Would I qualify for the gastric bypass procedure at 5'7 and 350+ pounds? (Photo)

Question

Hey there. I'm Alexa and I'm 20 years old in 7 days. I'm 350+ lbs and 5'7. Most of my weight gain was when I was 15 and had suffered a stroke due to Systemic Lupus. When I was 15, I was 240 lbs and almost lost ALL of my weight. But ever since they started me on chemotherapy (just got off in August 2018) and Prednisone, as well as other hardcore steroids like intravenous Solu Medrol, it's been nothing but weight gain and I've been up in the higher 300s ever since. My appetite is not what it was because I now don't feel hungry at all and eating maybe once or twice a day with a snack in between. I'm very considerate with what I have allowed myself to eat (I eat on smaller plates and drink water regularly) and I'm lightly active due to always being in a flare up. I was told by my rheumy that it's majority water weight and it happens when someone takes long term steroids. Would I be a candidate for the gastric bypass procedure? Willing to do whatever it takes. I'm tired of consistently gaining weight when I don't eat much at all to begin with.

Pablo Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello Alexa, I hope you are well. I'm sorry to hear about your on going struggles surrounding your weight and overall health. Your rheumatologist is right about weight gain being heavily associated to steroid use. Altough SLE is not a contraindication for bariatric surgery, active flares are. According to the metrics you provided, your calculated BMI would be 54, based on that alone we could assume you would be eligible for a gastric bypass. However, you would need to be further evaluated by a bariatric surgeron, as other factors need to be taken into account. Hope this answer was useful.

Ali Solmaz, MD · Answer

Yes, you would likely qualify for gastric bypass surgery. With a BMI over 50 and a history of medical conditions, including Systemic Lupus and long-term steroid use, most bariatric programs would consider you a strong candidate. Given your history of water retention, it might also be worth exploring whether excess fluid is contributing significantly to your weight. A specialist (such as a nephrologist or endocrinologist) could help determine if there's an additional medical approach to help manage that alongside surgery.
Since you're already mindful of your eating habits but struggling with weight gain, gastric bypass could help by altering how your body absorbs nutrients and potentially reducing inflammation-related weight gain.

Bo Neichoy, MD · Answer

You would be a great candidate for weight loss surgery. However, you should chose a program with a great ongoing nutritional support team. Weight loss surgery helps with most of the contributors to weight gain but not all and the most important is having a great understanding of the science behind losing fat (using fat for energy). Most weight loss surgeons focus mainly on portion size but decreasing portion size alone will not get you to where you want to be. I would avoid a gastric bypass and focus more on gastric sleeve or duodenal switch as your options.

Marcus Reddy, MBBS, FRCS · Answer

Undergoing Bariatric Surgeon at your current body mass index of 55 would be appropriate after assessment. 
 I would however discuss with you the issue of your choice of operation between gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. I think the issue concerning the choice of operation will be influenced by your medical problems and need to take certain medications. Gastric bypass does have an influence on absorption of medications and this needs to be considered  with liaison with the doctors who also look after your comorbidities.

Would I qualify for the gastric bypass procedure at 5'7 and 350+ pounds? (Photo)

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Would I qualify for the gastric bypass procedure at 5'7 and 350+ pounds? (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Bariatric surgery - gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy?

Answer: Bariatric surgery - gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy?

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Everything you need to know about Gastric Bypass

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.