I take Symbicort. Will this automatically disqualify me for having WLS?

I take Symbicort and am wondering if this would disqualify me for having weight loss surgery in Missouri.

No no no no !!! You're SO lucky.... but yes you qualify for weight loss surgery!!!!!! Yay !!!!

Good grief! It is irresponsible for you to tell anyone unequivocally that they will qualify for WLS! You have no idea what their insurance and/or surgery program's requirements are.

Thank you, CATHY...I just didn't have the energy, to deal, with it

Do you have the OP's insurance information?

Do you have all of her health information?

Since you are neither a doctor nor an insurance employee, you are in NO position to make this determination.

I'm in Canada, and my doctors didn't even blink when I told them I took it. If anything, they will just monitor you closer in recovery to make sure your breathing is okay.

I'm not on Symbicort, but my asthma was so severe before surgery that I get Xolair injections every two weeks from my allergist at $2k a pop for my insurance, used a Breo inhaler, took Singulair and carried a Ventolin rescue inhaler. I still qualified.

Now, 1 year out - the only asthma flare I had was with bronchitis I got from my kids, my Xolair injections are now 3 weeks apart, I've been taken off Breo and put on the lowest dose of Advair and we may discontinue that soon.

Best of luck.

Nobody here can tell you for sure what will or will not disqualify you. I sincerely doubt an asthma med would, but you never know with insurance companies. The only way to know for sure is to call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask them. Every plan is different because employers decide what they will and will not cover. Make the call and then you can be certain!

I agree, with CATHY. A diagnosis of a respiratory problem might be an issue for your anesthesia team. This would be a question for your MEDICAL TEAM. It could be a problem with ANY surgery...or might not a problem, at all, depending on severity, etc.

Disclaimer: 40 year nurse, and do not claim to know ANYTHING :)

Hi, I'm in Canada and have had severe/chronic asthma since I was a baby. I was on ventolin, advair, singulair, and two other puffers that I can now not remember the names of. I also had a cough before surgery, but no infection or pneumonia and they went ahead with it but gave me a ventolin treatment with oxygen before surgery, and also gave me meds mixed in with my oxygen during surgery. I also needed oxygen for 2 days after surgery.

I don't know what sort of insurance you have, or how your centre works, but just tell them about your breathing issues and hopefully they'll be able to work around them.

I don't know if you have asthma or COPD or what, but I just wanted to let you know that my asthma got significantly better as the weight came off, and now only bothers me when I get a cold or flu. When I'm not sick, it's in complete control, and prior to surgery my breathing was bad every day.

Good luck!