Process from start to finish

mememe · April 26, 2007

I am considering lapband.

Can someone walk me through the process from start to finish..

Do you need a psych eval for lap band like you do for GB? How long does it take from referal to approval to surgery?

How is the weight loss? I know it is slower then GB, but how much so..

Ok tons of questions. SOrry but thanks in advance!

LapBandit · April 26, 2007

Hi mememe...well, all doctors seem to be different so we'll all probably have different answers to your question. Here's my story...

Attended a seminar about lap-band in February 2006.

Scheduled an appointment with my surgeon about two weeks after. I think I scheduled my surgery date at that appointment. I had work committments so I had to put off my surgery by a month otherwise, I could've gotten a date within a few weeks.

In the meantime I had a follow up appointment with the surgeon to see how my weight loss was coming along.

My pre-op stuff included a pysch consult, an EKG an upper GI and a full blood panel.

I had a pre-op appointment with my surgeon and we discussed everything one last time.

I had surgery in April of 2006. Like I said...I could've had surgery in March but had to post-pone.

Now, I did not have any insurance hurdles which many other people struggle through. Thank goodness my state requires insurance to pay if the surgery is considered medically necessary.

WASaBubbleButt · April 26, 2007

I am considering lapband.
Can someone walk me through the process from start to finish..

Do you need a psych eval for lap band like you do for GB? How long does it take from referal to approval to surgery?

How is the weight loss? I know it is slower then GB, but how much so..

Ok tons of questions. SOrry but thanks in advance!

On 11/6/06 I discovered there was such a thing as the lap band. My insurance would cover it but it required a six month medically supervised diet. I researched docs in the US and Mexico and after extensive research I realized I could go to a doc I didn't really care for in six months or I could go to the doc that had everything I was looking for in Mexico.

On 12/1/06 I scheduled surgery and on 12/6/06 I had surgery.

I wouldn't change a thing about how I did it.

beachgirl · April 26, 2007

I couldn't agree with you more. I too had Anthem BC/BS and with a supervised diet they would have covered but every surgeon within 200 miles from me had done less than 150 lapbands and I just didn't feel comfortable with that so I too went to Mexico and my surgeon had done more than 6000 and the hospital was fabulous and so was the whole experience. I wouldn't change a thing. As far as the process I'm sure if you go through insurance your probably looking at a minimum of 2 months from what I've heard and as much as 6 months. I think all surgeons are different. The surgery itself for me was only 40 min. and the recovery was immediate for me. I was working day 4 and riding 4wheelers on day 10 all day long. You just need to do exactly what your specific surgeon tells you to do and you'll be fine. I didn't have any pain issues and any problems so far and I'm 9 months out. My weightloss really stalled the last 2 months but come to find out I was eating between 500 and 700 calories a day and I wasn't eating enough. So really follow your surgeon's directions. Good luck and welcome to bandland.