Hi all

I am new to the site and have been considering lap band surgery.

The question I have is, I have PCOS so will this make things any different (will I still lose weight basically) if I have the lap band !!

Oh and also, if I have the procedure done somewhere in Europe, will doctors in London accept me to go back for refills or do they only see to their own patients they have operated on.

Thanks a lot

A x x

I have to second the injectables, got preggo the first cycle I now I have a healthy 6 1/2 month old baby boy

I was diagnosed when I went to my OB about not getting pregnant. We tried for our first for a year and I think that was pure luck. We tried for 15 months for our second and went to treatments. Luckily our insurance covered the whole thing, I am HOPING the same for the LAP-BAND®.

I have United Health Care...did your insurance consider PCOS a co-morbid disease?

I also have UHC and yes, my PCOS was considered a comorbitity. Are you just getting started with the process??

i have bcbs insurance and pcos is considered a comorbidity.

Yes I am! I hope that i can make this work with the PCOS/infertility. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I have to second the injectables, got preggo the first cycle :wink_smile: I now I have a healthy 6 1/2 month old baby boy :thumbup:

I was diagnosed when I went to my OB about not getting pregnant. We tried for our first for a year and I think that was pure luck. We tried for 15 months for our second and went to treatments. Luckily our insurance covered the whole thing, I am HOPING the same for the LAP-BAND®.

I have United Health Care...did your insurance consider PCOS a co-morbid disease?

Not sure, but i have blue cross/blue shield and they covered 80% of my lap band surgery. better than nothing i guess =] good luck to you...i hope your ins. covers your's as well =]]]]

Hiya, This is my first post on here so please bear with me.

I am 29 years old (30 in Feb) and was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 14. I have just recently left an abusive marriage and am now trying to focus on me. I have approached my GP for a referral for the Lap-Band as my BMI is 39.9 and she has put me on yet another medication for 3 months to trial and if this is not successful she has agreed to put me forward to see a surgeon. I currently take Metformin, Dianette, Orlistat (Xenical), and now Reductil, also using Vaniqa for the unsightly excess facial hair. The joys of being a woman. Can anyone tell me what the process is from referral to surgery, ie. appointments with shrinks, nutritionists and so on and how long it took from referral to the surgery date.

WELCOME!!!!!

This will be a great start for you considering all you have handled in your life!

You don't need a referral from your GP!!!!!!!!!! Grrrr...to your doctor. This is YOUR decision, NOT hers!!

Attend a free seminar provided by docs in your area. Start learning and asking questions to them. If you have insurance...you may have certain hoops to jump through...my insurance didn't cover my surgery and we chose to self pay. BEST DECISION EVER!!!!! My SEVERE PCOS is pretty much in remission!

SO...your first question (find out by calling your insurance provider) will they cover lapband for you???? What steps does your insurance require for you to have the surgery (some make you do 6 months supervised diet by doctor).

I was 'on the table' 3 wks after I decided to do it. But again...I was self pay. I did a mental eval, chest xray, baseline blood tests and I think something else...but can't recall.

You probably will be able to get off all the meds too.

Please keep everyone here posted!!! You deserve this girl!!

Ladybug

Edited January 7, 200917 yr by ladybugchaser

Thanks Ladybug..

I live in the UK though so dont need health insurance here as all covered on the National Health Service.

If I were to go private and pay myself can they turn around after all the evaluations and say no to the surgery after paying all the money to them.

Oh wow! UK may have different rules, guidelines..etc. Maybe you all DO require a referral there. But it's still worth calling a doc who does lapbands to ask. How very interesting!

Umm...I can only tell you in the USA..that if you don't pass the mental eval...they work with you...the psycholgist or whoever you did it with...they will help you work through the issues to get you back on course to have surgery.

Normally, if one isn't a candidate for surgery you will know with the evaluations...a few get to the table and get opened and wake only to find the surgery didnt' happen (ie...fatty liver prevents it) but that seems relatively rare. That's why the doc has you do a pre op diet to take stress off the liver so it's as healthy as possible when you go under.

Generally speaking....they want your money. So if you are breathing, in general good health, will follow doctors orders...it's probably unlikely to get turned away.

Wishing you LOTS of luck!!!

