The Least I can Weigh on Surgery Day?

[MoMo12onTheGo 66]

Hi. Does anyone know the least I can weigh on surgery day and still go forward?

I am nervous because I've been told about the 2week liquid diet prior to surgery, but also been told not to lose too much.. there was a story to follow from the nurse about how someone lost 2 pounds too much and didn't qualify any longer.

I am 5'1 tall and have multiple morbidities so I am not going on BMI alone.

Any advice is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Elode 8,093]

My DR/Nutritionist took my last weight in office BEFORE submitting to the insurance co for approval. You won't Start a pre-op diet until your approved (or at least I didn't it's pointless if you don't get approved) therefor that surgery weight will have already been approved the day of surgery. I hope that makes sense.?

[MoMo12onTheGo 66]

Hi Elode, thank you for responding..What you said does make sense, but my confusion would then be that I was told I would be weighed on the day of surgery. Hmm.. I guess that's one more questions for the surgeon. Thank you for helping. And holy wow! Great stats

[ocean4dlm 16]

I am facing the same challenge. My insurance requires that I am at or above a BMI of 40 when I am weighed prior to surgery. They say that with my insurance, surgery has been cancelled if the BMI dips below.

[MoMo12onTheGo 66]

I'm very concerned. And from reading it seems not everyone's weigh in on surgery day means much, but we seem to be in the same boat, Ocean.

[Thinside 155]

I have been told by my insurance coordinator that you are "officially" weighed twice. The first weight is the day you meet your surgeon (in my doctor's case, after you've jumped through all the other hoops.) That is the weight they submit to your insurance program. Then, you will be weighed again a few days before surgery (during your pre-op visits.) That weight is also submitted for final authorization.

If there is a big delay between the first approval and your surgery, and you lose too much weight in between, she said it could cause trouble. She had a case where the person was approved, lost "too much" weight before the day of surgery, and then the day before, the authorization was revoked because the person had proved s/he could lose the weight without surgery! This terrifies me because if I can't have my surgery before my trip to Vietnam (see other thread), I will have to wait until after my 2-month trip. And I KNOW I will lose weight while I'm traveling because I will be walking about 10 miles a day. So then I would be faced with gaining weight before the surgery date. It's insanely maddening.

[MoMo12onTheGo 66]

@@Thinside I know exactly what you mean.. do these insurance companies even understand what demographic they are dealing with? Good grief.. If I get some momentum going because I can see a light at the end of this tunnel then why punish me? To me, it only says that I am motivated and will be a success. I've had the same story from my team at the bariatric center about being denied just before for losing too much. I am stressed to gills over this.

[Elode 8,093]

@@MoMo12onTheGo Thank you!

[MoMo12onTheGo 66]

@@ocean4dlm, @@Elode .. Thank you for responding to this post.. I had an appt today with my surgeon who confirmed that I can have a BMI of 35 and still qualify due to my morbidities. I am 5'1 so that means I can weigh 185lbs..Medicare is my insurance and it (according to surgeon) is the only insurance that weighs you literally on the day of surgery.. if you have gained AT ALL or fall below that 35BMI.. they will not fund. These adds stress because I thought today was my final weight since my surgeon submitted to insurance today.. UGH. Now it's waiting 2 weeks for them to respond THEN another appt with surgeon and hopefully at that we can schedule. He still believes I'll get sleeved in April so I am holding onto that

[Elode 8,093]

Wow strict! Good luck!

Keep us updated!