PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I guess I get discouraged easily. The insurance specialist at my dotor's office has just notified me, that the procedure is not a covered benefit. I was so excited at the prospect of getting the lap band. I thought, in the beginning, I wouldn't have a huge problem with the insurance because I am morbidly O. and I have high blood pressure, cholesterol, and fight depression (with the help of medicine) Then I discovered, since my problems are controlled with medicine, they are not considered comorbidities. Then I expected to probably have to go through the physician supervised diet. Now, the insurance has said, it's not even a covered benefit. This may sound stupid, but I fe…

Hi everyone. In my nutrition class, the strongly encouraged us to practice eating very slowly in tiny bites and sipping slowly prior to surgery. Have any of you done this?

My husband and I are nearing the end of our required 6mo diet program. It's possible that we can get insurance approval and surgery scheduled by mid August - we plan to do this together but schedule surgery roughly a week apart. This 6 months has taken foever and we are sooo ready to get this thing going!! However, we have a 10 day trip to Hawaii Sept 3-13 that has been planned for a few years. How likely is it that we could have surgery in mid August and be able to travel (air, etc.) just a few weeks later. The Dr's office says that it's not a problem but I just don't know about this.. I appreciate any feedback from those of you who have been down this road bef…

:help:I was banded one week ago yesterday. Another lady was done the same day -- we had our pre-op teaching together & will have post-op together tomorrow. Our Dr. had us on Clear liquids 48 hours after the surgery, then on thin liquids (creams, etc.) after that. I was told that tomorrow at post-op we'd be put on food. Everything I've heard & read about says that's not right. That stage should be many weeks out. Now I'm concerned. When I first found my Dr. I went to a seminar of his & he was holding it with another dr. My friend mentioned to me that the other dr. has his patients on the liquid 2 weeks post op, and that the 2 drs. don't "work" toge…

I saw the surgeon today and got my surgery date for July 17th. I have a bad infection on my leg and it has to be completely cleared before he'll do the surgery. He also told me that I'm his last patient to get in under Tricare health insurance. The appointment was quite short. He looked over my records, asked me if I wanted GB or LB. I told him Lap Band and then had to tell him why. He then looked at my stomach and made a comment about the 14" scar on my stomach from when I had my gall bladder out. He said from the size of it they could've taken out my liver. He then said it would be kind of tough to work around the scar but he thought he could do it. He asked …

Does anyone out there have a sample letter of medical necessity for Medicare for lap band surgery? I am trying to get approved and need a draft I can give to my doctor. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

does anyone know anything about a new, improved type of band?

I'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE DEC 2007 TO BE BANDED.TODAY I TALK TO DOC OFFICE AND LOOKS LIKEIT COULD BE ANOTHER 3-4 WEEKS.WAITING ON PHYSCHOLOGIST REPORT.DO I KEEP EXERCISEING, DOING SMALLER PORTIONS, DRINKING TON AND TONS OF WATER??? LAST WEEK THEY (DOC OFFICE) SAID THEY WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMAION THIS A. M. SILLY ME REALLY GOT MY HOPES UP HIGH AND THEY ARE ALL GONE. HAS ANYONE BESIDES ME HAD TO WAIT THIS LONG??? OR AM I JUST HAVING A GRAND PETTY PARTY????? MEMOM:frown:

Last Friday I completed my lab work for the surgery with my primary care doctor. Today I get a call from my primary care doctor saying I had some type of bacteria in my stomach. And some of the results came back positive. Tomorrow afternoon I will go see him to get a prescription to fixed this. Has anyone else had this problem so close to surgery? If so was your post-poned?

hey! so i'm getting some info about the whole banding thing and i found out that every doctor around me that does it requires a 6 month diet with meetings to make sure the patients can handle the diet i guess. makes sense. but my problem is my bmi is like 41.5 and i'm afraid that if i lose too much weight i won't be able to get the band. eek! anyone have any experience with this kind of thing?:help:

