Anybody know why they have you on a monitored diet before surgery?

**Jmadyun21** · 01-14-2014 06:26 PM

I have my first appointment tomorrow with all the doctors and I don't want a long wait like some of the stories I read I am hoping to have surgery at least within the next few months or so I don't want a long process like 6-9 month wait until a scheduled date. I see some of you had to be on a monitored diet for months... Anybody wanna tell me why that is????

**MJR2013** · 01-14-2014 06:46 PM

It is to help clean out your system and to shrink your liver as it sits right on top of the stomach.

**OAM** · 01-14-2014 06:47 PM

It is all a matter of what your insurance company requires. My company only required 1 psych consultation. That's it. From the first consult to surgery was only like 6 weeks.

**Netekay** · 01-14-2014 06:49 PM

I had to do 6 months of diet/nutrition counseling for my insurance to pay for it. The two week pre-op diet I have to do is to shrink the liver so that it is more out of the way for the surgery.

Every insurance, and doctor, is different in what they require.

**Sophistikitten** · 01-14-2014 07:07 PM

There are many reasons why. First, this is a huge and life changing surgery. The system works only if you do. The insurance companies want to make sure that their "investment" in you and your well being is being taken seriously. They want to monitor you through medical documentation, to make sure that you can handle the surgery, not just physically but psychologically also. The wait period is a good time for you to start preparing yourself in many ways. Start eating your meals slower, take smaller bites. Afterwards you really need to be in this habit or vomiting and other habits may form. The dietician will make sure that you are aware of all the things you should be eating post-op. They want to make sure that you totally understand that this surgery is a tool used to support your weight loss. It may help you drop a quick 30-50 lbs, but after that..you really need to work. The work includes exercise and eating not for joy and pleasure, but for the nutrients in food. I know the wait seem unnessary but in the end you will be more prepared

**Jmadyun21** · 01-14-2014 08:12 PM

What insurance did you have?

**Jmadyun21** · 01-14-2014 08:32 PM

Can you all share what insurance you have and what your insurance required you to do?

**adotlj** · 01-16-2014 01:52 PM

I have Carefirst and I had to go through 6months of appointments before they'd approve it. It also depends on your doctor (as already stated) and it depends on if you have pre-morbidities or not. I had none so they would approve it strictly off my BMI but only after I'd gone thru 6 consecutive months of documented appointments. It was a long time, yes, but it gave me a long time to really think about what I was about to do and decide if I was willing to make the changes necessary. The recovery process isn't necessarily fun and you want to make sure that you really do weigh your options and think long and hard. This surgery is permanent so there's no going back.

**adotlj** · 01-16-2014 01:56 PM

Oh, in addition to the 6months my doctor had a whole list of things I had to get done too to turn in to insurance. A laundry list of tests, psych evaluation, diet history, 2 visits to a cardiac exercise lab, a sleep study, and a personal letter...it was a lot but I made it.

**Jmadyun21** · 01-16-2014 03:01 PM

Overall, how do you feel about the surgery and do you have any regrets? Do you ever feel bad that you can't eat as much as you used to and get full really fast? I'm afraid I won't enjoy food as much once I get it done.

**Lucy61** · 01-16-2014 03:04 PM

Insurance - doctor monitored diet - mine was 3 months and during that time I did all my other required tests too (sleep, edg, NUT, pysch etc). Call your insurance, they will give you the requirements that must be met and will answer a lot of your questions. If you are a self-pay, and your center is a Center of Excellence, there are standards they have to go by to maintain that classification.

**Lucy61** · 01-16-2014 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Jmadyun21

Overall, how do you feel about the surgery and do you have any regrets? Do you ever feel bad that you can't eat as much as you used to and get full really fast? I'm afraid I won't enjoy food as much once I get it done.

I enjoy food more now because I don't feel guilty when I eat. The taste is great, I eat more variety, just a lot less. There is only 1 food that I can't eat - doesn't sit right is tuna fish, I just can't digest it like before - it sits like a rock in my stomach.