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Hello, my surgery date is on April 22nd and i have been waiting for this day since last summer. I live in NJ but my surgery is at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. I am currently on a two week liquid and raw veggie diet. The days are speeding by fast. I have no idea what I am getting myself into. I have done my research and have read the forums and prayed from time to time but reading is different from actually having the surgery and experiencing post op and beyond. This is going to be a new journey for real. I pray that I stick with what I need to do to succeed. I am very thankful to the"Bariatric Pal" app. Is there any other person having the surgery on the same day and/ or at the same hospital?

BTW i had my VSG in Topeka. It was done as outpatient surgery (stayed less than 23hrs at Tallgrass clinic). Dr.Berntsen has 30yrs experience as a surgery. She performed very many successful bariatric surgeries on my present and former coworkers. She's compassionate and provides very good pre and post op care.

I had surgery with Dr. Sidney Hu in Topeka Dec 2018 and my sister had surgery with Dr. Hoen 4 years ago in KC. I definitely agree with a statement that KC bariatric only seemed interested in money and what they could charge for. I was a cash-pay patient and I absolutely loved all of my treatment I received from Dr. Hu and her staff. Even the nurse that checked me in and got my IV going had been through sleeve surgery so it was nice to be around people who knew exactly what I was going through. Dr. Hu has been amazing at all of my appointments and her staff is very warm and welcoming. I was my sister support person during her stay at KC Bariatric so I also saw them first hand with patient care. Granted they do have a great facility but I always seemed judged or felt that the surgeons were a little bit snooty and not very attentive. I am not one to need attention or coddled but in my personal experience with both centers I definitely felt more like an actual person at KU Med vs feeling like a statistic at KC Bariatric. Regardless we both had great results but very different experiences.

1 year and a half ago when I started the journey for WLS. I had just started my classes for bariatric surgery.

My tip is if your bariatric team offers any sort of support group, check it out. Besides that, stick to your eating plan and exercise/move daily.

Well ... I think I'm understanding my anxiety around the speed of my weight loss. I think its because all the literature the YouTube videos the FB pages the Instagrammies eventhr bariatric websites all refer to the weight loss window and imply that its finite and will close after a certain period of time and I'm trying to get through the portal before the opportunity closes... And then they all say not to expect more than a 65% loss... I think these facts are building my anxiety and the feelings of failure I'm about to experience once I'm at one year plus ... I need a chill pill 😊

I actually know a lady in a group I meet with who had surgery with Dr. Lyons. What I wasn't sure about is if he operates at a bariatric COE. I've heard this is the 'hospital' requirement from CIGNA. I guess I should call and ask as you are the 2nd person now to mention him. Thank you!

The three most important elements immediately after bariatric surgery are to meet your daily protein, fluid and vitamin requirements. Food is secondary because your body is converting your stored fat into the energy that drives your body. Thus you lose weight. The transition to the solid food stage can be rough. There is no need to accelerate this transition. Just take your time and you will get there.

I wish it all made sense to me! By eating such a low calorific diet, my logical brain makes huge assumptions that it would relate to a corresponding weight loss. I've decided to book with a nutritionist who specialises in BED and bariatrics who may help me change something in my plan to kick start the loss...but I'm so petrified of sabotaging things that I'm almost locked into thinking that no action is better than doing something that will have a negative effect!!

I had sleeve Jan 2014. Went from 266 to 176, then gained 25 back from having 2 babies. I just went to a gen. Surgeon to discuss getting an umbilical hernia fixed and we also discussed my severe acid reflux. He ordered an upper GI which showed Severe Gerd and a small hiatal hernia as well. He put me on meds which aren’t helping much. He said the only way to properly fix the issues is to revise to a bypass. I now have an apt with a bariatric surgeon to discuss options. Will FEP bcbs cover the revision if I havevto have one? Will I have to go through the same process as when I had sleeve done? Will I have to meet same requirements? My BMI is only 31.4. I would really be getting the revision done due to Gerd and to fix hernias.

