Question:
Will underactive thyroid cause a denial or delay of surgery?

I had Graves disease and had radioactive iodine this time last year to kill the thyroid glad. I have continually had to increase my synthroid doses and they called today and said it was up again. They said it should not be more than 5.5 and mine was 31. In addition I have Type II diabetes that is somewhat controlled with insulin pump, but not always. Are these conditions things that could cause me not to be able to have this surgery until they are in normal ranges? I am seeing my PCP tomorrow and will discus this surgery with her for the first time and I especially want to know if the thyroid can prevent me from having the surgery. (When I first developed Graves disease it was hyperactive and I actually lost about 22 pounds for the first time in a long time. Then after the radiation treatment, then after the radiation treatment killed the thyroid I gained all I had lost + about 10 more!) What a yo-yo! Thanks in advance for your help.!    — dwhit54 (posted on December 8, 2003)

December 8, 2003
Debbie, I know that the DS has about a 98% "cure" rate on Type II diabetes - in fact, they are doing just the "switch" portion of the surgery on non-MO patients to cure the diabetes now. Pretty cool! However, I haven't heard about the clinical indications of Graves and WLS. I would recommend that you start emailing some of the top (as in - in the entire world) WLS surgeons and asking their experience and opinion regarding this. I know my surgeon is really fast about answering questions like this - usually within 24 hours. If you want to try him, maybe he'll have something for you. Not sure, though... His email address can be found at www.bodybybaltasar.com Blessings, dina
   — Dina McBride

December 8, 2003
I have Graves disease and had radiation therapy in 1992 to reduce or kill the thyroid. I've been on snythroid since then and it was not an issue with me having the surgery. As a matter of fact, my PCP told me that the changes in weight as a result of the WLS would not change my synthroid dosage at all. I'm only 10 weeks out but so far, have seen no signs that I might need to make a change in medication. Definitely discuss it thoroughly with your PCP but it should be fine. Good luck
   —  SCbabe B.

December 8, 2003
I do not have Graves disease, however I am hypothyroid and have taken synthroid daily for 11 years. At the time of my surgery, my levels were in normal range so I don't know what impact it may have had on my surgery had my levels been high. At one time, mine were up to 29 but with a change in synthroid dosage, it quickly came back down to normal. Since surgery, my synthroid dosage has been cut in half and I'm still at the very low end of the normal range (currently at .9 I believe on only .15mg of synthroid). Depending on when your surgery date is, you may have plenty of time to get it within a normal range. However, only your surgeons office can tell you whether this would cause them to postpone your surgery. I have never heard of anybody being denied the surgery due to hypothyroidism - there are many of us here who are hypothyroid and post-op. Good Luck.
   — Carolyn M.

December 9, 2003
my tsh level was just one point above normal and my ins co denied me. i increased my thyroid med., got into normal range, and was approved, had lap rny on 11/17/03. my docs. said that it was bs. to deny at first, but thay didn't want to anger the ins.co.gods. i had several other co- morbidities. but they just use this as an excuse. they probably thought that if the tsh was normal, i'd have no problem losing weight. (abnormal range was only in last few months before surgery, but had been normal for several years before that with meds.)
   — harvey S.