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Does he provide a post-op diet plan and guidance? If so, what kind of diet (low-carb, etc.) does he expect? What are his pre-op requirements (labs, tests, etc.)? What are HIS personal statistics for complications, hospital time, how many/how long has he performed this surgery? Does he repair hiatal hernias while he's in there (common in obese patients)? Also, if you use the search feature on the home pain and type in (with quotations) "questions for surgeon" you'll see answers other members have provided before. Good luck!

I would call and ask to speak directly to the surgeon, and keep calling and leaving messages until you talk to him/her. The surgery, if no complications are found is literally like 30 minutes. Explain the situation again to your surgeon and see what he can do, after all the insurance coordinator is his employee and he would most likely like to know if they are not doing their job. I had a similar situation with a surgery my son had to have and I was relentless until I spoke to the surgeon and got it all worked out. Good luck and remember the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Someone suggested that I post my list of questions that I brought to my consultation. Some are redundant, sorry about that. I hope this helps and please add your questions too. ABOUT THE DOCTOR: How many gastric banding procedures have you done? Is he a board certified surgeon? What types of complications has this doctor personally encountered during lap band surgery and recovery and life with band? Is there a difference among the two different adjustable gastric bands? Do you have other Lap-Band® patients that I can talk to? Do you have a video or presentation that I can watch that shows the surgery? Do you specialize in the Lap-Band® or do you perform other procedures as well? Do you perform other gastric band procedures? What is the Realize band, pros/cons of each? What are the short term issues? What are the long term issues? What is the doctor's policy when a complication occurs during a procedure? (ie: does he discuss options with family or immediately convert to bypass or other WLS). What qualifications does this doctor have regarding the specific brand of band that will be used? (Lap-Band System, by Allergan or Realize Band by Ethicon/Johnson&Johnson) ABOUT THE PROCEDURE: Lap Band vs Realize? What is the “scarless surgery?” Do you perform the procedure on an outpatient basis or will it require an overnight stay in the hospital? What kind of anesthesia will I be getting? Will an anesthesiologist be present during the entire procedure Is the surgery being done at a surgery center or at a hospital? How will you protect me from infection/staff infection during the procedure? What types of complications has this doctor personally encountered during lap band surgery? PREPARING FOR SURGERY: What tests do I have to have prior to surgery? Will I need to have a special diet before surgery? Will you notify my primary care doctor about the procedure? Do you need any of my medical records prior to surgery? AFTER SURGERY CARE AND FOLLOW UP When can I resume taking medications? How soon after surgery do you want to see me for a follow up visit? How do does the doctor determine whether or not my band will need to be adjusted? Is there a direct line in case of Emergencies? When should I have my first adjustment/ fill? What will I need to have prepared when I get home in way of food items? When can I resume exercise? How will I manage my pain after surgery? How will I have to change my eating habits after surgery? How much weight should I expect to lose in the first month? FRIENDS AND FAMILY What help can you give me to help educate my family and friends so that they can also support me? LIFE AFTER BAND: How do adjustments work and how often will I need adjustments during the first year? Ongoing? How often will I have to see the doctor over the next year and at what cost? How is it better than other forms of bariatric surgeries like Gastric c Bypass and Gastric Sleeve? What is the expected weight loss? How much time will be required for losing weight? Is there possibly a better weight surgery for me?

