Can you explain something to me about this process?

Is being accepted for surgery not an automatic thing if you meet the criteria? You can still be turned down for the surgery?

I was under the assumption that if you had the BMI and/or co-morbidities and jumped through the hoops with the professionals that you'd qualify for surgery. I have seen here and in real life about people being turned down for the surgery. My friend was telling me about another friend of hers here in Ottawa who waited 2+ years for the surgery, had it recently after being one of a few picked for the surgery. One of a few of the many people that went through the process with her.

What? Why is this? Now I'm kind of nervous that this may not come to fruition. Why would/could one be turned down for surgery? Medical? Lifestyle? Are there a lot of people turned down?

I have a high BMI of 45, but no co-morbidities (BP is slightly elevated but not medicated for it). I have no sleep apnea or diabetes or joint pain, I'm 39 yrs old, take no medications of any kind. I have been obese since I was 10 or so and tried every weight loss thing out there.I have a decent support system. I am fairly active, decent cardio at the gym 3 times a week. I can lose weight easily but can nevr ever keep it off and it comes back on FAST. Could I be turned down? Why would they turn me down?

Help! LOL  I thought this was a shoe-in.  Guess not...

Relax, enjoy the ride!  

You can be turned down if

-you don't make necessary changes in your lifestyle to prepare you

-You seem psychologically unstable

-you miss too many appointments or are terribly rude to staff (as to disqualify you from tr program)

-your bmi falls seriously too low

-you are not medically cleared through tests and by the surgeon

Thank you. That answers my question. I was curious why one would be turned down, aside from not physically being able to handle the surgery or medically fragile in some way.

I just would like to add something else to this list:

• Ability to support your new lifestyle financially and afford the vitamins and supplements you need to take for life.

I am a full time student, and I had to prove to them that I could afford this surgery and the lifestyle afterward.

What do you mean "after being one of a few picked for the surgery"? Who told you that? A patient? someone from a wls center? What credibility this info source has?

I mean it just doesn't make sense, Ottawa is slow and inefficient, but they don 't just waste time and money filtering hundreds of people to pick up a "few chosen ones". Total nonsense, sorry for being blunt. There might be medical reason, making surgery impossible, or requiring special treatment, but just "not being picked"?

That's what I said! It didn't make sense to me and I really didn't think it worked that way. The "source" is just my friend and has no credibility. LOL It's a "my friend who had surgery..." story. I asked her to ask for clarification from her friend. And I kept saying to her, "That doesn't sound right." Because like you said, why would they waste time and money and resources to hand-select only a few patients. I told her I thought it worked by attending the appointments and assessments, and if you meet the criteria, you get the surgery and it's just a  matter of playing the waiting game. Not "oh, yeah, you meet the criteria but we're not selecting you this go round."

Okay, that clarifies things for me. It is as I initially assumed. 

I forgot one: Keep gaining weight. If you gain weight, you may be dropped as well.

For whoever this lady is - I assume that it's very rare that people will give their story away as to why they were turned down

unless it was based on a medical issue.  That could be the lady's way of saving face.  Who knows?

Dawn

Yeah, if you can't control your blood sugar or high blood pressure, they will have no faith you can handle the HEAVY regime of vitamin & mineral supplementation you need to do for long term health post surgery.

After surgery, you have to live a  "sober lifestyle" re food, having had an "addiction" pre surgery.  Even if you dispute this viewpoint, it is better to work from that framework mentally in terms of understanding the changes you are going to have to go through.

They also blood test to see if you are off tobacco.  If their blood tests come back flatly contradicting things you are telling them (I quit smoking, I haven't had anything to drink this week... ) they may think the money could be better spent on others.