I have read some posts on this website about surgeons who tried to "pressure" patients into having the Gastric Bypass procedure rather

than the lap band. In my case, I have to have the lap band, because

I am a self pay and just cannot afford the gastric. I just want to know

what I might be in for when I meet the surgeon.:omg:

My PCP when I mentioned it to him proceeded to tell me "Why did do you you want to do that? It doesn't work!" :angry Gee I don't know maybe the fact I don't want parts of my body cut, reassembled, and sewn back together. I'm not a quilt for crying out loud. Besides, I'm not a one size fits all kind of person. The lap-band is adjustable and that's what I like about it. Needless to say he wrote me a letter for medical necessity anyway. My surgeon (Dr. Ehrlich) on the other hand had no problem with my decision. I knew I liked him.

Thanks, everyone for all of your input. I guess I am just flabbergasted that some surgeons and their supporting staff would try to talk someone

out of having what is deemed the surgery with the lowest complication risk, etc. to having a surgery that is riskier. I hope that I do not encounter this (appt is tomorrow!) because I have been doing my research for two years now and feel confident in the lap band. I am one of those people who cannot make decisions easily and I hope that my surgeon is as supportive of the lap band as he is Gastric. I DID go to one of his seminars, and he said that there are just as many people having the lap band as they are the Gastric in his practice, so that is a good sign.

Good Luck today! Let us know how things turn out.

My family doctor was the one that originally suggested I have gastric surgery. He wasn't for one over the other, just for me being healthy. I went to the seminar, and it covered both but seemed to lean towards bypass. I mentioned it to my Rhumetologist and she was very supportive and told me it would definately help the arthritis in my knees, hips and lower back. When I finally met with my surgeon, he pushed bypass. It made me a little insecure with my decision for a band. then I went to the required support group meeting, and every last person in the group had bypass. I felt totally out of place and uncomfortable. I went for a second meeting with the surgeon on Friday. We talked about it for a good while. He sat directly across from me, took both my hands in his and told me that he never meant to push me into something I didn't want to do. He understood my misgivings about the risks of bypass, and told me that dumping was a potential problem of bypass and there was no garauntee I wouldn't suffer with it. He said, with bypass I would definately not suffer with hunger, with the band, I would still have to worry about it. Hunger is not a problem for me, so not an issue. He also said I would definatley lose my weight a lot faster with the bypass. I told him, I PREFER to lose slow as I think that's healthier and also want my skin to have a chance to catch up with the loss. He said that was true. He also said I would have to really work toward the end of my goal. But also said that 5 years out, the outcomes would be about the same. So what's the big deal? If the end result is the same, I don't care to have my insides rearranged.

my surgeon only does the lapband...and she is not for gastric bypass....

my GP said that it wasnt the answere and to eat less well if i could do that i wouldnt be wanting surgery.

BUT when i saw my consultant he said i was way too small for a bypass (gastric that is not urban) and would only do a band.

big day 31st july 2007

My family doctor was the one that originally suggested I have gastric surgery. He wasn't for one over the other, just for me being healthy. I went to the seminar, and it covered both but seemed to lean towards bypass. I mentioned it to my Rhumetologist and she was very supportive and told me it would definately help the arthritis in my knees, hips and lower back. When I finally met with my surgeon, he pushed bypass. It made me a little insecure with my decision for a band. then I went to the required support group meeting, and every last person in the group had bypass. I felt totally out of place and uncomfortable. I went for a second meeting with the surgeon on Friday. We talked about it for a good while. He sat directly across from me, took both my hands in his and told me that he never meant to push me into something I didn't want to do. He understood my misgivings about the risks of bypass, and told me that dumping was a potential problem of bypass and there was no garauntee I wouldn't suffer with it. He said, with bypass I would definately not suffer with hunger, with the band, I would still have to worry about it. Hunger is not a problem for me, so not an issue. He also said I would definatley lose my weight a lot faster with the bypass. I told him, I PREFER to lose slow as I think that's healthier and also want my skin to have a chance to catch up with the loss. He said that was true. He also said I would have to really work toward the end of my goal. But also said that 5 years out, the outcomes would be about the same. So what's the big deal? If the end result is the same, I don't care to have my insides rearranged.

I agree with you. Gastric patients lose most of their weight within the first year, and then they stall. Lap band patients lose slower but generally have the same outcome within the first 5 years. My sister had the gastric procedure and she has so much excess skin it's unreal. I don't want that.

The surgeon I am seeing used to do both the gastic bypass and the lapband, but now she only does Lap-band.. so no pressure there! For the family doctor I had to see for all the pre-op tests, I specifically went to this doctor because he kind of has a "I don't care" attitude towards his patients.. our family stopped using him because of that.. but in this case, it turned out to be useful!

3 years ago when I saw a doctor to get an okay for the lapband, he was very against surgery of any kind and I don't even think he knew what the lapband was... He said he'd look into it, despite being against it... two weeks later I got a denial from insurance for the bypass.. first of all, he didn't even tell me he was submitting me... second of all, it was for the bypass not the lap-band!! What a great doctor he was *rolls eyes*

I went for my first appointment, and they gave me "homework". I have to have a sleep study, get bloodwork done and attend a support group meeting before they will schedule the surgery date.