If you're lucky, the weight loss institution you choose will handle insurance matters for you. In any event, you might be surprised to learn that many insurance companies will cover the treatment of health problems caused by obesity but not obesity itself. So it is a good idea to have a basic understanding of what your insurance will cover prior to setting up a meeting with a bariatric surgeon.

You will want to obtain a copy of your current insurance policy to determine if these procedures are covered. Insurance details can be difficult to navigate, and our insurance specialists will gladly assist you in determining if these procedures are a covered benefit in your plan.

It depends. Some health insurance plans specifically exclude coverage for WLS. You can begin the process by calling your insurance carrier's 800 number and asking if "Weight Loss Surgery is covered for the morbidly obese?" Surgeons send each insurance carrier a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's health. The insurance company may approve appropriate candidates for the surgery on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates for surgery are usually at least 100 pounds over their ideal body weight. Another measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI) The body mass index is your height in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. There are several web sites that have body mass calculators. Generally a body mass of 40 or higher qualifies for surgery, or over 35 with certain health problems called co-morbidities.

Most patients lose weight rapidly for 18 to 24 months after surgery. Some patients may then regain some of their lost weight, although few will regain it all. Surgery also improves most obesity related health problems, such as diabetes.

There are several different kinds of surgical procedures to help people who are significantly overweight. By reducing the size of the stomach, these procedures restrict the amount of food you can consume. Long-term success depends in large part on permanently following a restricted diet and making major lifestyle changes.

This really depends on the type of weight loss surgery you have and the type of job you do. For lap band surgery the procedures are usually done laparoscopically and don't require stapling or rearranging of your stomach anatomy, thus your hospitalization is usually less than 24 hours. And your recovery can be as little as a few days. For gastric bypass surgery, most patients can proceed with a regular activities after 6 weeks.

The lap band procedure is reversible and does not modify your internal anatomy. Stomach stapling is designed to be permanent, but in general gastric bypass procedures are reversible. But ask your doctor about your specific procedure.

Most insurance carriers will cover weight loss surgery with proof of medical necessity. Each candidate will need to check with his or her benefits representative or read their medical insurance policy, as some contracts are written with exclusions for weight loss surgery.

Answer: It depends completely on your insurance company, and on your particular plan. Things also change with time. We try to maximize your chances of being approved the first time we submit. The BPD/DS is somewhat more difficult to gain approval for than the RNY, although more and more companies are covering the DS, including Medicare.

Answer: If you are considering Weight Loss Surgery, we recommend that one of the first things you do is to contact your insurance company and speak to a customer service agent. Ask if you have benefits for WLS. If you do not, an available option is self-pay. If you do have coverage, most of the insurance companies are requesting evidence of a medically-supervised weight loss attempt over a six-month period of time.

There are many preoperative insurance requirements prior to weight loss surgery, many specific to each individual plan. Each candidate must meet basic medical requirements as outlined by the NIH (LINK). In addition, there may be further dietary and exercise requirements necessary prior to surgical intervention. Many insurance companies require a period of a physician-supervised weight loss. Depending on your insurance plan, this will be explained to you individually.

A3. Patients undergo a thorough screening process at the Weight loss institute of Arizona to identify whether they are appropriate candidates for surgery. Surgical candidates need to be at least 100 pounds overweight. A more accurate measurement is the Body Mass Index or BMI. Surgical candidates need to have a BMI above 30 or a BMI above 30 with other obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Weight loss surgery is considered successful when 50% of excess weight is lost and the loss is sustained up to five years. For example, a patient who is 100 pounds overweight should lose at least 50 pounds; a patient who is 200 pounds overweight should lose at least 100 pounds. And they should be able to maintain loss successfully for the following five years. Ninety-five percent of patients reach that goal after gastric bypass surgery.

Your personal surgical history and the technique to be used are discussed at your surgical consultation.

In some older patients when the eyelid skin blocks the vision, some insurance plans will cover the surgery. Most of these operations are cosmetic and are not covered by insurance.

Weight-loss surgery alters the body's digestive process by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold and/or by limiting the absorption of nutrients. The most common procedures are restrictive, malabsorptive or a combination of both procedures. Restrictive procedures reduce the amount of food the stomach can hold, but don't interfere with the body's normal digestion of food and nutrients.

The most common operations are adjustable open Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. With both procedures, the size of the area in stomach where food collects is reduced and a portion of the small intestine is bypassed limiting absorbtion. During (Roux-en-Y) Gastric Bypass, a surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach using staples. The small intestine is then rearranged and connected directly to the pouch, creating a bypass of the small intestine.

It is very important that you do not get pregnant for at least 12 to 18 months after any type of weight loss procedure. You must use a reliable method of birth control throughout this time period. Once your weight has stabilized and the appropriate months have passed, you can become pregnant. It is important, however, to be monitored closely by an obstetrician and nutrition expert familiar with your weight loss surgery.

The short answer is no. Surgery is not a solution for everyone. We only determine whether a patient is right for surgery after a complete evaluation and discussion with the patient. Because weight loss surgery is a life-altering procedure, we want to make sure our patients are committed to making the lifestyle changes needed for a successful procedure.

All major surgery comes with risks, and the risks are different for each patient. At the University of Chicago Hospitals, our surgeons have better outcomes than most medical centers. Our lifetime mortality rate is only 0.001 percent. During your first appointment, your surgeon will explain your individual risk level.

Women should avoid pregnancy for at least 18 months after surgery. Please discuss any pregnancy plans with your surgeon during one of your clinic appointments.

Regular exercise is extremely important for maintaining your weight loss. Your bariatric surgery team will help you with the types of exercise you should be doing, and how soon after surgery you should start doing them.