I will be paying for my lap band out of pocket. My lap band surgeron said I will need clearance from my primary care physician. I will be doing all the necessary pre-op testing at the hospital and the hosptial would then fax over all the results to my primary. My primary says that she is not the one that needs to clear me for the surgery, so she will not do so. She says my surgeons office must be the one to clear me for surgery. Has anyone else had this sort of problem. I can't believe that if I am in good health that she will not clear me for surgery. I am so upset. I am having my surgeons office call her and explain to her why she is the one that needs to clear me. This process is grueling.

that does sound wierd. My surgeon just sent a letter to my PCP telling her that I was having the surgery. I had preop test done but the surgeon was the one who decided I was good to go for surgery.

So, you did not need a clearance letter from your PCP; your surgeon was the one that cleared you from surgery? My surgery is scheduled for 2/11/2010, I am afraid everything will not be in order by then.

My PCP is my GYN. I don't have another primary physican. I am actually in great shape for a fatty. I have no co-morbidies and my BMI was around 36. So, I don't know if that had anything to do with it. the only Rx that I am on is birth control. I am sure you can get everything straightened out by 2/11 in time for surgery. I haven't even talked to my PCP about this. I had an EKG at the surgeons office and then went to the surgery center where the operation would be performed to have blood work the week before. That was all I had to do.

I was self pay, and my PCP was never in the picture. Everything was approved through my surgeon. That's not to say your surgeon is wrong, but it is different. I haven't heard of others mentioning this particular hoop to jump through, although I'm sure as big as LBT is, there will be others that had the same requirement. I'm sorry that you're being put in this position by the two doctors. Honestly, can't they just work together and minimize your stress?!

I am stressing this problem too. So excited to have my surgery in 3weeks, got my psych clearance, still must get lab work done, and all I need is my medical clearance. I'm also self-pay. My PCP is not very nice, I've left there holding back tears so many times- I don't feel he gives me proper care and uses his signature as power, told me he'd only approve me to get the surgery done at one particular place- a place that is nearly impossible to be approved for. Also can't afford this place. This is my only obstacle, idk what 2 do. Will I be able to schedule to find a new family doctor and will a new PCP sign my clearance? Already put my down payment in so I cannot afford to lose that. What happened to the original poster?

I have never heard of a pcp saying no... That is absolutely crazy. This is pretty standard for any type of surgery. I would start looking for different pcp's... In the mean time explain the situation to your surgeon they can probably refer you to someone

Ya, pretty cruel too being that he diagnoses every problem I have as being due to my weight and just tells me to lose weight- end of discussion. I scheduled an appt for 2 new family doctors. One on the 20th...and one for the 28th in case the first one won't sign it. I'm worried they won't sign it maybe bc it'll be my first visit with them. I'm also going to call my surgeons office and ask them for their advice, I did tell them originally that my family doc probably wouldn't sign it bc he's very stubborn and in the past has told me, "I don't sign things because YOU want me to; I sign things when I want to!" when I 1st even brought up WLS. They're about 2hours away tho so idk if they'll have anyone to refer me to....I'll be holding my breath with the new doctor next week. I definitely qualify; I'm 26, 5'3" and 250...tried more things than I could name. This extra weight came on the last 4-5yrs and has taken over my life. I'm just not the same confident motivated happy person...I guess I should be telling the new PCP doctors this. Thank u so much for ur response- gives me hope 2 know that most PCP's aren't like mine. Ive been stressing that the new ones will be the same.

Well still no luck. No one will sign my clearance. I'm just a mess...looking like I'll be having to cancel my appt without a clearance. I don't understand y this is so hard- my psych was happy to sign the psych clearance...seems everyone else doesn't want to be responsible for giving me a clearance. The one I saw today actually said, "have u tried dieting" like no that never entered my mind, I just went straight to a $10,000 surgery. Well he said if diet didn't work for me then neither will the lapband. I question his intelligence on the matter after his statements. Also said if I couldn't maintain my diets b4, then I will eat too much, rupture my stomach and die. Ugh worse then feeling unhappy & hopeless is having joy excitement & hope dangled in front of ur face then snatched away last minute.

Well still no luck. No one will sign my clearance. I'm just a mess...looking like I'll be having to cancel my appt without a clearance. I don't understand y this is so hard- my psych was happy to sign the psych clearance...seems everyone else doesn't want to be responsible for giving me a clearance. The one I saw today actually said' date=' "have u tried dieting" like no that never entered my mind, I just went straight to a 10,000 surgery. Well he said if diet didn't work for me then neither will the lapband. I question his intelligence on the matter after his statements. Also said if I couldn't maintain my diets b4, then I will eat too much, rupture my stomach and die. Ugh worse then feeling unhappy & hopeless is having joy excitement & hope dangled in front of ur face then snatched away last minute.[/quote']

Rupture your stomach and die????? He obviously to his medical degree mail order or something....the band has many many downfalls....that is not one of them except possibly 1 in a million..... I am so sorry.

Yes, I really questioned his knowledge on the subject. He just tried to talk me out of it, say it would never work, said he had 2 nephews who got WLS and they both died from it...I said, "from the band tho?" he said one of em. Idk I think he wasn't being honest. Maybe he had one family member who died from gastric bypass and possibly the other had complications or something but his story sounded a little unbelievable. Luckily, I had one more chance to have it signed this morning by a new family doctor I made an appt with....but after being turned down by so many doctors, I thought it was a lost cause- no one wants 2 take the risk of being responsible in case something happens I guess, but THANK GOD, this doctor was totally in agreement w my decision, is a big supporter of WLS, and signed my clearance. Now I can be happy again, bc this was my last chance, my last doctor I had an appt with to ask or else I had 2 cancel by today so by the skin of my teeth, I just made it. Now it's time 2 prepare for this life change!

Get a new primary physician.