bigunc

ta337 have you eaten any boiled seafood since you have been banded. I live in LA also and was curious how being banded affects boiled seafood consumption. My 23yr old Son asked me; How would a Catholic living in LA survive during Lent if they could not eat boiled seafood? Wasn't something I really thought about when changing eating habits.

I also thought that the total amount I needed to lose was mind boggling. I started out at 435 (BMI of 59) in April of 2007 I was on a diet from April to Sept. last year. Total weight lost was 22 lbs. When I started my Lap-Band Seminar in mid Sept I was down to 413 (BMI of 56). What concerned me was I could not do any cardio exercise due to heart problems. I thought without the cardio work I would not be successful. Dr. prescribed physical therapy and I lost 42 more pounds by early Feb. when my surgery was finally scheduled for 2-25-08. My point is, I started out needing to loose approx. 245 lbs and have lost 64 without having the surgery yet. The total to lose doesn't worry me as much as it once did.

I am also scheduled for the 25th. I went today and did all the usual pre-op things, blood work, EKG, chest xray and urine sample ( why? ). Only problem I ran into was not having a copy of my cardiac clearance. Not a real issue as my Bariatric Nurse Coordinator called and had it faxed to the Hospital. She is a God send!

I would like to get off the CPAP machine also. So far I've managed to lower my Lantus (Diabetic injectable) from 100 units to 40 units a night. Its encouraging so far and I haven't yet had the surgery.

I had a surgery date set for 2/11/08 which is now canceled. I have had Atrial Fibbrillation since 4/13/07. As part of the follow up I have been getting EKG's done every 2 months since last April. He discovered that I now have a heart flutter on the last EKG. The doctor said the I can not be put under Anesthesia in this condition and need to cancel the Lap-Band surgery. On 2/15/08 the Cardiologist is doing a procedure called an Ablation to correct the flutter. If it works I can have the surgery 7 to 10 days later. Only 1 small problem, my Surgeon does not have any open dates until the end of March I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar problem or if anyone has had an Abalation done?

Blessed, you and I will be linked forever. I too have a scheduled surgey date of 2-25-08. I am anxious and ready for it to happen. I had a date of 2-11-08 that was canceled due to a medical condition. I am having my surgery done as an outpatient. My Nurse Coord. has had the surgery and told me what to bring on my surgery date: Loose comfortable clothing, slip on shoes and a pillow to cover your stomach when you buckle up on the ride home. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

There are a couple of ways to get approved for the surgery by Aetna. You need to go to the Atena web site and look for the alpha list of clinical policy bulletins. Find the one listed for Obesity Surgery. You need to see how your personal health history fits the requirments. As for the diet requirements, they want to see a commitment from you to lose weight. You need to prove your commited to a life long change in eating habits. I was lucky, my Nurse Coordinator was very well versed in the Aetna requirements. Good luck. Hope this helps.

Search for: Clinical Policy Bulletins (CPBs) on the main Aetna web site. There is an alphabetical list for all types of most procedures. Once on the list you need to find Obesity Surgery. Here is where you will find what you are looking for. You will have questions to ask after you read thru the CPBs.

I live on the Westbank and was refered to Dr. Treen at West Jefferson Medical Center. His staff is top notch and very supportive. If you live anywhere in the Metro New Orleans area give them a call. You will not be disapointed. I have not yet had the surgery, but feel extremely confident in Dr. Treen and his staff 1 week from my surgery date. Here is the link to their web site: Surgical Clinic of Louisiana -

I agree with Libra. For me the alternative of not having the Lap-Band was not being around past 5 more years. My Arrythmia Specialist exact words. He said if I had to lose a large amount of weight relatively quick. He specically suggested Lap-Band and not the Gastric Bypass. The major selling point for me was the Band is reversable and less documented complications than the bypass. I'll take my chances with the band in lieu of me losing the weight by diets and exercise alone.

My episodes actually began March 2007. I had quite a few spells of dizziness and spells of being lightheaded. I also had some serious problems keeping my legs under me. I fell numerous occasions before the Afibb was diagnosed. The last straw was the time I fell at work. I hit my head on a support column and was knocked out . I too take Metoprolol (100mg). I also take Amiodarone (200mg) each twice daily for the Afibb.

Thanks make22 & Elizabethsew. I'm pretty excited. When we had to cancel my original surgery, I had to wait for an opening to reschedule. The phone message I had waiting for me today about the new date could not have made me happier. Elizabethsew, My Lap-Band Nurse Coordinator contacted my Cardiologist and discussed my case and decided on a plan for my Surgery. I am to stop the Coumadin 5 days before surgery and start taking injections of Lovenox. The day of surgery they will do another INR check to see if I need to continue the Lovenox after surgery or start the Coumadin again. I said it in some of my earlier posts, the Lap-Band Nurse is top notch. She has kept everything in order and me in line thru the whole process.

