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I'm from Saint John, NB and I've decided I'm going to ask my doctor to refer me for gastric bypass. Anybody know what will happen after that, how long I will probably wait, where I will have to go, etc?

Also, does anyone know if there is an age limit for having the surgery? I'm reading that people are waiting 5 years to have it, and I am already 41 and haven't even started the process.

Hi Colleen - I am from the Saint John area as well. Welcome!

Each doc will have their own "limits" so it will depend on who you get. The waiting list for Dr B is 5 years but the new doc Dr Savoie is getting patients in within a year (based on what I have seen here) Not sure how long his waiting list is now but it's bound to be quicker to get into him.

At 41, you're fine. Just a young un :) Welcome!

So five years have passed and I did get a call to go for a consultation on July 8. It had been so long that I forgot my username and password for this website so I made a new profile, but just_colleen is me LOL

 

And yes I did scroll through about two years worth of old posts to find the ones I made so I could revisit then five years later LOL

Hi Colleen, Is the view from either the CN tower or is it central park in New York?
 
I had RnY bypass in Moncton in February. I was 48 at the time of surgery. It took me 5 years from the time my doctor referred me until I had surgery. I have lost I have lost 53 pounds since surgery. The wait may be shorter now with 2 doctors doing wls in N.B. 

Dr Beausoliel will not do bypass on patients over the age of 55 so you have a few more years yet. In order to qualify for medicare to pay for your surgery and in order for Dr. B. to do the surgery you must meet certain criteria. You must have a BMI of 40 or a BMI of 35 with co-morbidities. You must have a documentated weight loss trial with limited success.
 
I did my documented weightloss trial while waiting to see Dr. B. I attended a healthy living clinic with an endocrinologist, physiotherapist and dietitian for 3 years prior to seeing Dr. B. I had type 2 diabetes, asthma, arthritis and degenerative disc disease and am on LTD due to my back.
 
There's no time like the present to get your doctor to send a referral to one of the weight loss surgeons. You decide which weight loss surgery you want and get your doc to send a referral.

Dr. Beausoliel in Moncton does lap band and RnY gastricd bypass. I heard he was going to offer a different surgery but have not heard which one. Dr savoy of Bathurst offers lap band and duedonal switch. There are doctors in Halifax who are doing lap band and Vertical gastric banding.

You will need to research these weight loss surgeries to decide which one best suits your lifestyle.
 
Welcome to this site and if you have questions, there are lots of people here who will gladly answer any questions you might have.

Hi...yes that is the view of Central Park from the top of Rockerfeller Center, taken just last week. :)

I have a BMI of 54 at the moment so I would definitely meet that criteria. LOL  As far as documented weight loss attempts...my doctor has a record of my weight ups and downs (like a rollercoaster, argh) over the past 10-15 years, hopefully that would count.

Thanks for replying...the idea of a 5-year waiting list is quite discouraging, so I hope you're right about the second doctor. :)

C.

Dr B prefers to do the band if your BMI  is under 60.

My bmi is about 56 and dr b suggested right off vertical sleeve. That was what I really wanted anyway so it worked out good for me.  I thought if you were 100 lbs or less he suggested lapband, but if over that it was the sleeve?

So five years have passed and I did get a call to go for a consultation on July 8. It had been so long that I forgot my username and password for this website so I made a new profile, but just_colleen is me LOL