Are you considering gastric bypass surgery to get rid of excess weight? Perhaps, you are wondering how much the procedure would cost you and if it is covered by insurance.

Prepare to spend much to be able to lose weight. Nowadays, weight loss or bariatric surgery costs around $20,000 to $35,000. In fact, the cost of weight loss surgery has gone down significantly in the past years. It varies depending on the quality of procedure itself, the experience of the surgeon, the medical team that will help in the operation, and the additional post-surgery services that a patient availed of.

Insurance Coverage for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

Is the cost of weight loss surgery covered by insurance companies? If a patient has insurance, he may pay part of the cost or nothing at all. A lot of health insurance companies have considered obesity as a serious health problem, so they cover part of or all the expenses incurred in weight loss surgery. This is because weight loss surgery can actually save them money in the long term. Insurance coverage for weight loss surgery depends on the insurance firm itself, the particular insurance policy, and the state where the patient is located (since there is no insurance coverage in some states). Also, insurance coverage is given only to qualified candidates or those who meet specific criteria set by an insurance company.

The following are the criteria that a weight loss surgery patient must meet to qualify for insurance coverage:

Obesity for at least five years before the surgery

Minimum of 100 lbs. of excess weight

Showed serious efforts to lose weight through diet and exercise but to no avail

No history of alcoholism

No history of depression or other mental disorders

To be able to enjoy the insurance benefits, the patient (with the help of the surgeon or clinic) is required to file some forms to the insurance company. One of the necessary forms include a Letter of Medical Necessity that usually indicates the patients weight or body mass index, obesity-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, etc.), and the duration of the patients obesity, among others.

On the other hand, weight loss surgery patients who are not covered by insurance must shoulder the costs themselves. These self-pay patients may apply for personal loans to be able to pay for the surgery, but this payment option involves interest rates.

Post-Surgery Costs

The cost of weight loss surgery must also include the expenses following the procedure. A change in lifestyle after the surgery results in certain expenses such as gym membership for the exercises and new sets of clothes, which will need to be replaced several times during the year.

Besides the financial costs, there are emotional and physical costs involved as well in the weight loss surgery. For one, the patient will need to adjust to the new lifestyle and the changes in his body, which can trigger high levels of stress and anxiety especially in the few weeks following the surgery. The physical cost of gastric bypass surgery involves being committed to the recommended diet plan to avoid serious complications and weight gain.

In particular, it means the patient must stay away from foods rich in fat and sugar, as well as avoid unhealthy habits such as skipping meals and overeating. Sticking to a regular exercise program is also part of the surgerys physical cost.

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Sometimes when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we don’t like what we see. Our modern lifestyle does not exactly engender healthy living for normal people. The convenience of fast food combined with a sedentary lifestyle is not exactly conducive to a healthy life. Obesity is quickly becoming an epidemic in in terms of how it has spread. A lot of people are trying to be more fit, of course, with diet and exercise. However, sometimes, that’s not enough. This is where a gastric bypass comes in.

Having weight-loss surgery is quickly becoming an increasing trend among people who find that they just can’t seem to lose weight. This might have come about because of a combination of lifestyle choices, genetic predispositions and physical problems, but the results are still the same: stubborn flab that doesn’t seem to go away or even in some cases, incredibly overweight individuals. For people like these, a gastric bypasss is often their only hope.

What exactly is a gastric bypass? This is a simple process in which stomach capacity is lessened and a large part of the intestinal tract is skipped in the digestive process. It may sound complicated but it is actually the simplest weight-loss surgery that is possible. There are actually several variations of gastric bypasses but the most common type is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. In this type of gastric bypass, a pouch is create at the top of the stomach using surgical staples sometimes this pouch is as small as a walnut. Then the stomach pouch is connected to the middle part of the small intestine, the jejunum.

All of this can be done by either an open procedure, where in the whole abdomen is sliced open, or by making a small incision in the side of the abdomen and using small tools and a camera to do the procedure, a process that is sometimes called the laparoscopic approach. An open procedure can be actually very dangerous and is also subject to longer recovery times; this is why the laparoscopic approach is often advised.

Of course, this is all a major surgical procedure and you can’t just have your digestive tract messed with. You can only be qualified for this procedure if you have been obese for five years, in which you have tried everything to lose weight, are not alcoholic, and not suffering from any psychiatric disorder. An age limit is also set for procedure only individuals from 18 to 65 may have a gastric bypass.

It may all seem like a done deal: just hop onto the operating table and you’ll be well on your way to svelteness. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. A gastric bypass is a four hour operation followed by a five day recovery period, in which the patient is observed. Liquids will be the only source of nourishment for him during the observation period. Afterwards, there will be a twelve week regimented diet that will take him from liquids to solids so that the patient’s new stomach may handle it. There will also be side-effects: a smaller stomach means less food which means less energy overall you’ll be lethargic until your body learns to cope. Also, you may experience pain and vomiting after eating too much or too fast.

A gastric bypass looks like a great shortcut to slimness but it’s a lot more difficult than it may seem.