Here is an update on my Ablation. I went in yesterday for my scheduled Ablation. The Doctor did the procedure and it was a success. I now have a normal heart rhythm. I was pumped to see the heart monitor reading of 72 bpm. Before the procedure the heart rate was averaging about 115 bpm. My Doctor was pleased that the Ablation went so quickly and successfully. It did not come with out setbacks. When they drew the blood for the INR numbers (clotting factor) it was not within the range required to procede with the Ablation. The Physicians asst had me stop my Coumadin Wed. I questioned this because it did not seem like this was a sufficient amount of time to "thicken" my blood. The Cath Lab Charge Nurse told me that the procedure would not be done due the high INR (5.57) numbers. I should have stopped taking the Coumadin no later than Monday she said. I was not a happy camper. I had followed my pre-op instructions to a "T". I explained about my upcoming Lap-Band surgery and how I had to have the Ablation first. She said there was nothing she could do. I asked her to consult with my Cardiologist before cancelling the procedure. 2 hours later my Doctor paid me a visit. My Doctor came and told me they were giving me a high dose of Vitamin K to reverse the affects of Coumadin and test the levels again. Needless to say, everything worked itself out. The Ablation went fine and I am back to a normal heart rhythm. Oh yeah, when I got home I had a wonderful phone message waiting for me. The Nurse Coordinator had left me a phone message late Friday while I was at the hospital. She said I would be having my Lap-Band surgery Monday On 2-25-08. I could not have been more excited at the news. Life is good! I'm ready to continue my journey!

I would like to comment about insurance requirements for everyone just starting the process for Lap-Band surgery. Most Insurance companies will post what is called "Clinical Policy Bulletins (CPB's)" on their web sites. Please take the time to become familiar with the Policy Bulletin for Obesity Surgery. Sometimes the wording is very vague and left up to too much interpretation. Read it, call them and ask any questions you may have. You will have questions! Do not depend on the Surgical group to answer a question you may have on insurance requirements. A close friend of mine had to practically start from the beginning because of some incorrect advice he recieved from the Nurse Coordinator. I was very fortunate because my Nurse Coordinator was a Lap-Band patient herself. She knew every step of the process and kept me informed at every turn.

Great Thread! Very Informative. Thanks to all the Men who contribute info to this thread. This thread has been a great source of info for Guys like my self in the pre-op stages. I am scheduled to have the Lap-Band procedure done 2-25-08. I find myself becoming more and more anxious at every completed step to the process. It has been a great deal less nerve racking because of what I have learned thru this thread and those of you who contribute to it. Please keep the posts coming with any and all comments. Thanks, Jeff

I guess I look at this differantly than most people. I have some thick skin and don't really care what people think about me getting the Lap-Band. I am doing this for me and my family. I personally have told everyone I was having the surgery. I have lost alot of time last year due to various reasons. I Have Diabetes, Afibb and Lumbar Stenosis that caused me to be Hospitalized 2 times last year since April. I had a total of 4 1/2 months of lost time due mainly to the Afibb. My family, friends and Co-workers have been very supportive. They understand I am doing this because a drastic change needs to happen or I will not be around much longer. These are my Cardiologists exact words. I have two co-workers who have had WLS. One Lap-Band and one Gastric by pass. Everyone sees the change in health each of these individuals are experiencing and hope I will have the same success. Everyones comments on me losing weight is motivation for me. Every time some one tells me they can tell I have lost weight makes me work that much harder. Everyone needs to handle how they procede thru the Lap-Band procedure how ever they feel most comfortable. Do whats best for you on an individual basis. Good luck to all!

Yea Nip, I am not looking forward to having the cardioversion a second time either. I was not prepared for the 4 burns I recieved. There wasn't any mention that I would recieve burns the shape and size of the defib patches. I had 1 on my back and 3 on my chest where they moved the pad around for each try. Also as far as medication goes, I take Amiodarone which has lowered my heart rate considerably but hasn't gotten back to normal. I went into the hospital at a steady 225 bpm and left the hospital 8 days later at 110 bpm.

Thanks for the info. I too was reffered for Lap-Band procedure from my Cardiac Specialists. He attempted an Electro-Cardioversion procedure in Sept. He jolted me three times and it was not successful. He told me of the last 2000 (approx.) patients he had preformed this procedure on I was the only one where it didn't work. That was comforting to know. He said I needed to get down to to around 300 pds and he would try it again. In Sept of 2006 he recommended me for Lap-band surgery. Also My Afibb is constant with a heart rate of a steady 110 bpm. I do have some episodes when the heart rate goes up between 175 to 200 bpm. I understand that the flutter needs to be corrected before the Lap-Band surgery is done, it is just frustrating to me. Seems like every step you take is harder than the last. My wife has been wonderful keeping me focused on the task at hand and not letting me get down on myself. She was worried I would get discouraged at this latest set back and give up. I let her know it was only a setback and we were staying focused. I am determined tp get my life back and be free of as many of the meds as possible.

