Hello all- i did not have time in my prior post to get into much. I am hoping I can skip the pre-qual stuff and get right to it. I am 5'8, 325 pounds, 47 BMI, one knee already torn up from an accident. My surgeon said both knees will need replacing within a few years but will not allow a surgery until the weight has dropped as I will not recover properly. My left foot is a problem and they said i will end up in a wheel chair without fixing it. I have that lymph fluid in my ankles. i am short of breath and have athsma. Have not blood work yet but it should be not so good I bet. I think even if my blood was normal with all my other issues I should be okay.

Do you think i am a good candidate and am hoping not to have to jump thru too many hoops. I have been overweight for 20 years gradually going up to now.

I have been on jenny Craig twice. Lost 25 pounds the first time 10 years ago, got nowhere last year. i have also been under a doctors care with diet pills etc for many years and its been a yo yo at best.

So wanting opinions. I knowUnited healthcare is good about this surgery. I just am a worrywort. if I cant have it done I'd rather just check out early than face all this stuff later on.

Well it does sound like you could greatly benefit from the surgery, but only your doctor can decide if you are a good candidate based on your health issues. You will more than likely have to have many, many tests like a lot of here to determine that. This is probably not the answer you were looking for, but I hope it was informative. Good luck.

Hello all- i did not have time in my prior post to get into much. I am hoping I can skip the pre-qual stuff and get right to it. I am 5'8, 325 pounds, 47 BMI, one knee already torn up from an accident. My surgeon said both knees will need replacing within a few years but will not allow a surgery until the weight has dropped as I will not recover properly. My left foot is a problem and they said i will end up in a wheel chair without fixing it. I have that lymph Fluid in my ankles. i am short of breath and have athsma. Have not blood work yet but it should be not so good I bet. I think even if my blood was normal with all my other issues I should be okay.

Do you think i am a good candidate and am hoping not to have to jump thru too many hoops. I have been overweight for 20 years gradually going up to now.

I have been on jenny Craig twice. Lost 25 pounds the first time 10 years ago, got nowhere last year. i have also been under a doctors care with diet pills etc for many years and its been a yo yo at best.

So wanting opinions. I knowUnited healthcare is good about this surgery. I just am a worrywort. if I cant have it done I'd rather just check out early than face all this stuff later on.

I know it is frustrating with all the tests, classes, labs, etc that you have to go through but really I think it is essential for the surgeon to know exactly what he is working with. I had a checklist of 24 things I had to do, it took months but I felt so much more informed about my health had I just gone in and had it done quickly. I learned in the sleep study that I have mild sleep apnea. The reason I had to do that is my dr. kept me in the recovery room the night I got out of surgery so I could be monitored more careful while still having the anesthesia in my system. Just one example.... I think the testing is important. That's just my opinion Good luck with whatever you choose!

I dont mind the tests they want to run. i just dont want to wait that 6 monthes and have to go thru another diet etc. I think all the tests you take seem like normal pre op surgical type tests anyway.

Hi, welcome to the forum. It is a good place to be.

I am still preop. I started June 1st and it will probably be December before I am banded. I have several co-morbidities that I have had to be worked up for.

Your insurance has requirements and so does the surgeon. The surgeon doesn't do your workup based on insurance. He has to be absolutely sure that you are ready for surgery. He also has a very full schedule and we all have to get in line.

I have received a lot of good information in the past four months, much of which I would have hated to have missed.

Be patient, your day will come, and it will be worth the weight. For now, work on research and changing old habits.

All the best,

Melinda

I have united health care and with me, it was an easy peasy process. my doctor actually required more than my insurance company did. Once I finally decided to go forward with the surgery, it was a very quick process. It was less than a month from my doctor consult to my surgery.That month flew by and two weeks of it was liquid diet.

With my high BMI alone UHC was happy to approve my surgery. I don't have any co-mordities that are weight related, but if you have them, it will probably help you with the approval process.

good luck.

UHC was great to work with. My BMI was 40 and i had no comorbid conditions. They did require 6 mos diet but looking back it was a good thing. It got my head where I need it to be. Good luck!

J