BP TOO HIGH

[summertoole 14]

I am so frustrated. I have everything completed to have my weight loss surgery and my doctor will not give me medical clearance because he says my BP is still too high. Has any of you every experienced this. I mean I need to lose the weight to regulate the blood pressure, right. I am taking my meds and have done everything he said. My labs are good. FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA!

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Edited July 28, 2016 by summertoole

[melbell2222 244]

Can't you get on BP meds to lower it?

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[WitchySar 244]

I'm concerned about the same thing. I'm on 3 BP meds and my blood pressure still is high. I had surgery last year for my gallbladder just fine, so I'm hoping they will let me have this one too. The surgeon didn't mention anything when I met with him. But I definitely understand your frustration.

[KristenLe 5,979]

I am so frustrated. I have everything completed to have my weight loss surgery and my doctor will not give me medical clearance because he says my BP is still too high. Has any of you every experienced this. I mean I need to lose the weight to regulate the blood pressure, right. I am taking my meds and have done everything he said. My labs are good. FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA!

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Has he changed the meds or increased them to try and get it under control? How high is it? Be sure to take your pills daily, avoid salt/sodium (processed foods, frozen dinners, etc) and drink tons of Water - hopefully that will get you under control soon and he'll approve you! He's looking out for you - better to have to postpone surgery than have a heart attack/ stroke on the operating table. It's also dangerous to have high BP and be on blood thinners (which you need after surgery) - as you could have a bleed. My Dad had a hemorrhagic stroke from those two issues.

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[WitchySar 244]

Is there a reason this particular surgery requires blood thinners? When I had my gallbladder removed they didn't give me any blood thinners.

[emme.vee 142]

I'm gonna assume because of the risk of blood clots but I'm sure someone more educated on the issue can give you a better response.

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[WitchySar 244]

I wonder if it depends on the surgeon then. I would think any surgery would have risk of blood clots so if I could have one surgery without then that would seem like it's not consistent, you know? So many variables when it comes to surgery and surgeons.

OP, I really hope they are able to figure out how to get you the surgery.

[emme.vee 142]

Yea you're right! I didn't think about that.

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[summertoole 14]

It's just very frustrating knowing all you need is clearance. I'm just gonna trust in the Lord. He knows best. Thank y'all!

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[theantichick 2,204]

I am so frustrated. I have everything completed to have my weight loss surgery and my doctor will not give me medical clearance because he says my BP is still too high. Has any of you every experienced this. I mean I need to lose the weight to regulate the blood pressure, right. I am taking my meds and have done everything he said. My labs are good. FRUSTRATED IN FLORIDA!

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My BP for most of my life has been "textbook" 120/80. Over the last 6 months, I'd noticed it being high in the doctor's office, enough to need meds but not dangerous levels, but it would be lower at home. Still high, but not "super" high. (140's / 90's) So I'd been watching it but hadn't gone to see my primary. I was worried she would be against the surgery. In hindsight I should have gone to her right off the bat. She's 100% behind the surgery, and is thrilled I'm finally doing something about my weight. And she'd have been a MUCH better option for my supervised diet than the yahoo I ended up seeing. Anywhoo... when my rheumy refused to write the medical recommendation, I had to go see her at almost the 11th hour. My BP in her office was 160/110. If I hadn't gone to see her and her staff caught that very high pressure, I'd have likely gotten refused at truly the 11th hour by the anesthesiologist.

I was lucky that for some reason insurance approved the surgery without her note, so there wasn't an actual delay for me. But it was a stressful month while we kept adding meds to get it under control, and I started to wonder if it was going to happen. Luckily, the 2nd round of changes to my meds did the trick. And now I'm even MORE glad I'd decided on the surgery, because I HATE the BP meds. I've been teaching patients about them for years, but experiencing the side effects is a whole 'nother thing.

Anyway, be glad it's been detected before the anesthesiologist. I'd rather be delayed before the date is set than get there for the pre-op testing and have everything brought to a screeching halt. It's frustrating sometimes to find the right mix of BP meds, but trust that it will happen.

Best of luck!!

[theantichick 2,204]

I wonder if it depends on the surgeon then. I would think any surgery would have risk of blood clots so if I could have one surgery without then that would seem like it's not consistent, you know? So many variables when it comes to surgery and surgeons.

OP, I really hope they are able to figure out how to get you the surgery.

It's becoming more and more common with all surgeries as we learn more about blood clots, and get better at detecting them before they kill people. Used to be we didn't know people even had them until it was too late. So not all surgeons keep up with all the latest studies and protocols. And some have different approaches to managing it. The lovenox shots have become the standard for most surgeons. But 8 years ago when I had my knee overhaul, the surgeon only had me take 1 aspirin a day. My VSG surgeon said she used to not be as aggressive about it, until she had a patient who had a pulmonary embolism. Used to be we thought if patients were up walking around, they didn't have any real risk. Now we know even mobile patients have a significant risk. My surgeon said that they're finding that the minimally invasive surgeries are actually a higher risk than open surgeries, because the gas they pump in compresses some veins. So we'll see more and more surgeons going with the shots until we learn more about the components of risk.

I have a niece (in-law) who has 2 genetic mutations that cause her to be at a super high risk for clots. Which they didn't know until she had to go to the ER for stitches in her thumb, of all things. A nurse noticed that her heart rate was really high, and called for more testing, and she ended up in the ICU with 12 inches of clots in her leg, some of which had already broken off and gone to the lungs. 10 years ago, this likely wouldn't have been caught until her autopsy. So she's really active with increasing awareness, and posts a lot of new research about it.