Hi All! I just wanted to scream from the top of the mountain that I only have 1 more thing to do before I can get approved for my August 1st surgery!! My Psych is done, the Nutritionist is done, the seminars are done and 5 months of my doctor supervised diet are done. I have my 6th appointment on July 3rd & the doctors office said they then will send the info to the insurance company & I will be good to go!! I can't wait to start my new HEALTHY life!! I would LOVE to hear success stories from anyone to keep me focused... :tongue:

Does anyone but me want to keep getting the band a secret? I am scheduled for 12/28 and just don't want to tell very many people. Is it a fear of failing "again" or just not wanting to go through "the discussion"? AND of the few people I am telling--even few of them know that I am going to Mexico to have it done--absolutely because I don't want THAT discussion!! My husband told his father and my f-i-l's remark was"I rather just be fat than have surgery" But like I told hubby--that's because he has no clue--but then most people don't! so--back to the question--do you tell people ahead of time--or wait till they notice Mary

Hi everyone. I have a question for anyone who has had their surgery in Mexico. I am arriving in Mexico on June 30th, but my surgery is not until July 2nd. Currently I am on the liquid pre op diet and I am unsure what I will eat the two days before my surgery. What did everyone eat before surgery while in Mexico? Thanks, BethO:confused:

So my doc has had me on blood pressure medicine for the last two months, and it hasn't helped at all, my bp has hovered right around 135/95 plus or minus 10. I went back in for another checkup today and he said give it another 3 or 4 MONTHS. I was wondering what kind of BP you all had prior to your surgery and what you used to bring it down? I've already waited 6 months I really dont want to wait another 3 or 4 more. I've already had all my other pre op tests done and they were all more then satisfactory.

Hi there! Well.. here I am just marking time and doing my 6 months. I go for my second month 'weigh in" thursday. I'm down about 2 pounds (sigh). I just can't seem to motivate myself to anothe "diet". I did LA Weightloss for a year.. lost 20 pounds the first 6 months, and just started struggling again. I'm sooooo tired of it. I'm trying to get motivated again. Anyone out there looking at a November/December band date? Molly :biggrin:

I am now getting concerned that some health issues unrelated to my weight are going to push back my banding date. I have been without a sense of smell for just over 10 weeks. Because of this I can not taste anything. It started after I sprayed Round Up and then came down with a sinus infection. I went to my PCP and he was totally thrown. I have had two rounds of antibiotics and a round of steroids which I really hate because they make me cry....a lot. Now I have gone to an ear nose and throat specialist. He wants to do an MRI on my brain to just rule out a brain tumor. Now honestly I in no way think it is a tumor but he says he can't comfortably say that. So now …

I have BC/BS NH. Just wondering between everything you had to do how long was it till you got a surg DATE?

Hi there, I just want to know why is the pre-op diet so important? What happens if I don't make it all 7 days???? Help

Friday was a GREAT day!!! After completing all the requirements before I could see my surgeon I was told his first appointment was August 18 and that it would be at least another 6 weeks after that before I could have my surgery. I began this journey back in January and my resolve was beginning to wane. I went to the Lap Band support group this past Thursday and talked to someone there who had used another doctor in the same practice. She loved him and was able to have her surgery soon after being approved. I called the office the next morning and ask to change surgeons and now I have an appointment on Friday, June 27 with a surgery date probably the middle of July!!…

Well, my partner is now on Day 4 of her ten day liquid diet, and she's doing really well, but we're having to make some adjustments to what I'm eating (I'm non-banded, low BMI). I've decided not to cook anything that would smell yummy while she's on the pre-op diet (like onions and garlic, bacon, chicken) since it just seems unfair to do it, so I'm trying to eat my main meal during lunchtime at work and then have a salad (she's not a lettuce gal) for dinner in the evening. My usual Breakfast is a piece of toast with two slices of turkey bacon, but I felt bad cooking the bacon, so I had granola with plain yogurt instead. Poor thing, the other night she just went upstair…

