Hello Everyone-

I'm very new to this - right now I am very seriously considering lap band surgery. My insurance doesn't cover it so I will be paying out of pocket.

My question is about my bmi - it is 31. Is it hard to find a doctor that will perform the surgery with that number? I keep reading in different places that your bmi should be at least 35.

I'm so glad I found this site, there is so much information! :-)

Hello Everyone-

I'm very new to this - right now I am very seriously considering lap band surgery. My insurance doesn't cover it so I will be paying out of pocket.

My question is about my bmi - it is 31. Is it hard to find a doctor that will perform the surgery with that number? I keep reading in different places that your bmi should be at least 35.

I'm so glad I found this site, there is so much information! :-)

Nope! Mine was 30!!

I went to Mexico and Dr. Ariel Ortiz did my surgery!! It was fantastic!!

Thank you for your reply. I would prefer to stay in the US if at all possible. Are the US doctors more stringent with the BMI requirements?

Hi mine is 32 and Dr. Spivak in houston will do it for me. I also am private pay so I think that makes a differnce. He just wants to make sure you do not see it as a easy way out. What part of the country are you in?

My BMI was 33.5 when I had my surgery in mid Feb. 07. Normally, 35 is best, but I had high BP, backpain and a few other discomforts...I pretty much ruled out even going through my insurance, so I didn't bother. I think it's pretty much the same as having any type of cosmetic work done..if you're willing to pay, what can they say?

Good luck! I'm down 22 lbs but only had 50+ to loose, so I feel pretty good.

I have contacted the folks at beliteweight.com (Detroit) to see if they would do it. The price seems very reasonable. I did a search on the boards, but I could not find much info on them. They haven't returned my emails yet, either. I was hoping to find somewhere affordable closer to home (PA). I know- I don't want much, do I?

Your best bet would be Spivak in Houston, there are very few US doc's that will band at less than 35 without some significant comorbidities. But they are out there, you just have to find them.

You really would have a much easier time of it heading to Mexico. The docs there are (just like here-for the most part) wonderful, and many of them trained the US surgeons on how to place the band. I think at the last poll I saw something like 50 or 60 percent of LBTers had gone to Mexico to be banded.

And just a word of caution, you cannot go on price alone (even though it is a large chuck of change), this is your body you are dealing with. Would you look aroud for the cheapest heart surgeon you could find if you needed heart surgery? Do your homework, theres loads of threads on here about people's Mexico experiences, and Dr. Spivak has a couple of threads dedicated to him, too.

GOOD LUCK! And congrats on making your decision to become a bandster!

I had a BMI of 29 and the wonderful Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexico did mine, for much cheaper than it would of cost here. I was self-pay.