Anyone been denied WLS by a MX Surgeon Cuz BMI over 50?

I recently contacted Obesity Control Center ****) and wanted to take the next step in booking my WLS surgery with Dr Ariel Ortiz after reading and researching him. Seemed like an ideal surgeon to do my WLS in Mexico. But now the coordinator is telling me I need to have a BMI of 50 before they will operate. I'm currently over 60 BMI. 5'7 404 lbs. This means I'd have to lose over 80 lbs according to the bmi chart to get surgery. If I could lose 80 or more pounds on my own without surgery and I would do it. Doesn't this seem strange?? Anyone else experience this having a high BMI???

My starting BMI was 54.  Any surgeon you talk too will encourage and/or require weight loss pre-op. (Mind did) It's to ensure your best possible health for surgery/reduce the possibility of complications. Some surgeons are more relaxed about this than others. You found a more stringent one. My doc didn't require any specific # loss, just that I loose something. 

I felt the same way you did-- if I could lose it I wouldn't be here! But you are asking them for help-- you have to follow their guidelines. Losing before hand will give them insight of how disciplined you'll be in post op life. 

What surgery are you considering? Have you met with a nutritionist to discuss a pre-op meal plan?

It's possibly to reduce their risk.  I don't know much about Mexican surgeons, but my BMI was 78 when I had surgery.  There are definitely surgeons who work very high BMI state side, and I've spoken to people who had them in Mexico too, but I am not sure which surgeons they saw.

Some docs are not set up to do more complicated surgeries. 

the larger the person - the bigger beds and longer equipment they may need to do the surgery. 

they may not be set up to handle bigger person, for whatever reason - equipment, medical, liabilities, possible complications.. etc etc...

You may either have to lose the 80 lbs - difficult but not impossible- or  find another doc who can handle a bigger person.

I agree with Hala. Surgeons get to make their own rules, even if we don't think they make sense. Other surgeons do operate on larger people. Find one of them or work on losing the 80 pounds.

I've heard of some not wanting to do it on patients with BMI's over 60, but 50 seems low.  But then like another poster said, he gets to make the rules and may have his reasons.  There are other surgeons who will do it - or if you for sure want this guy, you'll have to bite the bullet and lose the 80 lbs...

It might be because your surgery is longer or more complicated.

My BMI was 60, I was not required to lose any weight pre-op. The only pre-op diet I had was the liver shrinking diet.

I had the sleeve. I also had my surgery in the US.

I noticed on your surgery type it says "mini gastric bypass". Why did you decide to go that route?

At first I was going to do the sleeve, but had done some research and reading. Was worried that if I did the sleeve, I'd have to down the road have a revision done, because I wouldn't loose enough of the weight. I'm over 400 lbs and my bmi is 64. I need to loose a lot of weight. Everything I was hearing from past sleeve patients kind of turned me off to it and I've decided to do the mini gastric bypass. My doctor thought I would be most successful doing the MGB.

I know the reason many people have the MGB is because the surgery time is shorter. Do you have health issues? Is this why you want this particular surgery? Did you consider RNY or the DS? For us heavyweights, I think these two are our best bets in losing a significant amount of weight.

Just make sure you choose the best surgery for YOU. I want you to be successful.