Where do I start?

lovingheart · January 26, 2008

:tt1:Could you tell me where you started in this process? Any adivece on what to make sure I do first, second, third, and so on?

What is the most important thing i need to know?

Please help me with any advice that you can give.thanks:lol:

faithmd · January 26, 2008

If you are going to rely on insurance to pay for the band your VERY first call should be to them.

You need to know if they even pay for adjustable gastric banding ON YOUR POLICY (some policies have different riders and exclusions than others).

If they do, then you want to get a copy of their requirements and have them in hand.

You also need to know who they will pay for you to be banded by. I would not go pick a surgeon or go to an information session until I knew my insurance would pay for me to see that surgeon. Once you have a list, then do some research about those surgeons. There are many threads here about surgeons, but I think the largest board for surgeon reviews is on obesityhelp.com.

Then based on the requirements given to you by your insurance company, if you need a certain length supervised diet or a referral by your PCP, call and make an appointment to get that started. At the same time, schedule some information sessions with the surgeons you have chosen.

Good luck!

snowbird · January 26, 2008

I would say the very first thing to do is research, including reading this forum. Learn about the process and different patients' reaction to it, and what will be required of you, and truly evaluate whether you can be happy giving up food as a major source of enjoyment in your life without turning to some other unhealthy pastime. Can you follow directions and say no to yourself sometimes? I don't mean, can you lose weight on willpower; none of us can do that or we would have long ago. But you do need to be able to follow a pre op and post op diet for a few weeks, and then you have to learn what you can eat and what you should eat afterwards.

Talk to your personal physician. Does he or she know anything about lapband? If not, is he willing to learn? Is he dead set against all weight loss surgery? Listen to what he says and if you do not agree, find another doctor who will support you.

Talk to your insurance company. Do they cover lap band? If they don't, can you afford to self pay? if they do, do they have preferred physicians who do weight loss surgery? What are their requirements? do you need preapproval? Do you need a referral from your doctor? Do they require psychological testing? A certain BMI? Co-Morbidities such as hypertension or sleep apnea for approval?

Research a surgeon. There are good surgeons and bad surgeons, experienced ones and newbies. Find one who is right for you. Be aware that on forums like this one, there are a lot of employees of surgeons and clinics running around masquerading as happy bandsters who will tell you their employer is the god of lap bands. Let the buyer beware.

Talk to your family. Are you going to get support or grief? If you aren't going to get support, are you strong enough to get through the times where you are having difficulty as a bandster when your dearly beloved are telling you they told you so? Remember that skinny friends won't understand why you need this, and fat ones may have issues with your weight loss that are their own personal problems and not an honest reflection of their caring for you.

Review what you have learned and re-evaluate your commitment. Decide if the surgery is still for you. If you say yes, then welcome to a new and exciting chapter of your life as a bandster.