Question:
How much weight loss is too much in order to get weightloss surgery?

I know that I have to have 6 months of documented weight loss management and I am just curious about how much weight I can lose, and still get qualifified for the surgery? I want to lose as much as I can, but I am just curious...    — stewajac (posted on July 4, 2010)

July 4, 2010
I didn't lose any weight during the six month doctor supervised diet requirement and the doctor didn't seem pressed for me to do so. I'd lose 1 lb here and there but ultimately gained 16lbs.
   — KiaSunRay

July 4, 2010
It depends on your surgeon. Different doctors demand different weight goals. Mine wanted his patients to lose 10 lbs. Some demand people to lose 10% of their weight. Check with the surgeon to be on the safe side.
   — Kathleen W.

July 4, 2010
the key work is documented. You must document the effort. How ever I have not hurt of any one being penilized for losing during. your BMI must be 35 or higher to qualify for surgery with a 6 month pre diet documentation. And some ins. cos. will wave that if you have comorbidities.
   — marymazilla

July 4, 2010
The doctors w ant you to try and loose something and get yourself in the right frame of mind prior to the surgery. However... Since you asked this importand question I wil give my opinion here. You like me and everyone on OB have a weight problem.Any weight loss prior to your surgery is less that you wil have to loose after and as a matter of fact you body wil be in loosing ode right after surgery better than those that did not make the effort. You could not loose enouth that the doctor and your insurance would not approve your surgery on the grounds of TOO MUCH WEIGHT LOSS. THe weigh loss has not been your problem... (as with all of us) It is keeping it off. THe surgery is a tool that is allowing you to get a jump start on the weight loss rapidly.You need to be in most cases 50bls overweight to qualify for your insurance and have a history of trying to loose and not being able to keep it off.(Documented by a doctor)The insurance and doctors do not go by a general number that everyone has to loose but they consider the body type that you are and the height and such. It is individual.
   — OntarioSilk

July 4, 2010
It has been my understanding that the point of the pre-surgery diet is to "liver shrinking" as it must be moved out of the way in order to more easily do the surgery. Youe livwe will shrink by the same percentage of weight you manage to lose. My doctor always referred to the "Liver Shrinking Diet" but was not upset that I did not lose ALL the weight he requested. After all - that is what this surgery is all about. Best wish to you on your journey...
   — MARYADAMS61

July 5, 2010
I do know a man who lost so much weight on a pure liquid diet that his doctor said he could not in good conscience proceed with WLS. He was borderline of almost being too old for the surgery anyway, approx. age 70. (Miraculously, it's a year later and he has not regained his weight.) Ask your doctor, but you should be okay at a BMI of 35 after presurgery weight loss. Best success.
   — Janell C.

July 5, 2010
My surgeon explained that the pre-op weight loss he wanted was not a test of willpower, but rather a means of shrinking my liver. A slightly smaller liver apparently makes for an easier, less-complicated surgery. I weighed 314 pounds at the time and he directed me to lose 10 to 15 pounds. That's around 5% of my total weight. I had RNY done a week ago with (so far) absolutely no complications. Good luck to you.
   — MastoDon

July 5, 2010
What Mary Ellen said is right on the money. I had to wait one year and I went to my primary care dr once a month, I wasn't pussy footing around, I wanted that surgery so I went once a month and my Dr documented it. Make sure your Dr documents in file MONTHLY!!!! Good luck
   — FSUMom

July 5, 2010
What Mary Ellen said is right on the money. I had to wait one year and I went to my primary care dr once a month, I wasn't pussy footing around, I wanted that surgery so I went once a month and my Dr documented it. Make sure your Dr documents in file MONTHLY!!!! Good luck
   — FSUMom

July 6, 2010
sorry if i repeat anything but i didn't read all of the posts. i would check with your insurance company though. I has Cigna and was told that if I showed too much of a weight loss during the 6 month period that it would prove that I could lose weight on my own and that I wouldn't get the surgery, this coming off an appeal letter. However in the same breath I was also told that if I didn't lose ANY weight that would show that I wasn't serious about losing the weight and would be denied so it was a slippery slope and I ended up losing just a lb a month.
   — Tangerine4

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