Topic : Pros and Cons of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Hi.  I after been considering gastric bypass surgery for a while.  The only thing that is keeping me from going through with it is my insurance does not cover any of it.  I am so uncomfortable in my body and I am also scared that health problems are just around the corner.  I take care of my mother and do everything from house work, cooking, cleaning, all shopping that needs to be done, including working my full time job.  I know there are many woman that do the same thing but I have a very very small income supporting me and my mother.  No extra money to pay for surgery.  Does anyone have any suggestions or information on places to check out that would help in paying for the surgery?  Insurance companies should be ashamed for not covering medical necessities.  Any help would be appreciated.

What state you live in, but here in Michigan my insurance covered it for me 5 yrs ago. I had my typical copays for office calls and scripts, but because I had medical necessity they paid for the entire surgery. Have you considered the lapband procedure? Would your insurance cover that? Have you contacted your insurance company yourself or been through the process to get denied? If you go with a reputable surgeon they will go to war for you with your insurance company to GET it covered! Have you contacted the American Red Cross? If they can't help you they may have other resources you can look into. Good luck, and I wish all the best Sweetie!

Hugs, Debra

Hi Debra.

I live in NC.  I have checked with my insurance company and they do not cover any part of the surgery.  I will have to contact the surgeon again to see what they can do for me.  How have you done since your surgery? 

Thanks,

Alice

I have done wonderful since my surgery! I have even had a baby since then too. If I had to do it all over again, I would in a heart beat! The only side affects I have experienced is the not tolerating sugar, which is not THAT good for you anyways, and I had an incisional hernia. Hernia's happen 1 out 2 people for whatever reason. It will be 5 years for me on March 10 and I am only 20lbs from where I want to be. That 20 lbs is from the the hormones I had to take to get pregnant, hormones I have had to take in the last year because of hormonal problems. I WILL get that off. The surgery has definately been a positive experience for me.

Did you ask your insurance company if they will cover the lapband? I have heard great things about that procedure!

Keep in touch, Debra

Hi

I am from Australia and I dont have the insurance problems a lot of you seem to have.  If you are privately insured over here you are covered for most of the operation. Even if you dont have private health insurance you can be covered for a lot of the cost of the operation through the public insurance system. Sometimes it will just take a little longer before you can be done due to the over crowding in the public system.

I was totally covered by insurance when I had my first GBS back in 2001. I have had to have it done twice more due to weak collegen in my system and my stoma (not stomach punch) stretching. The final op that was done in 2005 my surgeon bypassed a lot more of my small intestine because of the stretched stoma was creating increadible hunger as my tummy was never getting any food in it to fill it, it was going straight into my intestine. So by shorting the small bowel I was now mal-absorbing what I did eat and if I was to eat a little too much due to the undying hunger I would not put weight on.

The problem is though I have been really very unwell since 2005. I just can not eat enough to stay healthy. I take all the suppliments and I eat from sun up to sun down and beyond but I still can not stay healthy. I have had to have several trips back to hospital to be fed through an IV with TPN and I am basically now fighting to stay alive.

I guess what I am saying is that surgery can help but you do need councilling as well as surgery as you lose weight and you have to know that things will and do go wrong. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place now and my life is much worse healthwise now that I am the way I am. I am nauseous 24/7 and that makes eatting very hard. I have been back to lots and lots of speciallists but no one has any answers for me about the symptons I have. My whole body is suffering from the mal nutritian and I am very depressed. I have been offered yet another major operation to partically reverse it all but they are usure that that will change my health state. I am not willing to put myself back under the knife for a maybe.

Please be careful when chosing surgery for weightloss and reseach and make sure its right for you. It isnt for everyone. I hope no one has to suffer what I am right now. Life is pure hell.

Take care

Hi, I am wanting to do the lab band surgery, however my insurance will only pay 1,000 out 16,700 dollars..the fact is here I am going to die if I don't do something here. I contacted Care Credit and they turned me down to help pay for this...does anyone has any idea's on how to get help....Lap band sent me to care credit.. right now I,m 5'5 and 292 pounds.. I am a full time in home caregiver..and love my job, and I worry I won't beable to keep it up..I have dieted for so many years...I lose and gain back plus..any idea's?

Thanks,Cindy

Is gastric bypass surgery the right option for me? I've been trying to lose weight for about a year now, and can't seem to get anywhere.