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I am considering gastric bypass/anyone who has done it plz give some advise?

I have United Healthcare....anyone with this insurance done the surgery? Was the process long, and hard? Do they make you jump thru hoops? How are you feeling now? Did you have medical issues before the surgery and do you still have them?

Public Comments

1. Do NOT do it!!! The complications can be deadly. I have lost 2 friends (out of 6 that had it done) to the after effects of the surgery. One more is waiting to die... Her stomach acid is leaking out into the body cavity.....
2. My cousins friend did it. She wishes she had just gone to the gym and sweated it out!
3. I am presuming you are considering this surgery for weight reduction. I will also presume you have tried all other avenues to reduce weight but are at this point...basically as a last resort. I do not know if it is available with your doctors but may I suggest you ask them about lap banding. This is less invasive than the bypass, minimal side effects long term and much more safer surgery in regards to risks and complications. The lap band is a silicone band that they literally wrap around your stomach- like a garden tie - and then after a few days they inflate it and constrict part of your stomach. Imagine it.... your stomach has a band around it and it pulls it into two stomaches.. like tightening a belt... You cannot eat alot because you feel full. It is a slow process and the diet you must start off with after the surgery is all liquid for a good month. But, if you change your mind... then all they do is deflate the band and remove it through keyhole surgery... not an open incision. No holes in the stomach, no possible leaking of stomach acid, no infection of the stomach because the only open wounds are through the skin. Minimal scarring, less side effects and less complications than the open gastric bypass. And,,, if you change your mind, you can have it removed safely. With regards to insurance, sorry, I only know the procedure and outcomes. This procedure you only are in hospital two days maximum. I would think that insurance companies would look favourably on this type of surgery. Good luck.
4. I had this surgery Aug. 2004 and have lost 115 lbs. I also had United Health care. I started my search for a doctor in March, did the required siminars for education; had to have an upper GI, a stress test, see a psychiatrist and lots of bloodwork. So, totally, it took me 5 months to get all of prerequisits done. Then, I interviewed with the doctor and he did everything he could to discourage me. I wasn't discouraged but I was anxious. I think this a psychological thing to see if you REALLY want this surgery. It took approx another month for his office to get United to pay for my Rouyn-Y and they paid 100% because I met the criteria. I did not consider the lap-band because alot of the lap-bands become overgrown with tissue and you require another surgery. Also you have a saline catheter on your stomach where the doc will increase the fluid in your band and this can get infected. I know alot of docs that have stopped doing this proceedure because of these problems. If you have any pre-existing conditions such as back pain, high blood pressure or diabetes you have a better chance of getting the surgery. You have to be at least 100 lbs. overweight. Also they will want proof that you tried to lose weight in a "normal" fashion for an extended time. Like, your Weight Watchers notes or menus; or whatever other thing you tried and how successful you were. it's a pain in the butt getting everything together, I can tell you that. But it was worth every minute. The surgery for me was laproscopic; 5 small punctures that healed very quickly; I was walking the next day alone in the hallway and went home the second day. They will check for leakages (you drink a fluid and get an exray) and I had none. AFter that, it was a matter of following a clear fluid diet for a few days, graduating to protein drinks for a couple of weeks and then going to "baby food", ground up protiens in small amounts supplemented by protein shakes and alot of water. There really wasn't much to my surgery; it was very easy for me. It's not an easy thing to do or maintain as so many people think. You use it as a tool to teach yourself how to eat properly. You will feel full with 4-5 bites. Eventually, you will level out. I did not feel deprived at all of food. Now I can say that it was one of the BEST things I ever did for myself!!! I'm very happy with my results and with myself. My diabetes is under control and I no longer have to take insulin. My 3-month A1C test was 6.6 last time and it's never been that low. My blood pressure meds were reduced by half. I had my knee replaced and I'm walking great by not carrying all of that weight around. it was really tremendous! check it out thoroughly and satisfy yourself first. I made myself sick for nothing preparing for the surgery and it was a breeze. Good Luck and God Bless...:)