing with said that as long as he kept the limb over a certain dimension (80cm, IIRC) then they saw no problems with it. Hopefully, the surgeon that you are dealing with has enough experience on both the WLS and non-WLS side of it to know those tradeoffs. Bariatric programs that are associated with major cancer center hospitals readily "swing both ways" on that, but one that only specializes in bariatrics may not. I wouldn't worry too much about the malnutrition issue, as the RNY is very well understood; it is somewhat fussier than your sleeve in supplement needs but things are pretty straightforward on it if you keep up with labs and change things up as those dictate; it can be problematic for those who get overly casual about such things and let it slide - then you can get into trouble. If you fall into that camp, then I would try to do everything to preserve your sleeve and its greater flexibility; otherwise, the RNY is a good alternative. My personal preference, as I was faced with some similar decisions, is/was to stick with the sleeve if it is viable, as the RNY (or something different) is always an option for the future, but once one has an RNY, changing things gets more difficult, so options are fewer. Also on the option front, with the bypass, there remains a "blind" remnant stomach along with the duodenum and upper intestine which are unavailable for endoscopic evaluation or treatment (things much be done surgically.) As there are an increasing number of procedures that can be done endoscopically these days, and into the future, and I have already had one lifesaving endoscopy this is an option that I am keen to preserve, if at all possible. Short term, you may lose too much as you go through the high level of restriction that comes in those first few months after surgery. In that case, there are ways to "eat around" your pouch by basically doing all of the "wrong" things for your WLS - drinking calories, eating slider foods, higher calorie options particularly fats as tolerated. The tricky thing is to avoid making too much of a habit of it as the restriction does diminish over time and you can naturally eat more of conventional foods to maintain your nutrition

Today is one of those days where I am so happy with the outcome of not one, but two bariatric surgeries. I had a gastric sleeve in 2014 and most recently a gastric bypass in October 2020. I found the 2013 picture in my Google photos and figured it was time for a comparison photo! This is the first time I've worn jeans, with a shirt tucked in and a belt, since 2015. I bought the belt in 2018 and yesterday my husband had to cut off 7 inches!!

Dr. Laura Carmina Cardenas is pretty well-known among bariatric patients. I see her name A LOT on forums. I think she's also had bariatric surgery! P.S. I didn't use her (I had my plastic surgery in the US), so I can't do a personal recommendation, but I know a lot of people have been really happy with her.

It sounds like that’s your prompt for full or slightly too full. Try to stop on or two bites before you normally do to see if it doesn’t happen the next time. If it happens despite the amount you eat, it may be post op swelling/inflammation which will go away. At three weeks post op it’s probably a bit of both Also check with your bariatric team and see what that say about the sensation.

I am 5 months post VSG. For the past three weeks have been at a stall. I track my food religiously (including samples if try while cooking) and usually eat about 1150-1350 calories a day, eat at least 80 grams of protein and drink 60 + ounces of water. I also take my Bariatric vitamins. At least 6 days a week I exercise for about an hour on my Peloton and burn about 500-600 calories. Is it possible that due to my exercise, I am eating too few calories? I don’t think so but I’m trying to figure out a way to break my stall.

I work with insurance and I can say with certainty it is a zero chance. If it’s excluded it’s excluded and a hundred doctors could say it’s the best thing and they still won’t cover it. The contract says they don’t have to cover it and they absolutely won’t. Unless you change jobs to a company with bariatric coverage you’ve likely tapped out this option. With that being said, there are a ton of people on these boards who have gone the self-pay route and had great success. There are affordable options abroad and in the US and financing available. Don’t give up hope because of the insurance.

That is really surprising and disappointing. It was my PCP who suggested bariatric surgery to me. He said that, given my history of yo-yo dieting, I would likely never be able to lose and keep off a meaningful amount of weight without surgery. (I was the one who was hesitant initially.). I believe that the general consensus among doctors is that bariatric surgery prevents a range of more serious (and costly) medical issues later on and that more people should be doing it for health reasons. I agree that you should find a new doctor!

