How old do you have to be to get gastric bypass surgery

by Shantell
(Houston, TX)

How old do you have to be to get gastric bypass surgery done?

I am 16 years old and in high school. I know I qualify when it comes to my weight. I checked my BMI and I am at a disgusting 49.3 and morbidly obese starts at a 40. I get teased so bad at school that I'm thinking about quitting. I don't have a boyfriend and all of the kids look at me like I make them sick, or they don't acknowledge me at all. I'm tired of being invisible.

Having weight loss surgery is my chance to hopefully have some good memories of high school. I'm not even sure that my mother's insurance will cover the cost yet but I want to make sure that I can get it done at my age.

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How old do you have to be to get gastric bypass surgery

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Jan 20, 2010
 The minimum age most doctors
by: Anonymous

The minimum age that almost all American surgeons require in order for you to have weight loss surgery is 15 years old. I have not seen, heard, or read about any teenager who had a bariatric procedure done before that age. Really I have only heard of 16 year olds and older teens getting surgery done.

But you have to think this thing all the way through. There are a lot of changes you will have to make in your diet in order to reach your goal weight. The surgery is not a cure all. You will also need to take vitamins and supplements every single day for the rest of your life. People who fail to make these changes can end up in worse shape than before surgery. I've seen it happen.

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