Hi I am a 47 year old woman, begining my journey to lab band surgery. I have began the monthly weight call ins to Dr. waiting to reach my goal for surgery. My biggest issue is my current medical insurance is against the lap band surgery and tying to convince me of getting the gastric by pass. This certainly is not the way I want to go and believe that my insurance does not want to deal with the fills and constant follow ups that come with lap bands. Don't get me wrong they will do the procedure but they are giving me horror stories of why I shouldn't. I'm just hoping I am making the right decision. By the way I live in Northern California and my insurance is Kaiser. Those of you who live here, should know the crap I am going through.

I would definitely do all of the research involved. I personally never considered anything other than the lap band. It just seemed safe and the gastric bypass can have a lot of complications.

As far as whether you're making the right decision that's something that you need to decide. I mean, you would lose a lot more weight a lot faster with bypass but all the complications... the lap band is slow weight loss. I've been banded since June and I'm just now to the point that I'm losing one or two pounds a week. So the lap band is just a tool to help you lose weight at a slow, healthy pace.

It must be that your insurance company doesn't want to deal with the aftercare that comes with the lap band because that makes no sense to me how they would tell you horror stories about lapband and act as if bypass is a better, safer way to go... it really baffles me.

Keep us updated

While I did get fills every 3 weeks for 6 months; I have not had a fill now in 6 months. So getting fills every couple weeks does not last forever.

and not everyone has fills that often either. everyone is different.. I haven't had a fill yet..and I know I am in a minority.

Thank you for your input. I have done lot of research and I know people who have had the lap band and even more people who have had the gastric by pass. I want to loss weight but I certainly dont want to die doing it. I have know of serveral people becoming malnourished and have died after by pass surgery. Granted you loss the weight very quickly but then you are left with all this hanging skin. This is why I opted for the lap band. It is slow progressive weight loss and it won' t be such a shock to my system and less worry of the unwanted hanging skin.

yes Kaiser Hospitals are very addimate about pushing the by pass surgery vs the lap band. They do both surgeries but most of their meetings and information is focused around the by pass. I am with you, why would you push something that is less safe and has a higher death rate. I pass.

I would definitely do all of the research involved. I personally never considered anything other than the lap band. It just seemed safe and the gastric bypass can have a lot of complications.

As far as whether you're making the right decision that's something that you need to decide. I mean, you would lose a lot more weight a lot faster with bypass but all the complications... the lap band is slow weight loss. I've been banded since June and I'm just now to the point that I'm losing one or two pounds a week. So the lap band is just a tool to help you lose weight at a slow, healthy pace.

It must be that your insurance company doesn't want to deal with the aftercare that comes with the lap band because that makes no sense to me how they would tell you horror stories about lapband and act as if bypass is a better, safer way to go... it really baffles me.

Keep us updated

How much have you lost so far since you haven't had a fill in 6 months. I know it is a slow process but this is what I want so that I can tone my body the at the same time I am losing.

While I did get fills every 3 weeks for 6 months; I have not had a fill now in 6 months. So getting fills every couple weeks does not last forever.