Over 65

[Bariatric lass]

Hello,
I am in the beginning stages of searching for a dr and having difficulty finding a surgeon who will operate on me because I am over 65. Has anyone experienced this? Any advice? Thank you

 

[Shotputqueen]

I always thought the cutoff was 70, but maybe that's just in my program. I'm going to be 60 in September and hope to have my surgery soon.

 

[Bariatric lass]

I wish you the best of luck! Keep me posted.

 

[dianeseattle]

I don't think that number would hold up legally, though a doctor can make a case that you're too "something" to have surgery that late in life. But People in their 70s and 80s have surgeries (some in my family have) in order to continue to function, including organ transplants, etc.

If a doctor told me I couldn't have surgery because I'm too old, I'd just get another doctor. I also might try to intimidate him/her with a lawsuit threat.

 

[Bariatric lass]

I don't think that number would hold up legally, though a doctor can make a case that you're too "something" to have surgery that late in life. But People in their 70s and 80s have surgeries (some in my family have) in order to continue to function, including organ transplants, etc.

If a doctor told me I couldn't have surgery because I'm too old, I'd just get another doctor. I also might try to intimidate him/her with a lawsuit threat.

Hi, the

 

[Bariatric lass]

Thank you for your response.. I may not have been clear enough but the surgery center, called Chrias, has age restrictions and that is where the problem is.

 

[dianeseattle]

It still seems wrong and actionable. In a legal filing, they would have to give a reason for the age limit, and since we are all different, health should be the driving force in the decision. If you are denied medical care because of your age, that's a lawsuit.

 

[missyinacage]

Weight loss surgery is still considered to be elective, ie not medically necessary. Therefore they can deny anyone they feel is not a good candidate. And there are standards for what that looks like. They can even deny joint replacements, as they are not technically necessary. Quality of life is not considered a medical necessity.

My mother was denied by my surgeon, who specifically said that in her current health he would only operate on her in a life or death situation.

I am not trying to discourage you from pursuing this. In fact, I highly suggest you try another surgeon. In the meantime, you CAN improve your health and weight on your own. And that may help make you a better candidate. Good luck.

 

[KristiLyn]

Hello,
I am in the beginning stages of searching for a dr and having difficulty finding a surgeon who will operate on me because I am over 65. Has anyone experienced this? Any advice? Thank you

I turned 60 a month after my surgery. I've seen people in their 70s on here and on my program's support zooms there are older folks on there. I hate the ageism I see out there.

 

[Bill sperry]

I had my surgery at 67 . I would get a lawsuit like Diane said

 

[dianeseattle]

Yeah, Missy, ordinarily your answer would be right, but I just did a bunch of research on it and it's not elective in many cases. And if your doctor, for instance, refers you for surgery, s/he will usually have to choose mandatory or some other necessary category or insurance won't pay for it. That's what happened to me. I wasn't going for the glam. I didn't even bring it up. My doctor examined and weighed me and immediately wrote to the FDA while I was standing there to get a clearance for me (I was only 55). He didn't wait for the reply, since he was using snail mail. He scheduled me immediately, as soon as he figured out when he would still be available, since he had a vacation planned already. He slipped me right in so it was only a matter of days. I know he listed possible comorbidities in the letter, but he didn't test me for any. It was just, okay, she's at least 100 pounds overweight, gotta get her in to surgery immediately for gastric bypass.

Seriously, I didn't know anything about RYGB and I didn't make the appointment to discuss it. My doctor saw the danger and therefore scheduled me. He never said it was elective or mandatory. He was mostly concerned with the fact that I had Medicare and Medicaid, so he wanted to make a federal contact in writing to make sure all the bases were covered.

That was 16 years ago. Nowadays, the process is much more complicated, and it shouldn't be. If anything, seeing how things happened to me, it should be easier.

Has anyone here ever known a person who conned a doctor into the surgery when they were under the threshold for qualifying?

 

[Roni]

This is quite informative. I was 62.5 years old when I had my surgery the VA put me through all the steps. At first I was very much against the surgery, eventually I came around. I spent over 2 years in what they call the Move program for weight loss before considering surgery. this shows how different everyone’s journey is.