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Initially my doctor would not support my decision for lap band. I started the process without his approval and when it came down to it and I had to call him, because he was going to get my test results, I called and told the nurse that I was going to get the lap band but needed a letter of support from the dr. I explained that he had said no, but if he could not support my decision and write the letter, I would need to know because I would look for another doctor. Later that day I got a call saying my dr would write a letter of support but he would need to see me. So, my point is you may have to advocate hard for yourself and do not take no for an answer. Good luck.

My suggestion is... if you haven't already, attend a seminar of the Lap band doctor your choice. After the seminar they usually have the insurance coordinator there and a few other staff members to answer question. Explain to them you would like the name of a PCP who they deal with on a regular basis concerning Lap Band. They should be able to hook you up with at least a few PCP docs who you can see. If the Lap Band surgeon's office deals with these PCP docs, they should have no problem recommending you for Lap Band.

I called the practice I was going to get surgery through and asked for their advice on a primary doctor. I did not need a letter from my doctor, but wanted someone on board with the procedure.

I would switch doctors. I called several doctors to see who would approve lap band if necessary. find 1 that is more understanding. if you know of anyone who has had the lap band ask who they went with.

I'm in the same boat! :/ My doctor is a super thin Asian lady that obviously has never had a weight issue ever in her life. She thinks it's just so easy to just eat right and exercise everyday. After 30 years of making all the wrong food choices and building bad habbits, it's extremely difficult. I want to get the lap band, but I'm going to have to get a different doctor!

Many primary doctors are not well versed in the lapband system and will not support it or will dwell on the negative, while others just discriminate against the patient and feel that the patient doesn't have the will power to lose the weight. As all of us know that we can lose weight, however, to keep it off permanently is another story. All my life I dieted and lost weight and my most success was being on Weight Watchers program for a couple of years and I managed to lose over 120 lbs. When I went off the weight watchers program and ended up working a third shift at my job, I gained it all back and then some.
Unfortunately, many, but not all, insurance companies put a high importance on whether your primary supports the lapband via the letter of medically necessity and approval. I was really lucky that my primary has 10 lapband patients and is all for it and was extremely supportive.
My advice to you? If this is what you really want, I would look for a primary that will support you. In the meantime, I would attend a seminar which gets the ball rolling. The bariatric program will contact your insurance company to find out what their requirements are. Your letter of necessity comes later and the lapband doctor may recommend a doctor on your plan. Your BMI and HB pressure may be all you need without your primary on board. Keep us posted. Jake

Water based exercise is great for those of us who are significantly over weight. If I can go infront of the high school swim team that practices at my gym wearing a swim suit at 365 pounds anyone can!
All joking aside swimming (I use a snorkle makes breathing easier) and water aerobics are great on your joints and you can do much more in the water than you can do on dry land. At my heaviest I had trouble walkin the grocery store.
Pre band I lost about 100 pounds by watching my food intake and swimming daily. And I do mean daily.

Please keep us posted on what your doctor's response is to the lapband. I highly encourage you to pursue the lapband or weight loss surgery. With the agonizing pain associated with being too heavy is a very difficult way of life, especially when you can't be as active with the kiddos as you wish you could be.
With all the dieting and yo yo weight loss all my life, I had to do something not only too lose the weight but to keep it off. The band has and is doing this for me. Man, it has changed my life and outlook! Feel free to ask any questions. I'm there for you. Jake

My biggest problem was eating. I ate unhealthy and waaaay to much. The band took care of that problem. The band is my fail safe from over eating. And due to the ability to expand my pouch or cause a slip, I do not allow myself to go past 2 ounces per meal.

Joel that is awesome!! I see you dont comment often but when u do its always something good! Congratulations!!!
BTW awhile ago Joel posted alot of info on how he has been so sucessful. If we do a search using his name they should pull up.

If your Dr does not give you the recommendation, I would find one who will.

Stephy is right! I would switch to s doc who is supportive and understands the lapband process! This sure is not "the easy way out"!!!
Good luck. The first thing that changed with some of my weight loss was decrease in the constant sweating and gasping for air.

Looks like you may qualify on the BMI alone and you also have Hyper Tension. Most insurances will cover lower BMI's (35 or below) if you have a least 1 co-morbidity, however, all insurance companies have different requirements.
I can share that at 325 lbs, before the band I had severe sweating and shortness of breath for any little activity. I was often embarrassed by this. Mild back pain, but, had excruciating knee and leg pain. I would walk to exercise but there was a price to pay each time. After the band and 120 lbs. lighter I sweat very little, no more knee pain. I jog 2.5 miles a day and feel great!!!
With my insurance company (BCBS of NM) my primary doctor's letter of necessity made all the difference. I was approved 3 days after it was submitted and of course after I had completed the 3 months nutritionist's requirements. Hope your primary is on board. Good luck. Jake

All doctor's are different honestly. When I lived in South Carolina a couple years ago, I inquired about Lap Band with my PCP (who I had seen since 1999), she was against it and there was no way she was going to recommend me for the surgery. She sometimes had a very old school approach to things, basically saying I could lose all the weight on my own.
I moved to Florida just over a year ago, and started my lap Band process this past December. This time I got the name of a PCP that they deal with all the time from my Lap Band surgeon. Getting her to write the letter of necessity was pretty easy once I was checked out and got Cardio clearance, Anesthesia clearance, and did a sleep study.
Basically long story short, it all depends if your doc is an advocate of Lap Band or if they have the attitude that you can lose your weight on your own.
List of Co-Morbidity for Lap Band:


Cardiometabolic syndrome

Type 2 diabetes

Hypertension

Dyslipidemia

Coronary heart disease

Osteoarthritis

Stroke

Gall bladder disease

Obstructive sleep apnea

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

I had a bit of the same problem. My insurance would only cover it if it was medically necessary. At first they denied me, but after an appeal they excepted me. I was 24 and I was a diabetic weighing in at 474. I had shortness of breath and I stayed fatigued all of the time. I do not see why they wouldnt consider you.
Good luck.
Wanda

Contact your insurance first and try to go through whatever hoops they are going to require of you. Insurance has gotten so much better about allowing weight loss surgery than when I went through 3 years ago... I had to do self pay.. ouch!~ but I dont regret it at all.. I figure I saved that much money in the food I was consuming without the band... I would also attend all your local seminars and see what doctor's group you like the best, look at their certificaiton and how long they have been practicing.. all that! Take the time to do your research before you jump in!

Also, I meant those were just the requirements for that particular hospital. Every hospital is different. But that webinar is great anyway.. I recommend you watch!

The first thing you should do is to contact your insurance company and see if they cover the surgery. If they do, then I would choose a primary care doctor and make an appointment. Actually, you should do that anyway, even if they don't cover the surgery because it sounds like you should get a physical. Talk to your doctor about the surgery and see what he says. Since he won't know you yet, he may ask to see you again before he will refer you to a surgeon. Mine did that because I had only been to her once about 2 years prior because I hurt my shoulder in a car accident. So she wanted to see me in 6 weeks, then 12 weeks, to see how I was doing and show that I was committed to life style changes (because you will be making a LOT of lifestyle changes with this surgery).
The hospital my doc referred me to does seminars about the surgery and you must attend two before starting the process. You can watch the "webinar" that will count as one. There is some good info on it if you want to watch... www.bidmc.org/wls. Click on "webinar on weight loss surgery" on the left side bar.
You should do as much research as you can before you decide this is the surgery for you. Good luck!