So, I am scheduled to have my surgery on May 27, 2008 in Mexico with Dr. Ortiz and like most of you, I am a self pay. One of the things that made me apprehensive about scheduling the procedure was the fact that the procedure itself and any complications were not covered by my insurance. The second concern for me was what would happen if any complications arose while I was in Mexico...how would I pay for that?! Anyway, the blessing was that a few days ago a representative from AFLAC came to my job and he gave me some very insightful information on their hospital protection plan. It is not insurance, but more of a reimbursement plan should you have to go to the hospital and…

Hi Guys. Im new here today. I had a band with WGA on 11th April. I have just submitted my formal complaint to the healthcare commission - here's a copy of my letter. Should any be considering using this company - I would strongly advise against it....:cursing: Dear Sirs, Re: Complaint/WGA GASTRIC BAND FRIDAY 11TH APRIL I am writing to inform you of my complete disappointment with the overall level of service I have recently received from The Hospital Group under their Why Go Abroad Company regarding a gastric band procedure. I visited the offices of The Hospital Group in Manchester earlier this year to discuss having a Gastric Band fitted. The consultation …

I can't believe it is finally here after 10 months of hard work. I am excited and nervous - not nervous about the surgery itself, nervous they will change their mind tomorrow LOL, silly worries on my part:redface:. I just wanted to share with all of you and I will be back for my post op support!:cursing:

Hi All, I've been an "observer" of this site for quite sometime, love the support I'm seeing here, and hope that someone can offer some feedback to me now! I've spent the last 6 months fulfilling the required documentation, consults, etc. as a prerequisite of my insurance, I now find myself facing a dilemma. I've lost some weight in the process, enough so that it has put me just a tad below the BMI considered necessary for WLS, though I still have the pre-existing comorbidities. Has anyone ever been turned down due to having lost "too much" weight in the process leading up to surgery?

Oh man I would love some grilled chicken right now!! I am on day 3 of my pre-op 2 week clear liquid diet. I almost broke down & had some grilled chicken last night. I begged my hubby to go to the store & buy some (I was already in my PJ's). He was good & told me if I pushed through the craving I would be happier with myself. Then I rationalized about how I am only getting about 500 calories a day, & how could I lose weight if my body thinks it is starving???? So he said, well if you are going to cheat you should have to go with me to buy it. To that I said no thank you & went to sleep! I am glad I didn't do it! I woke up this morning & weighed &a…

ok soo I am on may way starting the process of the lap banding! i have a few concerns though... One being that i have to go through 6-8 months of psychiatric therapy and 6 weeks of diet classes to make sure im ready for this life change...what im worried about is what if they think im not ready and i go through all of these months excited about it and they deny me? Has anyone been denied by the classes you have to take? What should i expect them to do during the time im there? I just dont want to go through all of this and in the end have them tell me i can't get it done. It's hard enough waiting untill July 9th to start out on these classes for the months there…

Hi everyone Ill be having my band surgery on 4th July and have been doing a lot of research on the physical effects of having the band .However I'm wondering what to expect emotionally afterwards. :sad: I'm expecting to find it hard going thru the liquid/mushy stage but I wonder how I'll cope emotionally. any advice from anyone would be appreciated, thanks Julia x

Yesterday I went to the sergons office to get information what options there are for weight loss. I have a BMI of 48 and he did not recommend the Lap Band stating that only about 30-40% of people that get the band actually lose weight. He also stated that they people that lose weight only lose about 30-40 pounds. Has anybody else heard anything like this? I see that lots of people are loosing more than 30-40 pounds.