Unfortunately even doctors can still poor information outside of their specialty. This is why you have a Bariatric surgeon to give you real information instead of anecdotal evidence. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery ❤️

I had to switch insurance companies in order to get bariatric surgery. I first contacted the clinic about six months before my insurance changed. They said I had to wait to start the program until i had my new insurance, but they did say I could start the six-month supervised diet ahead of time if I wanted, because they'd worked with my new insurance company before and knew they'd accept a six-month supervised diet done ahead of time as long as it was within the last two years (but this may not be true of all companies). So anyway, a long way of saying, I had to wait until I was under the new insurance and we knew everything would be covered.

I'm going to politely disagree with the responses you've received here so far. Since even the initial consultation is a bariatric service, they want to verify that your insurance will cover it prior to scheduling. The initial consultation is a billable service. You either have coverage or you don't. The facility wants to know if insurance will pay or if you will be paying on your own. It is possible after the initial consult, that you choose not to proceed. However, they still want to know that you have coverage for that visit. Example: my insurance policy through my employer specifically excluded any coverage for weight management and/or bariatric services until 2020. In 2019, I was aware that coverage would be added in 2020. I tried to schedule initial consultations and dietician visits to get started but was unable to unless I wanted to pay for them out of pocket. Since I did not want to self-pay. I had to wait until benefits began in 2020. Even having a conversation with my primary care doctor regarding any potential weight management had to be done as a discussion during an appointment coded as something else. Otherwise, I would have had to pay for it. I hope this makes sense.

Hi! I’m a newbie too. Just started the journey a month ago. Different insurance companies require different things for bariatric surgery such as X number of dietician visits, procedure has to be done in a certain type of hospital (accredited or center of distinction etc). Some require certain Preop testing and may or may not require you to keep a food diary(that would be sent to them to get approval. So my guess is they are just going to get that info, not necessarily have you approved. Good luck!

Hi everyone. Been lurking for a few weeks now reading lots of good info you all have provided as I do believe I'm gonna be taking the next steps to have the bariatric surgery. So my question is as follows (after some explaining).............. The facility I will be going through had a video I had to watch on their website before I could even contact them about setting up an appointment. Which I did. After watching I filled out the online questionnaire for the office. Today they contacted me saying they would be sending the info to my insurance company. I didn't exactly know what they meant so I asked them if I had to be pre-approved BEFORE I could even get an INITIAL appointment and they told me yes. They said, "Yes, we need to confirm you have bariatric benefits as well as the requirements your insurance determined for the program. Once we call to go over this information we will schedule you for your first visit with the surgeon." I found that strange as I know I DO have benefits and I DO meet the requirements as far as my BMI goes but otherwise, I have NOT yet done any sort of classes or further testing. So, I worry I will be denied from the get go if that's what they'll be looking for. Am I reading this wrong? Doesn't it sound as if they're already expecting I have everything done? At least that's the way I'm reading it. I felt like writing back and saying look, I'm just in my initial stages of acquiring info to see if I even WANT to go through with it. Why the heck do I need pre-approval FIRST for that? Has anyone else had things happen like this?

those are all good. I read everything I could get my hands on about bariatric surgery. And spent a lot of time lurking on this and other bariatric boards. I also started exercising regularly and started gradually changing my eating habits so my post-op diet wouldn't seem as radical. Like you, I started tracking everything I ate, started gradually decreasing my carbs and increasing my protein, gradually reduced my calories (I worked my way down pretty quickly to 2200 - after probably eating 3000+ a day (I didn't know for sure because I hadn't tracked before...). Also started eating more vegetables (I was already eating enough fruit). I felt pretty prepared for surgery that morning they rolled me into the OR...

My surgery was in Baja so there are no f/u's for me and they wouldn't send my medical records to me so no bariatric Dr will see me in the states