I have a question for you. I have PCOS- BUT have had a hysterectomy due to all the issues AND I have the band. I read online that pcos does not leave cuz you have hysterectomy, that there is insulin problems- BUT I have't taken any medicine for my pcos at all- should I look into that? The reason I am asking- having issues loosing weight and thought that might be part of my problem. I will have to make an appointment to see my doc- to get a fill- maybe that will help too

Thanks

I just wanted to share my story...I have PCOS and after 10 years of trying to have a baby and only having maybe one cycle a year. My DH and I went to a fertility doctor and did 6 months of Clomid/metformin and low carb with no ovulation. The doctor said weight loss would help so I decided to get a lapband.

After a year with the band, and only a few fills due to my doctor being out of state, I lost 80 pounds - with very little effort on my part - and my cycles came back on their own with no medications.

My hair was thinning badly, almost to the point of needing a wig and just in the last few months I have noticed a huge difference as it is starting to fill back in.

We are back at the fertility doctor now and the doctor has given us a much better outlook now that things are getting back to normal. All my bloodwork came back perfect and my blood pressure is not high anymore. It worked out great for us because we paid less for my Lapband then we would have for one cycle with en vitro fertilization and now we may not even need to do en vitro since my cycles are normal. I was told at my last ultrasound that my ovaries still look a little polycystic but they can see that they are improving by the location and size of the egg follicles.

So for me- although it took a year to see big improvements in my PCOS - it was the right choice for me to get the band and I am so happy I did it.

Edited January 15, 200917 yr by mcbutterpants

Thank you everyone for sharing your PCOS & Band stories. I am looking forward to losing weight and having normal life! I remember the shots of Progestrone in Oil in the lower back, that I used to get in order to have a mc (Provera did NOT work)... and the Metformin breakthrough in the mid-90's that changed my life.

But no I have diabetes too, and Gyn says it came from my PCOS. So if the band can get me some semblance of metabolic order my life will be so improved!!!

I just wanted to share my story...I have PCOS and after 10 years of trying to have a baby and only having maybe one cycle a year. My DH and I went to a fertility doctor and did 6 months of Clomid/metformin and low carb with no ovulation. The doctor said weight loss would help so I decided to get a lapband.

After a year with the band, and only a few fills due to my doctor being out of state, I lost 80 pounds - with very little effort on my part - and my cycles came back on their own with no medications.

My hair was thinning badly, almost to the point of needing a wig and just in the last few months I have noticed a huge difference as it is starting to fill back in.

We are back at the fertility doctor now and the doctor has given us a much better outlook now that things are getting back to normal. All my bloodwork came back perfect and my blood pressure is not high anymore. It worked out great for us because we paid less for my Lapband then we would have for one cycle with en vitro fertilization and now we may not even need to do en vitro since my cycles are normal. I was told at my last ultrasound that my ovaries still look a little polycystic but they can see that they are improving by the location and size of the egg follicles.

So for me- although it took a year to see big improvements in my PCOS - it was the right choice for me to get the band and I am so happy I did it.

Keep us updated. Your story is just like mine, except Im just starting my road with the lap band. Best of luck to you with extra **BABY DUST** sent your way :redface:

My doc. took me off Metformin about a month ago (although why, i'm not entirely sure cause he really doesn't know much about PCOS - i was dx 3yrs ago by another doc who's retired). Anyways, my period was fairly regular until i stopped the metformin, and now it's 2 weeks late. problem is, i'm being banded a week from today. i scheduled the surgery deliberately so I wouldn't be on my rag that day... usually its really heavy right out of the gate for 4 out of the 5 days. Anyways, my GP thought my late period was sufficient cause for me to start up metformin again. Should i start it up again so soon before the surgery? I'm totally confused and there's not enough time for me to get in with an endocronologist and get second opinion. HELP!

Babe,

In the end it's your choice but here's my opinion... :thumbdown:

PCOS in simple terms is a hormone imbalance...why get back on Met and freak your body out again? Especially when you are within DAYS of being banded and putting your body through ANOTHER roller coaster?

If I were in your shoes...I would stay off the Met and get banded...watch your body, your PCOS symptoms...etc. Many get off Met once banded anyway. Your hormones will be changing for the better for MONTHS after surgery. I am 5 months out and STILL on a MONTHLY basis am seeing visible positive hormonal signs.

I am off all meds and caught myself practically RUNNING down some stairs the other day...lol...it was so funny...pre surgery I didn't have the strength!

Oh...and about having your period at surgery... lol...I had mine too...was sooooo embarassed and they said they see it all the time and have a plan for it. It's not a big deal.

GOOD LUCK!!

You can do this!!!

Ladybug