I was wondering if anyone has had a revision done in Mexico? I had the gastric sleeve done 10 years ago. I have unfortunately gained back all the weight. I am looking for the best bariatric surgeon in Mexico to do a revision for me. But, there is so much info out there I dont know what to believe. If you have had a revision of any kind done by a surgeon in Mexico can you please let me know where and who you selected? If you are pleased? Thank you so much.

So I met with the surgeon's office today. Had the first meeting with the dietician, filled out the gigantic pile of paperwork and met with the doctor. Got some super amazing news from the coordinator of the program, which is not only does my insurance pay for the psych eval ($200), but also pays the program fees for the meetings and everything ($600). I was blown away. Then the super awesome amazing news - while my insurance carrier normally requires a documented 6 month dietitian/food class, my particular group does not. So that requirement is waived. On top of all that, when I went to check out and make my psych eval appointment, the nurse said - "Can you do today? Like in 15 minutes? She has an opening and she is right across the street." I said "sure!" and off I went. So in one day, I got my first appointment, first dietitian meeting, most of the paperwork and the psych eval done. Basically, I just have to attend one informational class/workshop/meeting and I am good to go! I feel like I at the wheel of a speeding train! As far as the debate, I had pretty much decided on Sleeve. I didn't like the idea of the bypass and I knew there were more complications with that procedure. But I do have Type 2 Diabetes and the RNY is this particular surgeon's gold standard for bariatric surgery. They said ultimately it is up to me, but now I am not sure. Anyone have any thoughts one way or the other? I am 44 years old, have approximately 150-170 lbs to lose and plan to live at least another 50 years. So for me it's mostly about the long term effects and while I know there is way more data about RNY, I just get skeeved out at the idea of re-routing my guts.

I had been seeing a Nutritionist since last November. However, she was unhappy about my thoughts on a Gastric Sleeve. And horrified that my Primary (who referred me to her) would suggest it. I parted ways with her last month. I will cozy up to the Nutritionist at BariatricPal Hospital for assistance. As far as my Primary goes, he was more than happy to refer me to their Bariatric Program. I really don't think he will be too surprised that I have chosen a surgeon in Mexico. We talked $$$$, and he quietly mentioned that I could check other programs.

I didn't have that with my bariatric surgery, but I just had it happen with my plastic surgery (we weren't sure if it was the glue or the surgical tape that covered it). Now that they've removed the glue, it should clear up pretty fast. If not, maybe try Benedryl lotion (??) (my plastic surgeon recommended that)

Texas Bariatric Specialists they have several locations around central Texas. I’m in Austin but I have to travel to San Antonio for surgery because that’s where the hospital is my surgeon use. Good luck !!!!

