Question:
If I only have 55 lbs. to lose can I qualify for Bariatric surgery?

I'm 50 with 50 to 55 to lose. I have Hypothyroidism,Fibromyalsia,depression,chronic fatigue,asthma joint and back pain. I know I would look and feel so much better if I could dump this, but after a chronic illness I gained 55 in 11 yrs. I am better recently and have done a LC no sugar diet, walking without walker and cane and still no results. I want to do surgery and wonder if I can qualify. I have GIC insurance and noted Beth Isreal Deoconess Med. Center does this procedure in Boston a 2 hr. drive from me. Any advice? Another prob. is I have suffered from binge eatting a bolemia for the past 22 yrs. on and off. Will this help or hinder my chances?    — Kate C. (posted on July 15, 2001)

July 15, 2001
My first impression was with only 55 pounds to lose, I don't feel that any reputable surgeon would touch you. There are very real risks and serious complications associated with this surgery. 55 pounds is just not worth taking that risk. I really am sorry that you feel so awful. I don't think that I would recommend actually gaining weight in order to have this surgery. I wish that I had ONLY 55 pounds to lose when I started this journey. I too gained weight much more rapidly than 11 years. (How about 11 months!) While I don't know anything about your personal situation, 11 years ago you were 39, right? Could your weight gain be menopause or hormone related? Not that that makes it any easier. But, as you know some women do gain weight through these years. To have only gained 55 pounds in 11 years is great. I would consider myself fortunate. Shelley
   — Shelley.

July 15, 2001
You might check into the lap band. Theres a rumor it might be approved for lower bmis when loss can help them with their problems. Self pay for a band is a LOT less too. Something to think about. We should ALl remember how hard it is to loose 50 or a 100 pounds.
   — bob-haller

July 15, 2001
Kate, please don't let the fact that your BMI is not high enough (more than likely)to qualify for a gastric bypass depress you...although I suspect that it has. There are options. If you are now at your highest-ever weight, gaining more weight to qualify probably isn't a viable solution. I was also below 40 BMI, but all I had to do was stop dieting for 10 minutes to gain the additional 25 pounds I needed to qualify. I did this during my research phase, so the first time I went to my surgeon's office I did qualify. (I'm now one year post-op.) Yesterday, however, my surgeon told me that he is going to be doing the newly approved "adjustable band" laproscopic surgery. He believes it is a good option for someone with a lower BMI who has some medical problems and can't take off the weight by dieting. He also likes the fact that it is fully reversible, and less expensive for those who have to self pay. If this procedure had been available one year ago, I probably would have chosen it...not that I am unhappy with my surgery, don't get me wrong....just that I remember how crushingly disappointing it was being told that I didn't qualify and how I had to scheme and plot and gain weight. I felt like I was trying to pull something over on the surgeon, my pcp, and the insurance company, and worried (silly me) about being arrested for insurance fraud. I urge you to look into the new lap band. It sounds like it could be your answer.
   — Anne G.

July 15, 2001
As to our last anymous poster saying surgery would leave someone seriously underweight with bad side affects this isnt necessarily so. A bypass with a larger pouch and little actual bypass or a vbg could well get the weight off safely. Its a matter of the right surgeon and getting insurance approval. Surgery can kill but so can being too heavy, so one cant exercise or be healthy.
   — bob-haller

July 18, 2001
Kate as I sit here and read some of the answers posted it makes me very angry. I would agree with #1 talking to your doctor about a band. #2 Don't sit here and listen to those people who have decided to criticize you because you "only have 55#'s to lose" because if it was that easy to lose that amount of weight why would any of us have considered this surgery!!! Some insurance will pay for the banding due to the fact that you have so many co-morbidities the problems that I see you facing would be only a couple and one is finding a surgeon who will do it (but there are some great doctors out there who will)in you local area. The second one would be that you insurance might not pay, but if you do want it and the insurance won't cover it then some doctors will also take payments. I wish you the best of luck and keep your head held high.
   — BOK

May 26, 2002
No, DON'T gain weight just to qualify for the surgery!!!! I thought my health was somewhat good because I didn't have any medications I had to live on to survive, but when I went for my pre- op testing it was dicovered that my liver has been damaged due to what my doc. thinks is fatty liver. Gaining more weight in order to qualify for the surgery could KILL you all by it self. To gain weight in order to qualify seems insane to me. Take care of yourself the best you can. Gaining weight would be terrible for you, and the WLS is not the answer for all troubles. Maybe the gastric band alone would not be too invasive for you, and would also help you lose the extra weight. Remember- your objective here is to LOSE weight. Start calling doctors. Get all the advice you can from the medical community. They can help a plan for you. Don't give up. There are answers for everyone.
   — Andrea B.

May 26, 2002
Hi again. I hope I didn't seem too blunt with my first post (listed after this one) It wasn't you that wanted to gain in order to be accepted for WLS, but other posters had suggested it, and I guess my first post was reffering to those post. Since people do still read the post later on, I thought it was worth responding to. I hope everything will work out for you. Blessings~
   — Andrea B.