Losing weight prior to surgery...

Hey guys..when I first saw surgeon #1 I thought Lap-Band was the surgery I was going to get. The surgeon told me that I needed to lose 75 lbs first(I am about 441) before having surgery based on the assumption I was going with Lap-Band.  After doing addt'l research, speaking with other members and my health issues(Type 2, HBP, Sleep-Apnea) I now feel confident that RNY is my better choice. Ifeel that is a stronger weight loss tool for me to rid myself of my health issues.  I am going to see surgeon #2 on the 30th and going to tell him that I have decided RNY is my choice.  My questions are 1) Since I have chosen to switch the type of surgery, do you think that the required amount of weight would be the same? 2) Does one need to lose as much prior to surgery with RNY as Lap-Band? 3) Were any of you guys at /about 441 and were told that you need to lose X amount of weight prior to RNY, if so how much? I realize that my surgeon is the only one who will be able to determine the amount that I need to lose,but just looking to get any input on my situation from my brothers out there...  Did anyone go from Lap to RNY and have the amount of weight that they had to lose decrease? I know two weeks prior to surgery most go on a liquid diet, but I am talking about the required weight to be lost prior to the two weeks before surgery. Thanks -Rob

I really think this answer will vary by each surgeon.

I just don't see 75 lbs myself. I did 20 and that took me two years.

I've went to three surgeons, but keep in mind I started at 550.

The first one wanted 72 lbs.
The second one thought that was silly.
The third one wanted 30 or "as much as possible"

Hey Rob - good luck with the second consult.  I was 550 at my consult with MD (for RNY), and he wanted me on a 3 week liquid diet pre-op to shrink my liver, and give him better luck accessing abdomen with scopes (to avoid open incision). I lost 25 pounds in the 3 weeks before surgery, and all went great in surgery - liver was small enough, and he didn't need to do full incision. Keep us posted, and keep asking questions....

I'm sure every surgeon is different.  I don't know if having lap band v. rny effects pre surgery diets but i think open rny is different from laproscopic.  I chose open rny right away and did not look to closely at the other options.  I didn't have to lose anything and my pre surgery liquid diet consisted of one day.  My insurance required a 6 month supervised diet (i gained weight during this 6 months) but other than that i did not have to go to extremes that i have heard from others. Jim D

I certainly understand doing the liquid prior to surgery and I can certainly understand the surgeon to want me to lose about 40lb  but I felt that 75lb was a bit excessive to be honest. Like mentioned the 75lb request based on Lap-Band maybe had I asked about RNY it would of been different.  Thanks to those who have replied to the posting. I will let everyone know what surgeon #2, who more likely than not will be doing my RNY, is requiring me to lose for surgery. I knew you gus would help me out!!! -Rob

I was told if I could lose just 5% of my body weight before surgery it would be very helpful. I lost about 25lbs I guess before the surgery. But the point is that wasn't required at all. They said if I COULD do it, then great. If I couldn't, that was fine too. But I only weighed in at 345 or so before my surgery. I know they generally require a big weight reduction before surgery if you weigh over 500lbs because that has been determined as a dangerous weight to operate on, but I don't know about your case. I've seen some of your photos and just by looking at your belly fat I would say you are at more of a risk to have an open procedure if you don't lose some weight before your surgery. The tools the surgeon uses have to be able to get down into the fat into the abdominal cavity, so that's why they may ask you to lose x amount of weight also to shrink the abdominal organs of course. Switching from Lap-Band to RNY is going to be a really great decision on your part because the Lap-Band does not give as consistent or desired results as the RNY does. It also takes a while longer to reach the goal weight you would like to see with Lap-Band. Good luck to you!

I am going to have lapro RNY...and would have no issue with Dr saying...Rob lose as much as you can in 3-4 months while you get the other tests done...but you need to lose at least 30-40 lbs.

I had to get my BMI under 58 before they would do the surgery. This was the hospital and not my surgons policy

Wow...this just goes to show how every surgeon is different.... My surgeon will not operate on anyone over 400 flat...where he gets that arbitrary number I do not know... There is another surgeon in my area, if you are 400+, he will sneak in and put a lap ban on you, will you get below 350 than do the by-pass.. The different hospitals have different restrictions due to their equipment.. but if they told me to lose 75 pre-op..I would not have been able to do it.. lets see what the doc says... but let me tell you...the pre-op pounds you lose...they count to the total...those are hell pounds...