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I had the gastric sleeve done back in early 2014. I'll answer your questions as well.
OK.
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1. I paid out of pocket because I didn't feel like going through the insurance crap and had a pretty high deductible to meet anyway. Total was $8500. That covered everything. Doctor visits, hospital stay, the surgery, etc. If you look, you can find many doctors around the country who offer a pretty affordable self-pay option.
OK.
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2. Insurance would have covered it, but they had the six month physician supervised diet, you had to prove you'd been obese for x amount of years, your BMI had to be over a certain number or you had to have certain comorbidities, etc.
OK.
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3. My weight before I started anything was 375lbs, my lowest weight thus far is 220lbs. I've been coasting at that weight. I don't lose but I don't gain, which is fine because I know I could step up my exercising game and start to lose again. Ultimately I'd like to get down to 180lbs or so.
OK.
Also, for the record, my current weight is about 210 pounds and I have a male body; however, I literally have no or almost no muscles and thus almost all of my extra weight consists of fat. (For the record, I am currently 24 years old and about 1.83 meters, or about exactly 6 feet, tall.)
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My story is a bit different though. I got the surgery for portion control. I tried following the low carb diet, but it's just not for me. I eat what I want, but in great moderation. Because of that, I lost more slowly, but that's also helped me avoid the loose skin.
OK; understood.
Indeed, I myself certainly want to eat a lot and thus also want something that will significantly limit my own appetite.
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If you're looking at choosing between the bypass and the sleeve, I would say go with the sleeve unless you are just hugely obese. There are less complications, it's easier to adapt to, you don't have to worry about vitamin deficiences, the recovery is generally easier and it's cheaper if you're paying out of pocket. No, the weight loss isn't as easy or extreme, but I think it's not worth all of the other possible issues.
Out of curiosity--exactly how much cheaper is gastric sleeve surgery out of pocket in comparison to gastric bypass surgery?
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Also, in case they don't tell you, it's very easy to form gallstones after a surgery like this because of the extreme amount of weight loss in a short time. I ended up having to have my gallbladder removed about a year after the surgery because I was having horribly painful attacks. The doctor never told me about that risk, so the first time I had an attack I thought my stomach had exploded or something.
OK; understood. Indeed, thank you very much for this warning and "heads up"!
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In regards to the surgery and how it's changed my life... The first few months afterward I regretted it, but losing weight has helped with many of the conditions that I was dealing with, so I wouldn't change my decision even if I had the ability to do so.
OK; indeed, I am glad that you eventually came to appreciate the value of your surgery!
There is a website realself.com where people share their experiences about all kinds of plastic/cosmetic procedures (many reviews with pictures). You can search there by particular treatment (procedure, surgery) of interest. I understand there are different stomach reduction surgeries and each has different name
Also, out of curiosity--what exactly is your height?
I'm about 5'8 1/2" tall. I carry my weight well, so even when I was almost 400lbs I didn't really look it, but it was taking a huge toll on my body. At your weight and height, I wouldn't even THINK about bypass. Any doctor worth anything wouldn't suggest it either. There are just way too many possible complications.
Oh, and for your question about the different surgeries... the self pay cost difference is a few thousand more for bypass than sleeve. The hospital stay is generally longer with the bypass, which is probably a large part of the reason that it costs more. If you have insurance and it covers the surgeries, you obviously won't see much of a difference in your out of pocket cost.
I had the gastric sleeve done back in early 2014. I'll answer your questions as well.
1. I paid out of pocket because I didn't feel like going through the insurance crap and had a pretty high deductible to meet anyway. Total was $8500. That covered everything. Doctor visits, hospital stay, the surgery, etc. If you look, you can find many doctors around the country who offer a pretty affordable self-pay option.
2. Insurance would have covered it, but they had the six month physician supervised diet, you had to prove you'd been obese for x amount of years, your BMI had to be over a certain number or you had to have certain comorbidities, etc.
3. My weight before I started anything was 375lbs, my lowest weight thus far is 220lbs. I've been coasting at that weight. I don't lose but I don't gain, which is fine because I know I could step up my exercising game and start to lose again. Ultimately I'd like to get down to 180lbs or so.
My story is a bit different though. I got the surgery for portion control. I tried following the low carb diet, but it's just not for me. I eat what I want, but in great moderation. Because of that, I lost more slowly, but that's also helped me avoid the loose skin.
If you're looking at choosing between the bypass and the sleeve, I would say go with the sleeve unless you are just hugely obese. There are less complications, it's easier to adapt to, you don't have to worry about vitamin deficiences, the recovery is generally easier and it's cheaper if you're paying out of pocket. No, the weight loss isn't as easy or extreme, but I think it's not worth all of the other possible issues.
Also, in case they don't tell you, it's very easy to form gallstones after a surgery like this because of the extreme amount of weight loss in a short time. I ended up having to have my gallbladder removed about a year after the surgery because I was having horribly painful attacks. The doctor never told me about that risk, so the first time I had an attack I thought my stomach had exploded or something.
In regards to the surgery and how it's changed my life... The first few months afterward I regretted it, but losing weight has helped with many of the conditions that I was dealing with, so I wouldn't change my decision even if I had the ability to do so.
Did you have a special diet right after the surgery? If so, what was that diet?
Sorry 200k. Hospital stay was 4 full days, I had an extra day in due to an extremely common issue. The opening between stomach and intestines, called the stoma, swelled shut and I was vomiting up all the liquids they were giving me. I was given some steroids thru my iv with immediate effect and the extra day was just a precaution to ensure I'd be able to keep liquids down before going home.
I just looked over the EOBs, out of that 200k the negotiatied rate paid by my insurance was a little over 36k. And again, no out of pocket costs for me. No deductibles, copay, etc.
I also had my gallbladder removed 2 years after surgery. It's the most common post operative complication. Most surgeons take it at the time of the WLS to avoid needing a second surgery. In reality any person can develop stones/diseased gallbladder. Rapid weight loss just ups the odds.
Did you have a special diet right after the surgery? If so, what was that diet?
Depending on the doctor, you will be on a liquid diet for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks BEFORE the surgery. The last few days you can only have clear liquids. They say this is to shrink your liver so that it's easier to get to the stomach. Mine was clear liquids a week before the surgery and I lost about 15lbs just from that.
Right after the surgery it's liquids again. Beginning with clear, then moving to other things (you'll be drinking A LOT of protein shakes). Then you move on to soft foods, then to your 'regular' diet, which is basically Atkins. High protein, low carb.
Technically you are supposed to stay on that diet for the rest of your life, though I'm sure many people introduce some carbs or sweets back into their daily routine eventually. Others get sick when they eat things like bread or sugar. For the first year, I didn't really want anything sugary. It was way too sweet and made me feel sick. Then too, when they remove the stomach they supposedly remove the part that registers hunger so some people come out of it and have to force themselves to eat. Unfortunately I didn't get that side effect, so I was hungry the first week after surgery.
People think that weight loss surgery is the 'easy' way out, but it's really not. Sure, the portion control helps, but if you don't eat the right things you're going to have vitamin issues and still feel like crap even though you're losing weight.
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