Too small for weight loss surgery?

Are the referrals usually a Bariatric center requirement or an insurance company requirement? I see a new PCP on Monday, hoping to get a referral and worried I won't get one, since he doesn't "know" me yet..

A doctor doesn't need to know you well to give you a referral. A referral basically turns you off to another (specialty) provider who will provide (specialty) care.

Well, I know that, and YOU know that...but we all know some doctors may or may not do things we don't all agree with...so like you said, I'm HOPING he will agree and make the referral, for the experts to decide...fingers crossed!

I think that that would probably be more a matter of your insurance company rules. Though my surgeon's office asked me who my PCP was, they did their own comprehensive workup, and relied on me to provide the dates and details of my previous attempts at dieting.

Makes sense! I should give them a call Monday morning and check. I need a new PCP anyway, but it would be nice going into my appt knowing whether or not if what the PCP thinks really matters anyway. Will save a lot of stress and frustration, possibly, if I know ahead of time.

I did not mean to eliminate the middle man when it comes to care. I meant that she didn't necessarily need a referral from her PCP to begin reaching out to insurance and Bariatric surgeons and finding out what their requirements are, what kind of follow up they offer, etc. As I stated first and formost GET A SECOND OPINION. Yes my doctor was supportive, but it was a matter of her not knowing enough about the procedures to feel comfortable recommending them to me, which sounds like what could be happening with the original poster, if her doctor doesn't even know the acceptable weight requirements.

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Same here.

Your BMI and weight history put you in prime territory for WLS.

Find a new PC - he has been treating you, overweight or MOB, for some time now and has not brought up the topic of WLS and when you bring it up he either lies to you or is so misinformed about the research about weight loss that he is useless in helping you with this critical health issue. Have your baby and get hooked up with a PCP to help you with your weight issues.

Yesterday I had my surgery. My high weight was 324, and I walked in the hospital yesterday at 287.

Ask your insurance company. Ultimately, they'll be the ones making any sort of final judgment.

At 5' 8" tall a weight of 263 is a 40 BMI which is the usual insurance standard for qualifying with no co-morbidities such as diabetes, sleep apnea or high blood pressure. If you have those problems the qualifying number would be 230lbs for the usual then 35 BMI.

Obviously your weight after pregnancy would be the determining factor but your doctor is obviously not very knowledgeable in this area...or has chosen not to be.