OMG...the dr's office called back and said they called CIGNA and were told that I had to do the 6 months, ,consecutive, yada, yada, yada and this is why it is best to 'let them handle these things' as I don't know the right people to 'talk to'. EXCUSE ME? I don't know the right ppl to talk to? I didn't call for 'basic coverage'. I called for the legally binding policy COVERING what their REQUIREMENTS ARE. Like you, I think/feel that these people should be very experienced with making these calls but the way she tried to read back policy 0051, I could tell she was very very very very confused! And she's saying to cancel the appt with the nutritionist for this month and 'just go' next month. She wants me to go back to my primary and get more 'notes' even though he wrote a letter detailing everything! I SO do not want to have a bad relationship with my doctor's staff! I never want anything like this. I just DO NOT BELIEVE this one person is truly comprehending how crazy all of this is..not even saying 'hey, this doesn't make sense...we should be hearing the same thing...let's do a conference call (which I suggested). I feel like I'm alienating them and I'm just at my wit's end here. I also feel bad for them and us as this is obviously something VERY VERY STRANGE related to CIGNA so we are all having to go through extra struggle and frustration because BOTH of us have had this same..."interpretation issue". I can't wait to hear how yours goes! I'm rooting for you. I also need to think how to...let my dr's office know..this is NOT personal and I'm not trying to argue. I am genuinely confused and I have dealt with Cigna so much in the past decade plus I work in a software industry that deals with healthcare, insurance..so I'm not a complete newbie. Am worried they now think I'm some desperate person that doesn't want to do what is required. All I have ever wanted to do was 1) Do what was required but more importantly 2) ensure that this decision was right for me and that I was 'right' for it. Right as in ready. Right in my head space, right in my willingness to work hard, right to meet and EXCEED the requirements from CIGNA as this was not an easy decision and I"ve spent 4 yrs exploring all options and am at peace with the work I've put in, where I'm at emotionally and mentally and the agreement and research with other specialists and doctors I've seen. 1 You reacted to this × Quote KarenLR75 Intermediate Member Pre Op 5 24 posts Location:TX Height:5 feet 6 inches Report post Posted just now Just got off phone with CIGNA. They reviewed MY specific coverage and stated that this Is NOT one of their requirements. We stepped through ALL of the requirements for their current policy which is effective thru 7/15/19. I have a downloaded copy of the specific and current policy regarding bariatric surgery. The CIGNA rep on the phone was mystified as to how the dr's office feels that the 'six months with a nutritionist' is a requirement. I called Dr. Dyslin's office staff back and was chided a bit for 'calling the insurance' which honestly upsets me. The young lady was nice but she is NOT proficient with reading/understanding medical verbiage and what it means. She said she and her office manager are confused YET they are looking at the same policy (policy 0051 for me) and they don't understand IT!!!! Said they will call insurance to check again but advised that I NOT CALL the insurance to 'get things confused'!! CONFUSED??!! I've been studying this for four years and since I am end up hospitalized every other years for the past several years I've become very INSURANCE PROFICIENT. I like Dr. Dyslin but if his staff is so GREEN they can't interpret to me what is CLEAR AS DAY to both myself AND CIGNA....I'm a bit concerned I may need a different office..and I really liked the doc!! HERE is the part they are hung up on which CIGNA said doesn't mean 6 back to back meetings with a nutritionist and I AGREE A thorough multidisciplinary evaluation within the previous six months which includes ALL of the following:  a description of the proposed procedure(s)  a separate medical evaluation and/or a recommendation for bariatric surgery from a physician/ physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner other than the requesting surgeon or associated staff  unequivocal clearance for bariatric surgery by a mental health provider  a nutritional evaluation by a physician or registered dietician surgery

Just got off phone with CIGNA. They reviewed MY specific coverage and stated that this Is NOT one of their requirements. We stepped through ALL of the requirements for their current policy which is effective thru 7/15/19. I have a downloaded copy of the specific and current policy regarding bariatric surgery. The CIGNA rep on the phone was mystified as to how the dr's office feels that the 'six months with a nutritionist' is a requirement. I called Dr. Dyslin's office staff back and was chided a bit for 'calling the insurance' which honestly upsets me. The young lady was nice but she is NOT proficient with reading/understanding medical verbiage and what it means. She said she and her office manager are confused YET they are looking at the same policy (policy 0051 for me) and they don't understand IT!!!! Said they will call insurance to check again but advised that I NOT CALL the insurance to 'get things confused'!! CONFUSED??!! I've been studying this for four years and since I am end up hospitalized every other years for the past several years I've become very INSURANCE PROFICIENT. I like Dr. Dyslin but if his staff is so GREEN they can't interpret to me what is CLEAR AS DAY to both myself AND CIGNA....I'm a bit concerned I may need a different office..and I really liked the doc!! HERE is the part they are hung up on which CIGNA said doesn't mean 6 back to back meetings with a nutritionist and I AGREE A thorough multidisciplinary evaluation within the previous six months which includes ALL of the following:  a description of the proposed procedure(s)  a separate medical evaluation and/or a recommendation for bariatric surgery from a physician/ physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner other than the requesting surgeon or associated staff  unequivocal clearance for bariatric surgery by a mental health provider  a nutritional evaluation by a physician or registered dietician

