Question:
HAS ANYONE BEEN APPROVED IN OREGON MY BMI IS 74.5

   — foxy H. (posted on December 14, 1999)

July 17, 2000
Yes, Kaiser NW does offer bariatric surgery. First you need to ask your PCP for the referral criteria--s/he can look it up on Kaiser's physician-only website under "Bariatric (Obesity) Surgery". Kaiser requires all sorts of fun things, like taking their Freedom from Diets class and co-morbidities that remain uncontrollable despite maximum patient-tolerated doses of meds. Also a ridiculously small list of acceptable co-morbidities: you have to have one of four. In any case, once you do get approved (it took me nine months and three appeals, but I am approved!) you are in the only Kaiser district that performs its own gastric bypasses and doesn't refer you out. Dr. Jaecks in Salem is the one performing them right now, I understand he does about two a month, and if you are "lean" enough he will offer to practice his laprascopic technique on you. Dr. Moiel, Kaiser's head surgeon, is in charge of the program and is the one to whom your first request goes. Get in, get informed, and get the paperwork going! If you need support for this battle (as we term it), there's a group of us pre- and post-op Kaiser NW patients at egroups.com's "Kaiser ORWA" OSSG website. Join us and we'll give you lots of tips on who to deal with in Kaiser NW!
   — Jill H.