Has anyone had the surgery with a BMI under 40? I'm guessing mine is around 35-36 and have an appointment with a doctor next week. I'm just wondering what he will say and how I can best present my case to him. I really want the surgery.

Thanks!

yes i have definitaly heard of people with bmi's of 35 and up. do you have any co-morbities...reflux, hernia, gerdx, sleep apnea, diabetes, heart disease etc... that will help. or if they are in your family history. there is a BMI calculator on this site. your BMI varies with your height so if you are 5'-2 3/4" you would be better off to say your height was 5'-2" dont round up on your height that will make your bmi go down!

good luck! :D

My BMI was 35 (still is) when I was banded in August. I'm 5'3" and am no 70lbs over weight. 70lbs is a lot of excess weight --even though my BMI is 35. I couldn't qualify for insurance for the band or for Gastric Bypass because I don't have any co-morbilities so I had to pay out of pocket. I'm hoping my second fill will get me on the weight loss track, which will be soon.

GOOD LUCK!

Karen

Hi Karen,

I noticed that you were banded a day before me. My BMI was 34.5. I weighed 187 before the surgery and really should weigh about 135. Just wondering how your weightloss is coming along. Mine is slow in my mind. I have lost 22 lbs. so far but I have not weighed myself for 3 weeks now. I get very discouraged when the scale does not move so I thought I try the scale only once a month.

Look forward to hear about your progress.

Mary:)

I was worried myself. I even have dreams of getting to the hospital, and they say NO, we can't help you. I spoke with my Dr. and I have a date 11/11/03! So, hopefully you will be approved. I feel like I cannot live another minute at this weight. I did not want to come back in a year with more problems. Anyway, my Dr. said that he does do low BMI, depending on the individual.

Hope that helps.

Date to be: 11/11/03

238/138

It might be hard to get insurance approval for a BMI under 40 unless you can prove you have some health problems related to the weight. However, you may want to consider doing a self-pay surgery in Mexico. I believe that they do a lot of lower bmi patients there.

Hi Julie,

I'm 5'6 and weigh 222 lbs. My BMI is 36. I'm about 75lbs overweight. When I went to the surgeon, he said he thought he could help me. He sent me to lots of specialists and for lots of tests. We discovered that I have diabetes, gerd, osteoarthritis of the spine and mild sleep apnea and a family history of obesity and heart related problems. I have just submitted for approval to UHC insurance. The surgeon says he thinks I'll qualify due to the medical problems. If you have a BMI 35-40 some insurance companies will cover you if you have 2 obesity related medical problems (co-morbidities). So, when you go in...don't be afarid to tell the surgeon all about your ailments (the more, the better)!! Most surgeons offices understand how to get around the insurance game and will help you anyway they can. Unfortuneately, it doesn't always work with insurance but it's worth the try.

I'll let you know if I get approved. If I don't, I'm going to Mexico!

Good Luck,

Marsha

P.S. When you go to the surgeon...don't empty your pockets when you stand on the scale (you want to be as heavy as possible)!

Let us know how it turns out.

Marsha

Hi Karen H,

I saw your post for bmi under 40 and that your surgeon was Dr. Sanchez. I just wanted to know what you thought of the Dr and facilities, etc. Also, how is the weight loss going?

I am seriously considering using Dr. Sanchez, but I am still researching my options.

Thanks!

Marilyn