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According to studies, gastric bypass surgery can help get rid of excess body weight by as much as 90 percent. Sounds too good to be true, right? But thats possible if a patient follows a strict diet plan to avoid regaining weight and to enjoy the full benefits of the surgery. The aftermath of the surgery requires certain lifestyle changes, and that include eating habits. Make sure you get the proper nourishment you need by following these guidelines.

1. Follow your physicians or dieticians recommendations on vitamin and mineral supplements after the surgery.

The surgery causes most of the stomach and part of the small intestines to be bypassed. This, in turn, causes your body to have difficulty taking in some nutrients, which leads to vitamin and mineral deficiency. To keep your body from losing its much-needed vitamins and minerals, make sure that you take proper supplements regularly. Usually, the supplements include multivitamins, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, among others.

2. Dont take huge meals.

That would defeat the very purpose of your surgery. Just because you have achieved weight loss, that does not mean you can go back to binging or other unhealthy eating habits. Rememberfollowing the surgery, your stomachs volume has been reduced. Your tummy can hold only 1 ounce of food. Overeating wont do your tummy any good. Aside from adding unnecessary calories, eating too much can cause body pains, vomiting, and dizziness.

Be sure that you eat only small amounts of food. Follow your doctors recommended food amounts. Soon after the surgery, you can eat about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food in every meal. And before you feel full, resist the urge of taking another bite.

Over time, your stomach stretches and can contain more food. Thus, you can adjust your food intake as time progresses.

3. Chew up thoroughly.

Make your digestive systems job easier by chewing your food thoroughly. Why do you need to do so? After the surgery, the small opening between your stomach and your small intestine may be blocked by large pieces of food. When that opening is blocked, food will remain in the stomach and will not be able to pass through the small intestine. This will definitely cause nausea, pain in the abdomen, and vomiting.

Dont swallow food that you cannot chew well. To make eating easier and more comfortable, take smaller bites and chew them until their texture becomes pureed before swallowing.

4. Dont eat and drink like theres no tomorrow.

Avoid eating too fastthis will only lead to sweating, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. These are the symptoms of dumping syndrome, a condition wherein foods enter the small intestine quickly and in abnormally large amounts.

You must eat and drink slowly. Eating a meal should take at least half an hour, while drinking 1 cup of liquid should take half an hour to one hour. Also, avoid foods that have high sugar and fat content.

5. Dont drink liquids while eating.

Drink only before or after your meals. Otherwise, you will feel the symptoms of dumping syndrome. In addition, drinking liquids with meals make you feel full immediately, and this stops you from eating more nutrient-rich foods.

6. Try one new food at a time.

After your gastric bypass surgery, avoid eating just any food. Certain foods and beverages like milk, soda, meat, rice, and pasta may cause pain, nausea, vomiting. Try just one food at a timeand if it causes discomfort, do not eat it.

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Gastric bypass and other bariatric medical procedures are primarily performed to resolve issues of morbid obesity. Not only does gastric bypass help in weight-loss, but studies show that it has dramatic effects on diseases associated with obesity like heart diseases, hypertension, cancer and diabetes. There are significant studies showing that gastric bypass surgery was able to reduce or force the remission of Type 2 diabetes.

With gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is reduced in size. A small pouch is created on the top of the stomach and the middle section of the small intestine is connected to the remaining part of the stomach. Because of the stomach is smaller in size, it could accommodate smaller amount of food and would limit the calories that it would absorb.

After the surgery, the weight loss could be dramatic. Surveys say that patients would lose 5% of their weight immediately after their weight-loss operation. In a year after the surgery, patients could lose 50 to 60 percent of their original weight. Patients would be able to lose their lowest body weight two years from the time of surgery. That is, if the patients would stick with the dietary restrictions and follow the exercise program.

There are studies showing that diabetes was forced to remission after the surgery. This is not just about hormonal factors, the amount of weight lost by the patient has significant effects on diabetes. In a study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, they were able to identify that weight is a factor in decreasing diabetes. Hormones also have a factor, since the studies also showed an effect on the gut hormones. They have a stronger insulin resistance.

In the study conducted, obese patients who have Type 2 diabetes, showed that their diabetes control improved after undergoing the surgery. They had lower blood-sugar levels and take lower amounts of medication. About 48 percent of the respondents were able to achieve complete remission.

It is not just the weight loss and the hormones that keep diabetes at bay. Type 2 diabetes is often caused by diet. A person who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, is required to follow strict diet. Too much sugar at fat is best avoided after the surgery, since it could result into the Dumping syndrome which has vomiting, nausea, dizziness, sweating and diarrhea as symptoms. Because of the change in diet, the individual gets to eat less food and less carbohydrates.

The results are not only significant among adult patients. There are also studies showing that it would take a year before teen patients would be able to be off from the medication and for diabetes to go into remission. Teen who are suffering from diseases used to be only associated with adults, like high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, would get lower counts or get significant improvements after surgery.

Experts agree that diabetes can surely be reduced by undergoing gastric bypass surgery. However, it is not the best option nor the only option. The gastric bypass surgery effects could fail especially if the same lifestyle before the surgery is still followed. It is still about eating healthy and getting regular activity into your schedule.

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