So. I am still in the middle of this process. My surgeon's office is also telling me i have a 6 month nutrition visits, but I've spoken to cigna THREE times in the past two months, and they have continually assured me that the specifications i've been given (above) are correct, and there's no 6 month requirement. my surgeon's office basically said that they'd submit the paperwork and we'd see what happens. I figure if they deny and we have to appeal, it's pretty obvious that the plan does not outline that this is a requirement. the only thing that says 6 months is that we have to have all of the requirements done within a 6 month period. the insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office is adamant about the 6 month thing, but i've spoken to a few people on bariatric forums that have said their cigna also did not have the requirement, so between that and my talking to cigna multiple times, i feel OK (but not 100%) about being approved. I will let you know once I find out, I'm guessing it'll take a week or two to get an answer back from them. My theory is that if cigna wants me to meet with a nutritionist for 6 months it should be clearly listed in the bariatric surgery requirements for my plan. it is not. and they have confirmed. sigh. i feel you. i would suggest that you call cigna, they will tell you the same thing as i just did, and then tell your office that you've spoken to them.

This! This is what I found when I was trying to 'check off' that I met all the requirements and yet at my appt with my bariatric surgeon yesterday they said CIGNA REQUIRED SIX MONTHS OF BACK TO BACK VISITS WITH A NUTRITIONIST and they MUST be sequential back to back visits or you start over!!!???? I have a year of supervised medical weight loss with my primary dr, a BMI of over 50, pysch eval clearance letter, even letters from other dr's like ortho's who said my knees must be replaced but I need to be at a BMI of 40....and yet I was told that Cigna didn't care about the supervised weight loss. They want me to meet with a nutritionist for SIX MONTHS to do WHAT? I AGREE I need to see a nutritionist although nutrition was always the topic of discussion with primary dr.....but for SIX MONTHS? That's a more rigid requirement than the weight loss and I worked on the weight loss for a year as I wanted to be very sure of things. Why do we get so many different answers..I have Cigna 90/10 plan (I pay extra for higher coverage as I usually am in hospital for 2 weeks every other year...why keep paying a 50K to 100K hospitalization bill for me when we can treat SOME of the underlying reasons and keep me OUT of the hospital?). I'm afraid to even call them. My bariatric surgeon is experienced...not sure about his staff as I just met them and he is building out a new office so they are co-sharing office space with an OB-GYN (like that wasn't uncomfortable)...should I call CIGNA myself or let dr handle? I really am now feeling leery of his staff

Congrats! I'm curious if there are different 'flavors' of Cigna if you will. I have Cigna and just met with an in network bariatric surgeon and to my shock, despite my one year of supervised weight loss with primary doctor (length of time determined by MYSELF and knowing IF Cigna required it, I would more than meet this requirement; however, they are saying Cigna REQUIRES SIX MONTHS of visits with a nutritionist and they must be 'back to back' or you have to start all over??!! My primary dr has been a huge fan of low carb/keto lifestyle whether you are obese or not to help patients with other health issues so over the years and before my supervised weight loss, we would trade out info on the latest trend, counting macros, why you can stall and be in highest (deep purple level of ketosis), how many ppl don't realize too much protein can be converted to Glucose. As my weight loss slowed due to both knees now needing to be replaced (still in shock from that) and insurance only approving injections every 6 months, the difficulty I have getting around is devastating to me. WHY would they toss out the weight loss requirement and INCREASE to an unfathomable level, a requirement to see nutritionist BEFORE surgery for SIX MONTHS?! I have been preparing to ensure that I was truly ready for this for 4 years...doing the supervised weight loss especially while battling being able to get around and working 50+ hr weeks has been difficult but doable and I was so happy I hit a weight loss of 50 lbs (mostly from last 9 months). I fully expected to see nutritionist 1 or 2 times before surgery and then again multiple times after. I know I need to see one although I will be bringing them what I've been doing and having them many any necessary adjustments. I'm still stunned. I just found this out yesterday. Ironically both my primary and my surgeon feel that having this be such a long requirement w/o requiring the weight loss or maybe they require just a shorter period...is to discourage ppl from getting the surgery. I guess they'd rather pay my 50K to 100K annual hospital stays? Sorry, I do want you to know that I am above thrilled for you...but so very very confused and disappointed for me. Mexico looking better & better..

