I am thinking of the lap band surgery. I'm 4"11 and 244 lbs. I'm worried that my BMI which is 50 my be too much for the lap band surgery. Is that true? Will I have to lose weight first?

I would suggest you go to an informational meeting with a local surgeon or bariatric center. I am 4'10" and understand your plight. You should evaluate which surgery would be best for you. I never heard of anyone's BMI being too high for LapBand. I am being banded on April 16th and could not be happier. Read the posts on this site to get more information. Everyone is very helpful. Good luck!!

Your BMI isn't so high that the band can't be done. But you really should attend a seminar in your area to get first hand inforrmation from the doctor/nurses that know everything about it.

And reading here a lot helps too. There is a wealth of really good first hand information here.

FYI - my hubbys BMI was right at 50 and so was mine when we had our surgeries (Feb - March 09).

I have a friend in Chattanooga, TN who had LB surgery yesterday. She was required to get her BMI down to 50 to have the surgery because the hospital where she had the surgery had arbitrarily instituted that restriction for all WLS starting on January 1, 2009. But physically, that would not be a limitation for you.

I go to a seminar on the 16th of April. One doctor I considered doesnt do them is your BMI is over 45. I was just worried that they may be a factor for me. I can't wait to start this journey.

I had a BMI of around 67 when I got my surgery.

So no, a higher BMI isn't a contraindication. This is surgery to promote weight loss. If your doc tries to push bypass on you, go to a seminar where you can get objective fair data on both and make your choice.

I had to do a preop diet that was pretty strict but it wasn't to lose weight so much as to shrink my (enlarged by fat) liver. You may have that depending on your lab results etc. However it was just for a few weeks (would've only been 3 if I hadn't cheated) and it wasn't that bad.