Question for Dr C
Hi Valerie,
Obviously I'm not Dr. C but I figured I would write just in case he doesn't make it on here tonight.
If she is self-paying a BMI of 35 in the States is acceptable for most surgeons.
If she is using insurance, then she will need to check with her insurance carrier to see if her EOB has WLS exclusions and if they do pay for WLS she will need to know their requirements.
Some insurance companies will pay with a 35 BMI and two co-morbidities (i.e. asthma, sleep apnea, hypertension, etc.) and some won't pay unless patient has a BMI of 40 or is morbidly obese (100 lbs overweight or a % above their ideal weight).
She will also have to know what their requirements are as far as if they require a medically supervised diet or nutrition counseling for weight loss. Most insurance companies require a 5-year diet history, a record of all attempts to lose weight in the previous 5 years as well as a letter from PCP stating that patient is educated about risks/benefits about the type of wls they are pursuing and is a good candidate for wls surgery because of .... (family history of medical issues and patients medical history, etc.)
Yahoo groups like smartbandsters and bandsters have templates to use for the PCP letter and 5-year diet history.
Of course, if she has specialists she sees for PCOS, diabetes, or other medical problems and they also write recommendations that will give extra weight to her request for wls.
Sorry I was so wordy, I'm back on liquids and have had tooooo many cups of green tea and coffee 
Have a Blessed day,
Amber
Have a Blessed day,
Amber 
Valerie,
Insurance requirements are typically the same for band as they are for other WLS. In my practice, if you are self pay I will band down to a BMI of 30 with comorbidities. This is due to the fact that the band is such a low risk operation, I wouldn't offer a bypass with a BMI less than 35. There was an excellent study out of Australia showing excellent results in patients with a BMI 30-35.
Dr. C
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