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Does anyone here have any experience with stomach reduction surgery?
Any thoughts on this?
I had gastric bypass surgery nearly 5 years ago. Very happy with my decision. I did spend years researching and contemplating before I reached my decision.
I had gastric bypass surgery nearly 5 years ago. Very happy with my decision. I did spend years researching and contemplating before I reached my decision.
Three questions:
1. How much did it cost you?
2. Did your insurance cover this surgery?
3. If you don't mind me asking, what was your weight before and after this surgery?
1. How much did it cost you?
2. Did your insurance cover this surgery?
3. If you don't mind me asking, what was your weight before and after this surgery?
Nothing, 100% covered by my insurance. Luckily I pay nothing into it and if I stay in network no out of pocket expenses. I was 257 and am now 134. I'm 5"4 and had type 2 diabetes which is gone as well.
Nothing, 100% covered by my insurance. Luckily I pay nothing into it and if I stay in network no out of pocket expenses. I was 257 and am now 134. I'm 5"4 and had type 2 diabetes which is gone as well.
Great to hear all of this!
Also, though, out of curiosity--how much would it have cost you without the insurance?
Also, though, out of curiosity--how much would it have cost you without the insurance?
Iirc the soup to nuts from initial visit, preop testing, hospital etc was close to -00k per the EOB statements I received from insurance. Surgery and hospital stay itself was around 75k.
1. How much did it cost you?
2. Did your insurance cover this surgery?
3. If you don't mind me asking, what was your weight before and after this surgery?
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.
Iirc the soup to nuts from initial visit, preop testing, hospital etc was close to -00k per the EOB statements I received from insurance.
-00k?
Quote:
Surgery and hospital stay itself was around 75k.
75 thousand dollars? That's crazy!
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