Is WLS surgery elective? Thoughts?

I am asking this question seriously, as I see this surgery as saving my life...literally....However someone mentioned to me that it was considered elective.

Amary

Don't think it is considered elective if you have co-morbidities. You do need to be referred by your GP though. I believe your healthcare foots the cost. Ours here in NS does if it is done here in the province. Loads to learn, ask any questions you want. We are all here to help. Chow, Sugarbear

that's an excellent question.  I thought it was necessary surgery until I had mine done.  I have a long list of co-morbidities which is the only thing that saved my butt.  My insurance company called me after being off for 6 days, which is when we go from sick time to short term disability.  She asked why i was off and didn't want to tell her but she said they would cut me off if i didn't.  I told her and she immediately told me that elective surgery wasn't covered.  I said that it wasn't elective, it was necessary. and she said OH NO it's definitely elective.  I immediately got on the phone to my family doctor who had to write a very detailed letter about my illnesses and had to be faxed to her within the hour.  try and reach your GP and get this done in an hour.  Luckily for me my GP is on my side and fought for me.  They had finally agreed they would cover me due to the letter that was sent but otherwise, my sick time wouldn't not have been paid.  I was sweating bullets until they confirmed I was OK.  So, don't take it for granted that it's a necessary procedure.  They only see anorexia and bullemia as necessary...obesity is our choice, if you can imagine that.

IMO it is elective. My son's heart surgery was medically necessary. A condition that he was born with.  A condition he would have died from had he not had surgery. My other son had brain surgery to remove blood from his brain following a car accident. Again if he had not had surgery, he would have died. Those ,IMO, are examples of medically necessary surgery. 

Nobody is born morbidly obese and the largest majority of morbidily obese people do not have wls. To say it is lifesaving may or may not be absolutely correct. Thin people have high cholestrol, hypertension, heart conditions, diabetes and breathing conditions just as often as do obese people. The outcomes are the same for thin people as they are for the obese. Don't think for one minute that these diseases are the sole property of the obese. I have never had hypertension or high cholestrol. I did have a heart attack but my father died of a heart attack and he was as thin as a rail.

As I said on another forum we got to be this way through bad food choices over the years. We wern't born this way. It comes from many many years of overstuffing out faces. If we had been born poor in Eithopia 20 years ago, I don't think obesity would  be an issue. It is the result of overabundance and overindulgence on our part.

To me, essential surgery is either to repair a defect that you were born with or as a result of accident, injury, or to prevent immenent death. Yes you may die of your co-morbidities but  so will thousands of thin people. There is an option. Having wls will not guarntee that you will live longer. It may help reduce the co-morbidities  but tdoes not guarntee that you will live longer.  You might get hit by a car tomorrow.The only things guarnteed in life are death and taxes.

I just asumed that short term LOA would kick in after surgery...has anyone else had to go  throught the letter writing from their doctor like Patsey?  Maggie, did you have to go through this as well?

It is medically  elective.

No, I live in N.B. so it was covered and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be here. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to have had this surgery. 20 years ago it would have not been available. I am a retired nurse. I just wish there were more bariatric surgeons and all provinces covered it right across Canada. There are so many people who would benefit from this surgery but are daunted by the years they have to wait.

So your insurance company, had no issues with you being out on STD?  Or they did>, and the letter appeased them?  This will be one of my first questions to Dr. Savoie on June 1.   I don't want to worry about my STD benefits after surgery.

Amary

*because I'm 12* Everytime I see STD I think of sexually-transmitted disease, and not short-term disability. *because I'm 12*

Technically, it is elective surgery, but for me, as soon as Medicare started paying for it, WLS became a necessary treatment for some people therefore I see it as life-saving surgery. If my surgeon didn't think I needed it, then I wouldn't be going through it. As Dr. Savoie told me, I have metabolic resistance, and no matter how much I try, I would never lose more than 10% of my body weight on my own without some sort of outside help.

Sure I put the food in my mouth - I know this - I comfort eat all of the time, but I know of many people who are thin as anything who eat tons of food (and not the healthy stuff either) and never gain a pound. And they don't exercise it off either.