I finally got my approval this week! My surgery date is July 30. Who's joining me? Orea

I went for my consult with the nutritionist and found it to be quite interesting. She says fake sugar is ok if you use just 2 items a day and she says lapband is all about counting calories. Do you find this to be true? She suggested a website for counting calories at fitday.com but I like thedailyplate.com better so I am using it. She wants me to be on a 1600 calorie diet to prepare for surgery. I can do it but I am concerned about losing too much weight to qualify for surgery. What would you do? I also went for my cardiac clearance. No results on that for 2 weeks:frown:. But the technician said it looks good for me to get a clearance. :cool2: So my worries abo…

Hi guys What do i need to take to hospital? Im in for 2 days! Nic

June 11th is my surgery date. Last time i was put to sleep, i had a laproscopic appendectimy. The nurses that were in the OR said they had trouble with me breathing on my own. This has sort of scared me a bit. But this is only one of my worries. Do they always wait til your asleep to put a tube down ur nose? How bad does it really hurt after surgery? I have had an appendectimy and a c-section so im hoping it doesnt hurt more than those things....anyways, any advise woud be great for my health.:wink2:

My partner is on day one of her 10-day pre-op liquid diet and has come down with a bad migraine. She can't take any pain relievers according to the doctor. She does have a history of migraines. Her goal for calorie intake is 800 calories a day. I don't know if it's the stress, the lack of calories, the lack of sugar, PMS, or what, and it's only day 1, but she seems to think she may need more Protein during the day. She's drinking 2 Protein shakes (soy-based) which leaves her only about 240 calories for "dinner." Does anybody have any suggestions? Should we change the timing of the shakes? Is there some other way to get the protein without the calories? It seems w…

Hi All, I haven't told anyone at work that I am having the lap band surgery. My surgery will be on Wed July 2. How much time do you really need to take off to recover? I have taken a week off for "vacation" but afraid that I may not be fully recovered when I go back. I do office work so it's not very strenuous. Do you think I need more time. Any advice? Please let me know your experience. Thanks!

Not sure if this is the right place to post this message...I've been doing a lot of random reading throughout the entire board and have lately been focusing on the various messages about how much some hate their band, or the constant gas/bloating, etc, unable to keep any food down, or can't wait to have the band removed...or those who have decided that a different procedure would have been better than the band. I realize all of us here are different. My experience is going to be completely different from those that I have read. But as my date approaches, 6/30 - I am beginning to feel anxious. I believe that I have made the best decision for myself and have not jumped…

Hiya!! I'm 3 days pre op and beginning to get nervous!! Not the op itself or how I'll feel after, its the camera down the throat thing! Dreading it... worried my throat will close up and they won't be able to get it in, worried I'll be sick worried I'll choke and die! Can anyone put my mind at rest please....I'm shaking already!! Amanda xx

My sister asked me about gastritis and getting the band, I could not help her because I did not know. I know if you have some stomach issues they will not band you; any help She has Gastritis and is over weight, the doctor says she will never get rid of the gastritis. Has anyone had gastritis and had lap band surgery and had it go away or help???

:crying:I am two weeks postop and I am starting to feel discouraged. So far, I have been able to eat anything and everything I have wanted. I followed the diet until the mushy phase but have started eating other things now. I don't feel like anything is restricted. I am having trouble controlling my portions as it seems I can eat the same as I was before the band. I have lost some weight but afraid I may gain it all back before my fill. Please help! :rolleyes2::scared2:

i was wondering if anyone use slimfast optima for there two weeks diet if so how much weight did you lose? because i was told i had to lose 30 pds before the surgery. i was 340.6 now iam 323.6 i been working hard my date for july 28 but my best friend is getting it done on june 30 the nurse said she might be able to move my to the same day but i want make sure i can lose it.:confused:wondering if i should just wait?

