Weight Loss Surgery
The weight loss surgery (Bariatric Surgery) is usually for women who are at least 80 pounds overweight or men at least 100 pounds overweight. If you're can't lose pounds with a healthy diet and exercise, surgery might be an option for you. If you are less overweight, surgery still might be an option specially if you also have diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea.
"People need to be aware of the risk and benefits of weight loss surgery so they understand what it is all about," says Harvey J. Sugerman, MD, president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. The weight loss surgery limits the amount of food you can take in and some operations also restrict the amount of food you can digest. After the procedure people lose weight quickly however this kind of surgery has risks and complications, including blood clots, infections and hernias.
It usually takes 2 years for the person to decide to really have this procedure done. "Most people don't rush into this,they do a lot of research; they talk to family and friends, they talk to the hospital, they go home and they think about it more. After the decison is made, the first step should be contacting the insurance company and the primary doctor to check if the procedure will be covered and if it is really necessary.The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases web site states that this procedure can run from $20,000 to $35,000.
With such high costs on weight loss surgery, it pays to ensure that your doctor documents your battle with obesity early on, to open up options down the road. After doing all the arrangements with the insurance company and primary doctor, it is time to find a hospital, and a surgeon, that are first-rate.
