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Hi all! Long time follower, first time poster. I have been seriously researching Bariatric surgery for the last few months (especially the sleeve). I am set to have my well check next week and I want to start the process of getting approved for surgery. I have an *** so I know there is a lot of hoops to jump through. Any insight on how to bring the topic of surgery up with the doc?

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Welcome. Normally you local primary care physician (PCP) only directs you to the bariatric surgeons.

I had surgery at a Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery. These Centers of Excellence are available in many states in the U.S. The Centers of Excellence provide a complete support for the surgery. There are many components that require a range of specialist beyond just a surgeon who specializes in Bariatric Surgery. They include nutritionist, psychologists, a hospital that specializes in bariatric surgery, staff that work insurance issues, pre-op testing, weight loss and exercise programs, bariatric surgery support group meetings, five years of post-op follow-ups. It is like a "full meal deal", no pun intended.

So you might begin by finding out where the closes Center of Excellence is and when you see your doctor direct him/her in this direction.

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I checked with my insurance then since I didn't need a referral I attended an online info session with my bariatric program then had to take quizzes lol then I scheduled an initial visit with my surgeon who I've had before for another issue and my program legit handles my 6 month visits in house I need a psych eval and a letter of support from my Pcp also need a my sleep study and a month of compliance on my new machine but that's it

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Well so far im having the psych eval today and in like 12 days i go in for my second weigh in how about you

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Just heard from OSU Bariatrics yesterday (March 14th) I now have a firm 2-hour appointment with their staff psychologist April 25th. I had attended a seminar

last Friday at Martha MorehousePavilion at OSU, took my son along . I'm widowed(almost 6 years) and he is my main support person and my best bud! That is program #2 for me, after a relationship dating back to August 2015, completing all prerequirements my insurance and they had given me, and thinking I was waiting on surgery scheduling,they "kicked me to the curb". The 3 surgeons had themselves a little commitee meeting and decided not to perform my surgery. My PCP surmised maybe they were scared of my age causing a death on the operating table, shoot I was 69 when I started going there, did they think I was suddenly start subtracting years? I wish deep in my heart I could sue them for breach of promise or something, the receptionist that called me back that day was apologetic in a very insincere tone. Left me feeling I was a defective person and said some hurtful things about my emotional and psychological fitness before hanging up. Told,me I should seek counselling, how can I do that when I Have Done nothing wrong? I'm sure I am well rid of them but it hurts to trust someone implicitly and find your trust is misplaced. And a Center of Excellence no less! Maybe I was naive about how the world really is.

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