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Table of Contents
Will Surgery Help?
Who Is Eligible?
Kinds of Procedures Available
Risks
No Insurance Coverage
Recovery
Before you have weight loss surgery (WLS) forPCOS, there are many things to consider. PCOS is linked with obesity andmetabolic syndrome, which includes insulin resistance.
The hormonal changes that occur with this disease aren’t just an imbalance of reproductive hormones such asestrogen, testosterone, andprogesterone.Insulin, the body’s tool for dealing with sugar, is also affected.
People concerned about excess weight may consider weight loss surgery (WLS) as a possible option. Serious thought and consideration are required before deciding to proceed with having weight loss surgery for PCOS.
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Will Weight Loss Surgery Help?
If you are have been unsuccessful in losing weight despite multiple serious attempts, having weight loss surgery for PCOS may be an option. While losing weight will not cure the syndrome, it may restore a regular menstrual period and reduce the severity of the symptoms.
Not everyone who is overweight is able to have weight loss surgery for PCOS. You may qualify if:
Sometimes a surgeon will consider someone who has less weight to lose if they are facing significant medical complications.
As with any surgical procedure, weight loss surgery has its own risks. These include pulmonary embolism, blood clots, infection, pain, inability to tolerate food, excess skin, dumping syndrome, malnutrition, ulcers, constipation, and anemia.
Before having surgery, it is extremely important to contact your insurance carrier to discuss your coverage and the process for obtaining approval for weight loss surgery. Most carriers have specific requirements such as using a particular surgeon or getting pre-authorization that must be completed before surgery.
What If I Don’t Have Coverage?
If your policy does not cover weight loss surgery, or you do not have insurance, you have a few options. Some hospitals may offer payment plans where you pay a certain amount each month. If this is not possible, you may be able to take a personal loan to cover the cost. Before taking a loan, you will want to read the documentation very carefully and understand your payment plan.
Recovering from weight loss surgery can be difficult. Besides dealing with typical issues after surgery, such as pain, WLS has its own recovery issues. Because each surgeon has their own post-op instructions, you will need to speak with them for specific details. However, you can expect dietary restrictionsand activity restrictions for a period of time.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.What Causes PCOS?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and diabetes.
Malik S, Traub M.Defining the role of bariatric surgery in polycystic ovarian syndrome patients.World J Diabetes. 2012 Apr;3(4):71-79. doi:10.4239/wjd.v3.i4.71
Lee R, Joy Mathew C, Jose MT, Elshaikh AO, Shah L, Cancarevic I.A review of the impact of bariatric surgery in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Cureus. 2020 Oct;12(10)10811. doi:10.7759/cureus.10811
Ma IT, Madura JA 2nd.Gastrointestinal complications after bariatric surgery.Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015 Aug;11(8):526-535.
Love K, Mehaffey J, Safavian D, et al.Bariatric surgery insurance requirements independently predict surgery dropout.Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2017 Jan;13(5):871-876. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2017.01.022
Sherf Dagan S, Goldenshluger A, Globus I, et al.Nutritional recommendations for adult bariatric surgery patients: clinical practice.Adv Nutr. 2017 Mar;8(2):382-394. doi:10.3945/an.116.014258
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