I Was Wondering How Do They Determine Wheter Or Not You Are A Canidite And Also Approximatly How Long Did You Wait From The Time You Decided To Get A Consult Concerning The Surgery To Actually Getting The Surgery Done, Meaning Other Tests And Insurance Etc.... Thank You

Hi Erynn,

Whether you are a candidate can most easily be determined by your BMI. AMA guidelines for the US say that if your BMI is 40 or higher, you are medically eligible for WLS even if you are otherwise healthy. If your BMI is between 35 and 39, you need to have at least one co-morbidity; that is, a medical condition caused or exacerbated by excess weight.

As for how long it takes, that's highly variable. Several weeks to several month, depending on insurance. Even in the best-case scenario it would take at least a couple of weeks.