Pre Op. - Is 10% really necessary?

[Nymadusa628 0]

A pre requisite to surgery is to lose 10% of your body weight. I understand this is good for a successful surgery and to show a commitment to your weightloss. The second reason may make sense but what can not be measures is the mental preparedness. I went to see my nutritionist today and i did not lose any wait form my first visit. It has been a stressful two weeks, i have lost my job and well life was a little draining. This will happen after surgery also .... I am aware of this. It sounds very pepeevish, but the Nutritionsit kind of aggravated me. maybe she just struck a chord idk but when she had said "We want our patients to wait 6months so we can track their commitment and see some type of weight loss progress, this is not just a quick fix." I may have taken it a little personal but i felt like saying to her ok I can lose the weight, don't worry about that, not a problem.. done it many times... I guess I feel they focus on that 10% but we all have lost that 10% that was not the problem, the problem was keeping it off. For safety and percaussion I can see the neccessity but to phrase it as a commitment just aggravates me. There is no real measure for mental growth where the real change happens.

Sorry for the bitterness just needed to vent and wanted to see what other think of the 10% loss requirment.

[honk 780]

I feel your pain. When I went in for my presurgery labs I ended up speaking with a Nurse Practioner in the group but not my NP. Now I had been waiting for this surgery for 8 months and had lost about 15% body weight. Was I ever irritated when she said to me "Now don't gain any weight between now and the surgery!" I lost 3 pounds in the next two weeks. I can't tell you how badly I wanted to call her out on that comment. She said it in the hallway where I had no privacy. There is never an excuse for being unprofessional and I have a HIPPA privacy rights. Grrrrrrr.

[amandac82 0]

Hum.... ya'll are much friendlier than me. I also lost my job and started back to school during my 6 months. I gained 10lbs. Got approved and I always had a smile on my face.

Don't let them get you down. Do your best and if that's not losing a ton of weight than so be it....

GOOD LUCK!!

[brraaainnss 0]

I am not required to lose any weight for the surgery. Is the requirement to satisfy your insurance ... or the dietitian?

If it's for the dietitian I would tell them to go suck an egg.

I always thought it was a little silly to force someone to lose a rather large amount of weight before weight loss surgery. We've all decided to get surgery because we all NEED it.

I know I don't get expensive, possibly dangerous surgeries just for kicks.

I dunno. I think it's a little abusive.

End rant. :]

[Nymadusa628 0]

Honk, I understand your frustration, it amazes me how almost sanctioned people are when they are over weight. Imagine if it was this difficult ot get a heart transplant. Do these patients have to prove they will follow their dietary restrictions for 6 months to get the surgery. There still is this stigma of over wieght people and it frustrates me. My professor hinted towards me not being able to hike the grand canyon, well did i prove him wrong and he apologized. It just goes to show how people judge you. That Nutritionist was clearly insensitive and I am sorry you had to go through that.

Brains - I t is a requirment by the bariatric Center but most insurances require it so i think this is why they try to enforce it. However, the Physician Assistant said they don't really follow that 100%, I was just appauled at the Nutritionist and her making generalized comments. If you have ever read "The McDonalization of America" it is a like the McDonalization of Bariatric Patients where you serve the same the thing for everyone. SHe just made her own judgement unconciuosly and was a little insensitive.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Nymadusa628

[amandac82 0]

Imagine if it was this difficult ot get a heart transplant. Do these patients have to prove they will follow their dietary restrictions for 6 months to get the surgery

While I agree with you 100%.... it isn't that easy to get a heart transplant. My mom is currently waiting on a heart and had to be approved by a committee. She had to do a psych eval, nutrition appts, labs, and all the same stuff I had to do for lapband. Odd huh???

[Nymadusa628 0]

Amanda - Thanks for the insight I wasn't aware of this .. I hope everything works out for her. I assumed there were some types of pre requisites for a heart transplant but Is it as difficult as getting the weight loss surgery? My mother has been waiting for a kidney for about two years now and the whole process is very disheartening.