My experience with Aetna has been good. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I was fortunate that the Nurse Coordinator is a Lap-Band patient herself. She made sure every possible angle was covered. She kept me on track thru the whole process with phone calls and reminders. She let me know when she had every piece of documentation required and what was the next step. In the beginning she told me Aetna had specific requirements that had to be met and made sure I met as many as possible. I was told that the five year weight record and diet history was very important. The hardest part for me was the 3 months of supervised exercise. My Cardiologist would not allow anything that would elevate my heart rate above 120 bpm. The Nurse set me up with physical therapy where I was monitered after every step. I was approved 5 working days after the Nurse submitted the paper work.

My psych eval was a three part test for a total of 580 questions. The test took me 1.5 hrs to complete. Alot of the questions were repeatative. I think it asked me 5 differant ways if I loved my Father. When I went back for the results the Doctor spent 30 minutes telling me I might not like what he had to tell me. He spent another 20 minutes telling me how society frowns upon depression. I finally told him to quit beating around the bush and tell me the results. I was inwardly depressed was his conclusion based on the test results. I asked him what the hell did that mean? He said I was depressed and did not know it. He asked me what I thought about it and I said I did not feel like I was but would listen to what he had to say. I was afraid he was going to reject my Lap-Band procedure. He wanted me to go to counseling but agreed that I needed to have the procedure. I patiently waited for him to send the approval paper work to Surgical Nurse Coordinator, it took him three weeks to do so. I now have my approval from Aetna and my surgical date set 2-11-08.

Try looking at the AETNA Clinical Policy Bulletin on Lap-Band. I too have Aetna and was confused on the requirements. Part of the requirements depend on co-morbitities you may have. I was required to attend 3 months of supervised exercise. Try the link below. http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0157.html

The Nurse Coordinator has told me she now has all the required paper work needed to send in my information to request my Lapband Surgery next week to Aetna. I am now at the stage of waiting patiently for Aetna to approve my claim for Lapband surgery. I have completed or met all of the requiremenths set forth by Aetna. I have sleep apnea, type II diabetes, High Blood pressure, Congestive heart failure, AFibb and have proof of a BMI of greater than 40 for the last 5 years. The only requirment I am worried about is the 3 months of supervised exercise (3 times a week). Because of my AFibb my Cardiologist would not allow me to do any cardio work that would elevate my heart rate above 120 bpm. The Nurse suggested I go to physical therapy where the Staff could monitor my heart rate as I worked out. I had to get a refferal for each visit to the Rehab clinic to cover this requirement. I am concerned that Aetna will say this was not enough exercise to meet the requirement. Has anyone had a situation similar to mine? I was a little apprehensive at the beginning but find myself getting excited at the prospect of finally having some help to correct my life long battle with obesity. I would like to thank everyone for sharing their experiences so us "Newbies" know what to expect in our journey to Lapband surgery.

I heard from the Surgeons office Friday that Aetna has approved me for Lap-Band surgery. I am now waiting to get with my Surgeon to set up the actual surgery date. The Nurse said I should have a date no later than the early part of Feb. for my surgery.

My Nurse Coordinator explained how everyone getting the Lapband procedure should identify what their goal weights should be. I have tried to determine what mine should be using the BMI index as a reference. I am a 46 yr old male 6' 1" inches tall. According to the BMI index I should be between 140 to 189 to fall in the normal range. I was thinking 200 lbs would be an ideal goal for me but this puts me in the overweight catagory. Does anyone feel the same way as I? My wife and I both think that 189 is too light for my body style. I have a rather long thick trunk with shorter legs (28" inseam). I am just curious on how the BMI chart was created and what criteria determines the weight ranges by height.

Aetna has defined very clearly all of the pre-requisites required for approval of the Lapband surgery. I have every condition described in the guielines: BMI over 40 for at least the last 5 years. Co-morbidities: Diabetis (diagnosed 2001) Hypertension (diagnosed 2001) sleep Apnea (diagnosed 2005) Atrial Fiberllation/Congestive heart failure (diagnosed 4/13/2007) I had my first consult with the Surgeon and the Dietician this week. I started my diet over 2 weeks ago and have lost 24 lbs. My problem came when I asked my Primary Care Physician for a referal to see a Psychologists to meet the Aetna criteria for a psychiatric evaluation. She called me back and said I needed more of an underlying cause ( ADD, ADHD, Deppression etc...)to write on the referal. She tried to tell me that she could not write the referal by stating it was needed to meet Aetna's guidelines. I told her to put it was a pre-surgery evaluation. Has anyone else experienced this type of an issue? I have found that getting the right referals has been the hardest part of this journey.