Can someone explain to me the purpose of the six month diet before surgery?

Thank You, for all your answer.

Edited March 7, 200917 yr by bounser

What jack said pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.. My 6month requirement Did not require me to lose weight even though I have because I took it seriously and made "easy" but life altering goals that will help me post op....it was simply about making goals and changes preparing for your life with the LAPBAND. Every Insurance company has differant requirements so make sure and check with yours. It Does go quickly I just completed my 6mos 2/27/09. Good Luck

With all respects to Jack, a true super moderator, I've only heard of the 6-month diet in regards to insurance requirements. If you are self pay, I've never heard of a surgeon requesting/requiring it.

Jack's reasoning behind the diet is as good as any; who knows why ins companies do things?

Some people do start the 6 month supervised diet and decide to forgo surgery.

Perhaps I am a bit cynical but I think it really comes down to money. While your insurance may say it is about seeing if you can stick to a change for a period of time I am dealt too much with insurance companies to believe that. I think an insurance company looks at it like if 10 people show an interest in the surgery then the odds are maybe only 5-7 will stick with the program and jump through the many hoops then they have saved surgery costs for all those people who didn't jump through all their hoops.

I didn't have to do a 6-month diet thing...but then I was over twice what I should weigh. However, if insurance required me to diet for 6 months before they'd pay, I'd have done that. While I won't lie and say I wish I'd had to diet for 6 months (I've dieted almost half my life, it seems, anyway) I don't think it's bad to weed out people who aren't really committed, sure, or ready for the change. Just last week there was a poster who felt she'd done the wrong thing and was hysterical because her doc wouldn't remove her band...she'd had it only a week or two. That is a rarity...but had she needed to diet for 6 months, she might have changed her mind, or been ready for the band. I am sure it's largely money driven, but it can be a good thing, for all that. I wanted the band since 2003 but my ins didn't cover it until 2008, so I waited a lot longer than 6 months to get my band. It gave me a lot of time to change my mind back and forth.

Hello, I am a self-pay patient and I have my first consultation on 3/20/09. I am 377lbs and 62.0 BMI...I have been trying to find out if I need to do the 6 month diet, and your post was the only one I found. I am not going via my insurance at all. I have my certificate of recommendatio from my primary care doc, I did the sleep study, I did the psych evla and upper GI with my main doc and have eveything ready to be turned in to the lap band doc on 3/20/09....how long do u think before I can set a date for surgery?

Hello, I am a self-pay patient and I have my first consultation on 3/20/09. I am 377lbs and 62.0 BMI...I have been trying to find out if I need to do the 6 month diet, and your post was the only one I found. I am not going via my insurance at all. I have my certificate of recommendatio from my primary care doc, I did the sleep study, I did the psych evla and upper GI with my main doc and have eveything ready to be turned in to the lap band doc on 3/20/09....how long do u think before I can set a date for surgery?

Your surgery date will depend on the schedule of your surgeon. Most self pay patients get scheduled quickly because there isn't all the insurance "red tape" My surgeon gave us time lines; yours should be able to do the same.

I did not have to do a 6 month diet but after researching, it is purely a insurance requirement, to see how committed one is to dieting. It depends on your insurance company. My insurance company wanted to see records that I was on a physician monitored diet and lost at least 10% of my body weight, and this had to be within the last 24 months. Then I had to show doctor visit records, showing that I have been over weight for al least 5 years, etc. :laugh: Each insurance company has their our set of requirements. hang in there, the 6 months will go by quickly.:thumbup:

the 6month diet is only insurance required just to clarify.

I am a little scared now. I called over the summer to find out my insurance company's requirements and they told me about the physician monitored 6 month diet pre op, but they never mentioned it had to be a certain %! After reading posts here, I am worried my 6 months physician diet was for nothing now b/c I didn't lost 10%. If I have to do another 6 months I might got postal (lol). I want to move ahead now that I have firmly made the decision on the lap band. Help... anyone face this issue?

hi,

i just found out last week about the diet requirements..........i have had all the other testing, everything fine....then i gain 10 pounds over the 6 months now i might have to wait 3 more months until i lose, so upset, no one told me i had to lose weight before surgery......heck that is why i am having the surgery!!!!! it is all insurance, not the doctor.

gosh i hated insurance company's they make everything so darn complicated. anyway was hoping for surgery in april, looks like june now!

what insurance does everyone have...........i have highmark security blue.

thanks and good luck

I have BCBS/NY. I am upset because I was told a month ago I was cover 100%. Then when I finally went to the doctors the same women tells me I have the weight requirements to do for the insurance, Then I will be covered 100%. She should have told me this before I feel like I've lost a whole month.