Hi all,

I'm just getting started in the process for VSG surgery and need some advice. I'm attending an informational session sponsored by my preferred surgeon on Jan. 21. I have a 43 BMI and Anthem BcBs in Georgia. Can anyone offer any advice on questions to ask at the session? Does anyone have experience in the approval process with this insurance? What about the presurgery diet? I have tried every diet out there through the years but have no documentation because my PCP refused to help me lose the weight. I was always told to stop eating so much and sent away like I was a bother. Did you have to do a doctor supervised diet with Anthem for approval? Please, any other pearls of wisdom you can share about your own journey to approval would be greatly appreciated! I'm thrilled to have found this site and looking forward to getting to know others. Thank you in advance!

Ask your surgeon:

how he handles pain management.

how many incisions will you have

where will the incisions be located

does he use CO2 to expand your abdominal cavity

will he extract as much C02 as possible to reduce shoulder gas

how long does he expect you will stay in the hospital

how long until you can resume normal activities

what is the most common complication with his patients

My three month pre-op diet was basically low-carb (not no-carb), and high Protein (60-80 grams a day).

Waiting for approval is the hardest part of this process.

My questions were different.

I wanted to know if they had issues with vegetarian diets?

Could they work around my many food and medicine allergies?

Could they operate without blood?

Everything else I had checked into before deciding on this doc and/or were answered during the seminar.

My questions were different.

I wanted to know if they had issues with vegetarian diets?

Could they work around my many food and medicine allergies?

Could they operate without blood?

Everything else I had checked into before deciding on this doc and/or were answered during the seminar.

What do you mean by "operate without blood"?

If there was an emergency I wanted to know he would be okay with not administering a blood transfusion.

Oh ok. At the advice of a firmer teacher who was a Medical Assistant for a long time, I'm going to ask if they can draw some of my own blood so that if I need a transfusion, I will have my own to do it with. If I don't need it I can just donate it or whatever.

My doctor just sort of chuckled and said he'd been doing this a very long time and if I need a transfusion after all the precautions he took, then something was very, very wrong. However he agreed to my wishes. He's also the chief of the department.

How many VSG has he done? Plus what the other women said

Thanks so much for your advice! I'm excited to get going in this process. How quick did you all go back to work? I'm only telling my manager that I'm having a procedure done but will have the opportunity to work at home for a few days if I need to. I have a desk job with very little stress but it can be demanding on the old brain cells at times. My main concern is being clear headed enough to perform. How long did you depend on the pain meds for comfort and to function?

@@GADeltaDawn - I wasn't on any pain meds. My doctor advised 2-4 weeks. Even though I felt completely back to normal after a week, I still tired easily and need a nap mid day. There is also the adjusting to the sip, sipping of protein drinks and fluids. It can easily take an entire hour to drink one protein drink. So you need a bit of time adjust to your new eating habits.