length of time for optifast

Does anyone know how the length of time is determined for the Optifast part? I hear some people have done 2 or 3 weeks, some 6 weeks?

I believe it is determined by weight. At 290, I was told I would be doing 3 weeks of optifast but if I got down to 275, I would do 2 weeks.

There are many factors that they look at before they decide on how long you will be Optifast. one is if you had surgery before in the stomach area. If so you will be on it longer. How heavy you are, what your health is like etc.

I was 256lbs at pre op....I only had to do 1 week. I do know people that didn't have to do it at all!!!!

Im not sure what determines the length of time. I was under the impression they knew the size of my liver from the ultrasound.....however..... I know many people who didn't have go have an ultrasound either!!

It's a very good question

I am 374 lbs (maybe less now, I don't weigh myself), and my surgeon is having me do 6 weeks. I have a very high BMI to of 60+. Don't know the reasoning, but if that's going to make my surgery safer I will do it :)

It depends on your centre (as you can see from the various responses). At TWH, it's 1 week for every 100 pounds. They told us the surgeon can order a longer regimen if s/he wants. That could depend on behavioural factors that could result in fatty liver.

At TWH yes what tatirod said. I am 290 pounds but I had had a ultrasound done 1 year prior that showed I had a fatty liver so my surgeon had me do it for a little over 3 weeks (would have been 4 weeks but between start date and surgery date it was only about 3.5 weeks).

As for optifast, for me, once I passed 3 days in, I was totally fine with it and the only side effect I had was diarrhea. I lost 17 pounds on opti. After my surgery I asked my surgeon how my liver was and she said it was amazing.

I was 376 and did 4 weeks of opti. I'm super tall though so my bmi was lower then most my weight.