Anyone here been banded through Kaiser? My doctor told me I have to go to a gastric bypass siminar to find out more info on the band. Apperantly they don't have a Kaiser doctor in my town that does the band, I may have to go futher up north to have it done. If you've been through this process with Kaiser, I would love to hear about your process.

Thanks,

I find it interesting how everyplace varies. My orientation told us that it would be

1. Orientation
   
2. Either Nutritionist or Nutrition class
   
3. Apt with Medical Director to review progress and set weight goal
   
4. Psych eval
   
5. Educational class
   
6. Surgeon
   
7. Blood work
   
8. Nurse phone consults
   

They bumped me to surgeon because they have a backlog between the medical director and the surgeon with people struggling to lose the weight.

I started the process in July. There have been about 3 months between apts so far. I am really hoping to schedule my surgery soon!!

Minxz, are you with Norcal Kaiser? That process looks like it has extra steps than from what I've done. Have you met with a surgeon yet to know your pre-surgery weight loss goals?

I am assigned to South San Francisco Kaiser. In this facility you don't usually meet with the surgeon until after you meet with another doctor (usually with the medical director) and that Doctor determines your needed weight loss. I am skipping straight to the surgeon though to help move the backlog along. The nurse I spoke to said I might be able to schedule my surgery date at this apt.

Well, I finally met with the surgeon today. Looks like my surgery will be in March! I guess everything is booked for Jan. & Feb. So by that time, this whole process would have taken me about 9 months! But you know, it has gone by really fast. I bet these last two months will move sooooo slooooow! LOL!

Or it could be the faster yet since you have your end goal in sight. I would start to get nervous this close to the surgery and the time would fly by.

Best of luck. I hope I don't have to wait 9 months but so far three has flown by and I still have not seen the surgeon yet :-)

Where is your surgery?

Does anyone know if Kaiser will pay for any plastic surgery following the weight loss

L

My understanding is that they will not unless you can make an extensive case proving medical necessity

When attending the orientation @ Kaiser Panorama City in Southern Ca, they mentioned that they would do a tummy tuck @ 5-10% of the cost but it will have to be a year after your surgery. I remember them talking about possible stomach rashes and minor skin infections because of the rapid weight loss, being the reason why they offered it.

I AM SCHEDULED May 21'st is the date.

For those wondering I started this July of 08 so its roughly 10 months. They did not make me lose the 10% because there was a backlog of people not making their goal (I was never even given a goal I skipped that apt and went straight to the surgeon) I have lost a bit and am trying to lose another 10lbs before the surgery.

My Surgeon while very nice and professional seemed very pro Gastric Bypass. He tried to talk me out of the lapband 2 times. Stated realistically I would only get down to 230 with the lapband. I told him that if that is all I lose at least I felt a lot better at 230 than I do now at almost 300. So my advice is if you want lapband and you have Kaiser go in prepared with why and be ready to stick to your guns on it.

Wow Minxz, who's your surgeon? I found that mine was totally pro-lapband, at least for my situation. They do say that they have better results with the band if your BMI at time of surgery is 42 or less. I lost 43 lbs. and got my BMI below 40 before surgery, so maybe that's why he was so great about it, he thought it was a good choice for me. Of course I also chose him because he does so many lap bands!

At my pre-op class, Liz said that she does have a group pf lap-band superstars who are losing at the same rate as the RNYers. I have one friend in my support group who had RNY right before I had lapband, we weighed exactly the same on my surgery day, and I am totally keeping up with her - in fact I am 8 or 9 lbs lower than her. That will even out and she will eventually pass me, but frankly I don't want to lose more than 2-3 lbs. a week! My arms flab is starting already, LOL . . . :sneaky:

Silly Goose, how are you? Check in girl!!!

My Surgeon is ROBERT ANDREW LI MD. Don't get me wrong he was a really nice guy but both times I saw him he tried to push me toward the gastric bypass. Last visit he told me realistically the most I would lose would be 40% of my weight and that there is up to a 15% chance of complications.

Fortunately I had done my homework :sneaky:

Oh I hear GREAT things about him! You go girl, you know what you want! You will BLAST through his 230. You just tell him you are going to be his most successful lap-band patient ever! You'll prove it soon! Congrats on getting your surgery date . . .it's REALLY real now!!!

Thank you!! I looked him up he has a really good record as a surgeon (not half bad looking either lol).

I am so excited.

riley4183, wow your process looked to be only 4 1/2 months, how did you get so lucky with Kaiser??? Im chugging right along. My first class was Jan 27th and I wont finish until July 7th... I've lost 13lbs so far and I feel good about that, I just wish the process would speed up a bit, it must be a bit different down here @ Kaiser So. Cal....