Many people are finding themselves in a ‘catch 22’ situation these days: they desperately need to have gastric bypass surgery, but they can’t get it since they either don’t have insurance, or the insurance that they have doesn’t cover the cost. There are real benefits to the surgery and for those people who are suffering from severe obesity related health issues, the need is even more urgent. This article will show you what the cost of gastric bypass surgery is which may make it easier for you to decide on the best course of action for you and your health.

Unfortunately, insurance companies seem to be run primarily by short sighted bean counters, people who only look at the bottom line and won’t consider any procedure that will cost money. When it comes to gastric bypass surgery, this short sighted approach is actually costing the insurance companies more money. Why? Because they will be paying to treat diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many other obesity related illnesses for many years. By approving just one gastric bypass procedure they could be dramatically reducing the number of claims they get for the other obesity related illnesses.

One word of caution: don’t automatically assume that your insurance company won’t cover the surgery particularly if you are morbidly obese and have been for many years. Many companies will also do a complete physical, and emotional, workup before making a decision on whether or not to allow the procedure. More and more insurance companies are coming to understand the benefits of allowing this type of surgery, make sure you check with your company.

The cost of the surgery can range from between $15,000 and $25,000. Some clinics who perform the procedure will allow the patient to set up a payment plan, again, it’s important that you don’t assume anything and instead ask the question.

Some people are also having success by going to other countries, such as Mexico, to have the procedure done. In some cases well qualified doctors can perform the surgery much cheaper in other countries due to the fact that they don’t have to pay the ridiculously high mal practice insurance premiums that they need in the U.S. to protect themselves against frivolous lawsuits.

If you opt to have your surgery done somewhere else it’s very important that you carefully research to find a highly qualified doctor and clinic to perform the procedure. While it’s possible to save some money, you want to make sure you aren’t sacrificing quality or safety.

The bottom line is this: the cost of gastric bypass surgery can be high, but if you are morbidly obese and are suffering from a multitude of other health issues, you should try to do everything possible to get your weight to a more normal level. Make sure you ask questions and don’t just assume that you can’t afford the procedure, you may be surprised at some of the help that is available. Your employer may even be able to provide some help with this issue. Just don’t give up, keep working on ways to improve your health.

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The people who undergo gastric bypass surgery normally do so because they are sick and tired of being sick and tired, they want to live a healthier, more active lifestyle and in order to do that they need to lose significant amounts of weight. While some people may view weight loss surgery as an easy way out, the reality is that if this type of surgery is going to work you are going to have to be fully committed to making permanent lifestyle changes post gastric bypass.

This procedure will greatly reduce the size of your stomach which will make it virtually impossible for you to overeat, that in turn will lead to significant weight loss. Another thing that will lead to is a dramatic change in your lifestyle, especially your eating habits. It’s not just about how much you eat but also how often and what you eat. All of this will play a part in the success of your surgery.

Here are some specifics that can help ease you through this transition period:

1. You will be eating a lot of Jell-o and nutrition shakes after your surgery, about 30 days after your surgery to be exact. You won’t be allowed to have any type of solid food for a solid month after your surgery. Your body has changed dramatically and you will need to allow your body enough time to properly heal before you can eat any solid food.

Don’t worry, during this period it’s common to start wondering if you’ve made a huge mistake, this is a dramatic change for most people and it can be very unsettling, just hang in there and soon you’ll begin to see changes and you’ll realize that you made the right choice in having the surgery.

2. Your doctor will want you to take vitamins to supplement any nutrients you may not be receiving from your food intake, it’s very important that you don’t forget to take them. Your body must get enough fuel so that it can run properly and make it possible for you to heal.

3. After the first 30 days of a liquid only diet you will be able to start eating soft foods such as pureed vegetables. The changes you’ve undergone may affect the types of food you can tolerate. For example, some people find that they never want to, or can’t, eat a certain type of food again, like meat. With others they don’t notice any real differences in the types of foods that they can eat, they just have to eat less.

4. Once you’ve gotten past the first several months you will be able to start eating more ‘regularly’ again. That doesn’t mean you can go back to the old eating habits you had before the surgery, it just means that you will be able to eat more than liquid or soft foods. You will still want to stay away from too many carbs, fat, sugar, etc. It will be important for your body to continue to eat only whole, unprocessed food whenever possible.

