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Diagnosed With Morbid Obesity. Suggested Weight Loss Surgery. Advice
Question: I have been diagnosed with morbid obesity and advised to submit to cardiologist to be cleared for surgery and after he took my money he killed himself. A second cardiologist refuses to treat me because my insurance carrier will not pay for a stress test. I offered to pay out of pocket for the test and he refused to take cash and he refused to give me the test. I do not know another cardiologist who will treat me so I asked my surgeon's office staff and they will not refer me to a cardiologist. Now I call that office every day and I am told someone will call me back and nobody does. I feel my doctors abandoned me. After nearly one year I am in the same place I was in and nobody will help me.
Brief Answer:
Do not feel abandoned, please find alternatives
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing in to us ma'am.
I can understand your frustration, and can also understand how weight loss will greatly help you both physically, mentally and emotionally. Obesity can result in depression and all other conditions. And although you have not provided me with your weight and height, I am sure a gastric-sleeve or bariatric surgery (surgeries that help treat obesity) will surely help.
But you must understand that when an individual is obese or overweight, this excess body weight can put a lot of stress on the heart, which is why in most obese patients the heart is affected. For this reason, a 'go ahead' for surgery from a cardiologist would be mandatory. Unfortunately, we as individuals cannot break the system (medical) or breech it to make things easier, and no surgeon would go ahead with surgery without a fitness approval from a cardiologist. You will have to unfortunately find alternate means to approach a cardiologist or wait for the return call from the hospital. As a doctor, I understand this results in negligence, and would not approve of it in my hospital.
As you have tried and tested all other methods and options to achieve weight loss, unfortunately surgery is the only option. You should know that we cannot provide you with a fitness certificate though an online consultation. So unfortunately I cannot help you there either.
Please feel free to write back to me for any clarifications or information. If you need personal advice or comments on the already conducted cardiac tests, I could help you with that as well ma'am. Please be strong, I am sure you will find a way.
May god bless you with good health.
Do not feel abandoned, please find alternatives
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing in to us ma'am.
I can understand your frustration, and can also understand how weight loss will greatly help you both physically, mentally and emotionally. Obesity can result in depression and all other conditions. And although you have not provided me with your weight and height, I am sure a gastric-sleeve or bariatric surgery (surgeries that help treat obesity) will surely help.
But you must understand that when an individual is obese or overweight, this excess body weight can put a lot of stress on the heart, which is why in most obese patients the heart is affected. For this reason, a 'go ahead' for surgery from a cardiologist would be mandatory. Unfortunately, we as individuals cannot break the system (medical) or breech it to make things easier, and no surgeon would go ahead with surgery without a fitness approval from a cardiologist. You will have to unfortunately find alternate means to approach a cardiologist or wait for the return call from the hospital. As a doctor, I understand this results in negligence, and would not approve of it in my hospital.
As you have tried and tested all other methods and options to achieve weight loss, unfortunately surgery is the only option. You should know that we cannot provide you with a fitness certificate though an online consultation. So unfortunately I cannot help you there either.
Please feel free to write back to me for any clarifications or information. If you need personal advice or comments on the already conducted cardiac tests, I could help you with that as well ma'am. Please be strong, I am sure you will find a way.
May god bless you with good health.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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