Hi Tom, So you're a few months out and still in weight loss mode. I would follow your bariatric dietitians advice and hold off on following a trainer's advice. Log your food in a food app. Track your carb intake. If you're adding fruit as a part of your carbs make sure they stay within your weight loss carb ratio Sent from my SM-G920T using BariatricPal mobile app

Controlling Hunger Part I - A new blog post from IDM and Megan Ramos (Dr. Fung's partner and research scientist). They have a lot of bariatric patients at IDM, but are not pro-WLS. So if you can look past their bias, this is a very informative and helpful article. Just like we suspected, "the less we eat, the less hunger we experience" and conversely, "the more we eat, the hungrier we get." https://idmprogram.com/controlling-hunger-part-1/?fbclid=IwAR0WaH3yghu_6jwYXV7M8lRbrp4t0stvpKcYP0MtXsxzPV3xz9pPo56MLzs

It took me at least a month after surgery to figure out which vitamins worked for me. I doubt I have enough space or time to provide a comprehensive list. For me, not only was it the type of vitamin but time of day and whether I was taking on an empty stomach. (bad by the way). I settled on Vitafusion gummies. Yes, they have a bit of sugar, but I couldn't tolerate any of the standard bariatric chewables or soft-chews. So, I considered it a trade-off I could live with. I stayed on the Vitafusion gummies until the 2 gigantic bottles I purchased were gone. Then, I changed to standard multivitamins, yes the giant horse pill variety. I take them with my evening meal and haven't had a problem.

You don't provide any stats, but I have Harvard Pilgrim. Please go to their web site and take a good look at the requirements (you don't say where you are BMI wise) - this is from their site: The following age-specific criteria are met: i. Adults: Medical record documentation confirms EITHER a or b below: a.Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more; OR b.BMI above 35 and ANY of the following high-risk comorbid conditions confirmed by a PCP and/or a specialist: • Type II Diabetes, with documentation of diabetes diagnosis consistent with the American Diabetic Association (diagnosis must be confirmed by an endocrinologist or primary care physician/provider) • Documented confirmation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) within the last 12 months • Coronary artery disease • Significant obesity-related cardiopulmonary conditions (e.g., Hypoventilation Syndrome, Cardiomyopathy, Pulmonary Hypertension) • Pseudotumor cerebri (diagnosis confirmed, and treatment plan supported by neurologist) • Pickwickian Syndrome • Severe, weight-bearing back or joint disease evaluated by an orthopedic or neurosurgeon • Severe arthropathy of spine and/or weight-bearing joints (when obesity prohibits appropriate surgical management of joint dysfunction treatable but for the obesity; (diagnosis must be confirmed by an orthopedic surgeon) • Continued hypertension requiring pharmacological treatment (i.e. blood pressure 140 mmHg systolic and/or 90 mmHg diastolic, despite use of 3 anti-hypertensive agents of different classes, unless contraindicated • Obesity induced cardiomyopathy (diagnosis must be confirmed by a cardiologist) • Obesity-related hypoventilation (diagnosis must be confirmed by a pulmonologist) The medical conditions need not be immediately life-threatening, but must be of sufficient severity as to pose considerable short-or long-term risk to function and/or survival, and must not be trivial or easily controlled with non-invasive intervention (e.g., medication). Consideration of the risk-benefit for each individual patient must be used to determine that surgery is the best option for treatment for the individual patient, and no contraindications to bariatric surgery may exist.. Of all the carriers - they are the fastest to deal with approvals and do not have a 6 month waiting period. It would seem from what you say that you fit into one of the two I bolded. My BMI was over 40, so I was pretty clear-cut.

Oh Lord, I haven't stopped vomiting yet. Surgery was on April 1st. Even the zorfran, Pepto and other meds makes me barf. I had to go have a bariatric cocktail. I was put on phase two. Lost 20 pounds in 8 days. Was told to try protein enriched foods/drinks and see if it stays down [emoji45]. Anybody know any other way to get it to stay down? Sent from my Moto E (4) using BariatricPal mobile app