I am completely new at this--both posting messages and learning about the lap band. I've seen the commercials and done some preliminary research online, but where do I start? How do I find a doctor and is there anything that I must do prior to seeing him/her? How do I know if the doctor is skilled? What questions should I be asking?

Renwo, welcome!! This is a great place, just take a look around and read alot. You should fine alot of support and information here. I have not been banded yet. My date is May 18th. I am self paying with Dr. Kirshenbaum in Colorado, he is awesome. I finally got up enough nerve to call and I made a consult appointment, and things have been moving along since. I wish you the best. Let us know how your doing!

I am completely new at this--both posting messages and learning about the lap band. I've seen the commercials and done some preliminary research online, but where do I start? How do I find a doctor and is there anything that I must do prior to seeing him/her? How do I know if the doctor is skilled? What questions should I be asking?

The best thing you can do is spend time on this forum. It's good to ask questions but it is also good to use the "search" function and look for things you want to know about. A lot of the basic things have been discussed at length.

As for how to find a doctor, it depends mainly on whether you have insurance that covers it. If you do, then you'll want to go to a doctor in your area with a good reputation. When you find doctors, search their name on line here. If you don't find further info here, then start a thread asking about Dr. xxx. A lot of the time you will get good info that way. You can also try the internet. There are doctor rating sites.

If you don't have insurance and you are a "self-pay," you will probably be concerned about cost. The least expensive way to get a good, experienced surgeon is to go to Mexico. You can get a lot of info about the Mexican doctors in this forum. More than half the people who are on this forum have gone to Mexico. The price is right, and the quality of the surgeon and facilities is first rate. The only down side is that it can be hard to find after care in the U.S. if you have gone out of the country for the surgery. So be sure to line up your aftercare before you go. This is important.

There are also U.S. doctors who do the surgery for just a little bit more than the Mexican doctors. My doctor is one of those. You can check him out at the web site in my signature below. There is also an active thread about my doctor on this forum. He is in Denver. The main downside with this way is that you either need to go back to Denver for your aftercare, or find a local doctor in your area who will do the aftercare.

You don't need to do anything before you have contact with the doctor, but it is always a good idea to know as much as you can, so keep researching.

These answers are just the tip of the arrow. There is so much more to learn. But, all the answers are here. Ask questions, and people will be happy to answer them for you.

We've all been exactly where you are. Just keep moving forward. It will all work out, sooner than you think.