Hi All! Sooooo bummed out right now. Long story short I got all my paperwork together... letters, signatures, psych evaluation and things have almost seemed TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! The woman at my doctor's office even told me today that I will probably be able to have the surgery by mid-July... ... until she submitted the paperwork today and Oxford came back telling her I have a pre-existing condition. Gee. Ya think? I certainly didn't get this BMI of 42 over night. Anyway... has anyone dealt with this? My insurance is fairly new, as I started a new job in December and had Aetna as my provider previously. This is the first time I have submitted anything for WLS …

Hi everyone! I just got home a short while ago and wanted to say hello. I had my surgery yesterday around noon time and am home already. Surgery went well, though I was terrified. I was at the hospital alone and even until the point I was laying on the table and they were setting up I was thinking about running. Next thing I knew I was in recovery. Here's how the day went. I arrived at 9:15 for my 11AM surgery, filled out paperwork and read my book until they called me back around 11:10AM. The nurse took my blood pressure (about 10 times because the machine couldn't get a reading), temperature and verified I hadn't eaten since the night prior and that I was doing th…

For my 2 week preop diet I get 3 cans of slimfast a day this is 570 cals a day. I am on day 5 its not as bad as it was, but at work Iam a nurse and walk a lot I felt like I was going to pass out. Just interested in what other people have had for their preop diets.

Hi all, I've only posted a couple times but I read this sight all the time. My surgery date is June 18th and I have my pre-op later today. I am soooo nervous! Will it work? Complications? I decided not to tell anyone except my husband, because we came to the conclusion that our families are just to judgmental. His family -- all thin and eat what they want-- mine : fat and don't care! Both would be against the band for different reasons. Will I really be able to keep this a secret? I really want this to work but I'm afraid of not waking up from the surgery (I've had 2 surgeries before, so why does this bother me?), I'm afraid of regretting the decision afterward because …

Hi all. I start my liquid diet on the 16th and I am supposed to do it for 2 weeks before surgery. I am to have a protein shake for breakfast and lunch. I can have a 4-6oz piece of lean baked meat with veggies for dinner. My question is...who else has had this type of diet and how much weight was lost during your 2 week diet? Just curious.

Hello Well its 7 days till i get banded !!!! (19.06.08) And i am after a list of things i will need!! So far i have A juicer A blender and have cleaned the house of food..... Any ideas? I need to shop this weekend!! Cheers!!!

Hi guys Im having trouble with the thought of "after" surgery!! I have been flooded with informatino about the actual surgery and what the band does and fills etc, but im having a bit of trouble with the thought of "being on my own" to work out the food part of the band... Does this make sense?

At my info session the three surgeons were going on and on about how their patients go home without pain medication - they say they don't have any pain when they go home. They have patients stay in the hospital overnight for the band and 2 nights for bypass - could this by why? I'm asking because I have been reading a lot of stories here and most people needing pain medication! I'm confident if I need it they will give it, but I'm curious as to why so many people here say the pain is bad and to be sure to fill your script on the way home - but this place I'm going says there isn't any pain involved after the first day?? Thanks in advance!

Hey, everyone I'm getting banded this Wednesday! I'm so nervous. I've been reading peoples posts that have a similar amount of weight to lose and I am starting to get discouraged. It seems like the less you have to lose, the longer it takes to come off. Does anyone know if this can be overcome by exercise. I would love to be at or near goal weight by Oct. 25 for my 6 year anniversary. Thanks for everyone that responds, Jillian

I am only 7 days from my surgery date and so excited I can't stand it. My surgeon has me on a liquid diet but the first week you are allowed to have 1 (small sensible meal) and 2 protein drinks. Well that was hard, because the surgeon's idea of sensible and mine probably were in conflict. So today was my last day with any meals and I am glad. NOW I know I can't have a meal for the next 7 days and it really makes it easier to follow this diet.

TOMORROW I GET BANDED..SO JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR POSTS, CAUSE WITHOUT THEM I THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY CLUELESS WITH EVERYTHING! SO THANKS AGAIN.... GOTTA HIT THE SACK :thumbs_up: GOTTA LONG DAY TOMORROW!!!