Is surgery right for me??

I don't think anyone can tell you what surgery is right for you. I weighed 204 and had the DS. It was the best thing I had ever done for myself. My doctor did tell me that if I had not had a cholesterol of 350, he would't have done it. I hope it helps.

Kim

How tall and what medical conditions. Did insurance pay for it in the USA?

5'3" and no other issues. Insurance didn't pay.

So, nobody but your surgeon can really say. You should also look at the other options and compare like VSG unless there are some other things like diabetes going on too.

For myself, it was my up and down weight loss history that helped form my decision.

I had lost weight plenty of times, exercise, hi protein, etc but I always gained back more than I lost so I knew that I needed something that would continue to help me after I lost the weight. And it has, going on 7 years now. 217 this past weigh in down from 464.

It might be that you just need that first impetus to lose your weight and then you will be able to keep it off.

I'm not sure what you know about the DS but it consists of 2 parts, A VSG for initial restriction and the switch part that provides a level of malabsorption. The VSG can stretch a little over time, and of course you can eat around it of you really want to. The switch is more of a constant, hence the life long vitamins. Still possible to overcome it or not have a good outcome but percentages are very small.

What I might suggest is to talk to a Doc that does the DS and consider doing the first step ( the VSG ) and then doing the 2nd step (the switch) separately. Some of us that were very obese faced the possibility of our surgeons doing the procedure in 2 different surgeries because they thought it might be too dangerous. In those cases the VSG is used for initial weight loss and health improvement making it possible to do the 2nd step.

There are also people for whom the VSG just didn't work that go the DS route even though that wasn't their original intent.

I don't think you are too small for the DS ( or maybe the SADI version ) but it is a big commitment and you should game out the alternatives, pros and cons.

Good luck, let us know what you are thinking after all this.

Pete

I know when I went to see about having surgery the BMI had to be 40 or above to qualify. I'm sure it has changed over the years but unless you are considered morbidly obese they most likely will not do any type of weight loss surgery. You will need to consult with a surgeon to see if you to qualify. I think it is a little lower if you have several co-morbidities, like diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. Find a BMI chart and see where you are so you can get an idea of whether you may be in that BMI range.