These are just some of the lifestyle changes that you can expect post gastric bypass. The transition may be a little tough, most changes are at first, but in the long run the process will work if you’re willing to do your part and you follow the advice of your doctor.

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Losing weight really can be a life or death situation, particularly for those people who are morbidly obese. Time is of the essence and the longer it takes to lose the weight the greater the risk to their health. For this reason gastric bypass surgery may be the best option. If you are considering this procedure but would like to know more about the recovery process, this article on gastric bypass post op can help.

This procedure has been available for decades and though there are some risks, as with all surgeries, they are minimal and rare. The most common issue faced by someone is the lifestyle changes they will need to make. These changes can be challenging which is why most patients are given a lot of pre-op counseling so that they fully understand what they will need to commit themselves to.

Most people understand the basic concept of gastric bypass, your stomach is made smaller so that you can only eat small amounts of food at one sitting. So, obviously, one of the most drastic changes will be a dramatically reduced food intake at each meal.

Other post op lifestyle changes may not seem so obvious such as the fact that you can no longer eat a lot of high sugar and high fat foods. Eating too much of this type of food can lead to fainting since it will be absorbed much more quickly than it would have been before the surgery when your stomach literally had more room.

When you are eating less, you are also drinking less which means that you will need to drink water, in small amounts, throughout your day to avoid dehydration.

While everyone is different and each individuals results will vary, on average many patients will lose up to 50 % of their extra weight within the first six months after surgery. From six months to two years the amount of weight loss will generally be as high as 70%. After two years post op the average weight loss tends to level off at about 80%. It’s very uncommon for someone to lose 100% of their excess fat so some people will claim that this type of surgery isn’t successful.

Only the individual can judge the success for themselves, but my guess would be that if someone is morbidly obese and weighs in excess of 300 lbs, they would be thrilled to lose 60 – 80% of their excess weight!

If you are extremely overweight and you are anxious to get yourself to a more healthy weight you may want to look into gastric bypass surgery. This is a viable way for you to take control of your weight more quickly than just diet and exercise. Your gastric bypass post op lifestyle will be considerably different and if you’re not willing to make significant changes to your lifestyle the process will not work for you. This article has given you a brief overview and now you have an idea of what’s involved, your doctor will answer the rest of your questions.

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Gastric bypass surgery may sound like a life saver, literally, but if you don’t have insurance, or if your insurance won’t cover the procedure you may think that you have no choice and won’t be able to get the surgery. There has been a lot of evidence to suggest that in the long run an insurance company would actually save money if they covered this type of surgery since the cost of treating heart problems, and diabetes, two common health issues related to obesity, would be significantly higher over a persons life span than the cost of gastric bypass surgery and recovery. Until the insurance companies change their policies many people are having their procedures done in other countries, gastric bypass Mexico is one such option.

Many American doctors have found that they can practice medicine just over the border for a fraction of the cost that it would cost them in the U.S. Why? Simple, one of the biggest reasons for skyrocketing health care costs is the mal practice insurance that every doctor must carry. Thanks to the greed of some lawyers and the eagerness of some patients to earn a quick buck, the number of frivolous law suits against doctors has risen dramatically. That makes every single procedure cost more since the doctor and the hospital have to pay huge premiums to their insurance company to protect them against law suits, the cost of those premiums get tacked on to the price of every single procedure you have done. Did you ever wonder why an aspirin in the hospital costs $6 or more?

Since a doctor practicing medicine in another country, like Mexico, doesn’t have the same restrictions, they don’t need to pay the sky high mal-practice insurance premiums, and they can pass that savings onto the patient. While the quality of care is comparable to what you could get in the U.S., you can get it for much less for this reason.

When choosing a clinic to perform your surgery, whether in the U.S. or Mexico, make sure you take a lot of time and care. Just like any other profession some doctors are better than others and when it comes to your health you want to make sure you choose the best doctor to perform you surgery. The first place you should start in your search for a qualified doctor is by asking friends and family for a referral, than keep checking their credentials, how many procedures they’ve performed, etc until you find the doctor and the clinic that you feel comfortable trusting your care to.

Don’t let the bottom line mentality of your insurance company stand in the way of you receiving a potentially life saving surgery, all you have to do is broaden your horizons and consider having gastric bypass Mexico. If you take time to find a qualified doctor and clinic south of the border, you can not only save yourself a lot of money while still getting the same level of care you would right here in the U.S., you’ll also potentially be saving your life. That is certainly worth a road trip!

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