HI everyone. I have a question that I am hoping someone can help me with. Right now I am still doing all my pre-op appointments and do not have the insurance approval or surgery date yet. But I am wondering what would happen if after everything is all approved and the surgery date is set and I start the pre-op diet. What if I lose enough weight on the pre-op liquid diet that it drops my BMI below 35? Does this matter since everything has already been approved? Do they even take that weight into consideration? I am scared that it will happen and then I cant have the surgery. Has anyone either had this happen or heard of a situation like this? Any info would be appreciated.

Jen

I will be banned in a few days. My doc submitted my paperwork to insurance based on my intial consult with him and my history over the past five years of being overweight. He said that once I got approval the only other thing he gives them is my actual date of surgery.

OK, that is what I was hoping to hear. I dont want to have gone thru everything and then do the liquid diet to be told gee you got your BMI under 35 now you dont need surgery . that would really tick me off.

I asked my doc the same question. He told me that they use the weight you weigh at your initial consultation. If you lose weight before the surgery it doesn't matter (even if your BMI drops below 35), in fact they encourage it.

I agree...it is your initial consult weight.

As othes ppl have said...they go by initial weight.

HTH

OK, thanks everyone. Now I wont have to worry so much about what happens after I get to that phase. NOw I just have to get thru the rest of my pre-op appointments. I have already had my initial consult, upper GI, psychologist and dietician consult. On 3-9-09 is the cardiologist, 3-12-09 is the pulmonologist and then my follow up appoint with the surgeon is on 3-18-09. We are hoping this will be my pre-op appointment, but it will depend on how quickly we can get my insurance approval, so wish me luck.

Jen