Greetings From Decatur GA

[S. Holt]

Greeting folks... I'm Scott and I just had my first pre-operative consultation; well, actually my second. About a year ago I started this process but got derailed due to some other family health issues. Since it's over year ago, back to square one.

I don't know my exact BMI, but it's in the super-morbid obese range. My target weight loss is about 215lbs; which would put me at around 139. Honestly, this is an idealized weight picked from an actuarial chart (and my doctor was honest about that - but they have to use a consistent reference). My actual idea weight would be closer to 155 or 160. Honestly, I would be happy to "just" be overweight.

Other stats: 50, 66" tall, been overweight or obese must of my adult life, and a collection of comorbidities: sleep apnea, diabetes (fortunately well controlled without medication for now), high blood pressure, high cholesterol.

In any case, right now I am just restarting the process. I have tentatively selected a procedure, but I am still researching it: SADI-S. It may be too new to be covered for me... it is also still so new that there are no real long term studies. To top if off, my surgeon has only done it twice - though he has done hundreds or thousands of Sleeve Gastrectomies and DS procedures independently. I don't know whether the loop component of the SADI-S is similar enough to a DS for that to count for much.

For now, its more of a paper chase - get the evaluations, get the approvals, and hopefully get to a happy spot with either this or simple Sleeve. I have all by ruled out RNY and there is no way I would do the band.

So, any other patients (veterans or pre-op) care to share their experience, particularly if you're in my area?

 

[southernlady]

Welcome, @S. Holt

What surgeon are you dealing with?

Honestly with diabetes (even if diet controlled) I would go for the traditional DS not the SADI. Also, we honestly do not know how the SADI handles the malabsorption of fat so the diet advice may not be accurate. But we do have a few others who have had the SADI (aka LoopDS or SIPS, depending on which surgeon you ask). The board for the SADI, etc is here: http://bariatricfacts.org/forums/sadi-loopds-lds-sips.57/

As far as reaching 139, you might and you might not...but using the BMI calculator, your normal BMI is up to 154 lbs using 66 inches (5'6"). Well within reach. Just read all you can here on the site...we have lots of information, much of it pinned to find.

 

[S. Holt]

Yea, I did think 139 was kind of off the mark... and honestly, it is just a number from a life insurance company's actuarial tables. He was rather honest about what it really meant - essentially nothing except a common reference so that they are comparing apples to apples when looking a success rates across a population.

155 is the number I have always looked at "ideal" - like I said, though, I would be happy with being simply "overweight" - but I would keep trying for ideal. What the conversation woke me up to, though, is that that though my expected weight loss with the sleeve alone would be around 126lbs, that would still have me coming in in the 220's - well technically "morbidly obese".

My goal is to no longer be considered medically obese, my idea is to be 'normal' weight. I realized, though, that I am going to have a lot more difficulty achieving either with a procedure that does not include a malabsorptive component. That's RNY, DS or SADI.

 

[newanatomy]

Hello and welcome.

 

[JackieOnLine]

hello!

 

[aaa]

Welcome.

 

[GirlFriday]

Hello! Welcome aboard.