I finished all the paperwork, did the 6 month supervised diet, scheduled the surgery date (May 8) and now I wait for insurance to approve!! I have CoventryCares (Medicaid) in Pennsylvania and I've heard they take just a few days to approve. I am so very excited! After losing my job, I was in a position to qualify for Medicaid. This surgery is truly the silver lining I need. Not only will I be healthier, I will be visibly healthier and be able to present a professional appearance in the job market (right? That's how this works, right?). Anyway, my surgeon is Dr. Neale in Plains, PA (near Scranton/Wilkes-Barre). He seems very competent and has done over 125 surgeries with less than 1% complication rate (he was very honest about it). I am struggling with "food funerals" and the 2 week liquid diet really worries me. I did a trial run for three days, and it didn't seem too terrible. Plus following a liquid diet when I didn't need to made it much more difficult than when it's doctor ordered...I hope. I'm less worried about the surgery than about the possibility of loose skin. With really big thighs and a mom-of-2 belly flap, I hate that my thighs will probably have that icky loose skin that can't be covered by a one-piece bathing suit and I'll have to tuck in my belly like it's a dang dress-shirt. Never mind that, I know I'll have to roll up my boobs like a pair of socks before tucking them in my bra because those girls will be losing mass, too. TMI? Sorry. Fingers crossed the insurance company will approve it! All vanity aside, I'm really looking forward to being healthier.

I have read that article before lol. That was actually the article that made my mind up to have the surgery in the first place. It seemed to say that the sleeve and bypass were more effective than the lap band, but to me it looked like both the sleeve and bypass were effective with the sleeve having less complications. That was why I choose the sleeve. But I am still second guessing myself like the OP. Sorry if I hijacked this thread OP. It is hard to find people who understand PCOS and weight loss and insulin resistance and I get really excited when I do because I really want to make the right choice.

And I have lost 30 pounds:) I have had no nausea at all, but I do one uncomfortable incision:( also my doctor has me in full liquids for 3 weeks to ensure my stomach heals and there are no complications. My biggest challenge is this mid morning slump I get? Afternoon I pick back up but between 11-2 I could sleep!?

Glad to hear everything is fine, I had the same thing happen to me last month. It was definetly a scary thought. Now they have me going in every month for a fill, and the dr is monitoring very closesly what goes in and out. It takes a little longer to get a fill, but I'd rather they monitor this close that have a real complication!

You know if vsg in the states was maybe a difference of a couple of thousand I would very likely stay in the states but most surgeons here are starting around $11k and even conservatively Mexico is still less than half. Unless you're independently wealthy these numbers do matter. I won't lie - I would love to get this done locally for several reasons - the language barrier - the sheer hassle of flying out of the country (and then having to fly back with a sore tummy) and being close to my regular physician in the event of complications. Omg I'm starting to talk myself out of Mexico !! But seriously unless I found someone here for maybe $8 -$9k I can't afford to do this anywhere but Mexico. Ironically, it's likely a vast number of Mexican surgeons trained here and have performed far more of the procedures.

Try to keep all the reason you are doing this in the front of your mind. Do not let yourself dwell on the very very small 1% complication rate. This is a very safe surgery and you will be fine and so much happier when you get this part behind you. it is the what ifs that will drive you nuts. try to stay busy - 8 kids that should not be hard

I have had my band since 2009 and started having a lot of complications with it in 2012 so I am having the revision to Sleeve on 11/27/13. I have heard a lot of people say they had to have a hernia repair what is the causes of getting a hernia with the band? For the last month I have had swollen, pinching, stabbing, and pulling feeling around my port area when I move or bend a curtain way. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Try to get at least 600 calories for the above reason; you may have enough body "fat" to function, but you still need calories as well. I found in the beginning of I was running to short, I'ld just sip on a glass of skim milk at the end of the day or make another shake if I could stand the thought of it! It is important to get the minimum of calories in so that you have some energy to get through your day- you'll still lose! Just be sure to get vitamins, protein and fluids in each day to avoid any complications. On Feb. 11th I had my 4 month surger-versary and can tell you that some days I can eat more than 600 calories and on others, if I'm busy and not focusing on my meals, I'll eat a lot less. The hunger isn't there (at least not half as strong as it was pre-op) so the preoccupation with food lessons more and more. Feeling healthy, for me, is just as important as the scale moving lower and my clothes getting looser! So be sure to give your body all the fuel it needs to do what it needs to do; lose the extra weight and make you a healthier you! Good luck!

Hello all, I was sleeved on July 12,so this is my 4th day. I can honestly say I have no comments yet about my sleeve, because I had great amounts of nausea, gas and dehydration so severe they attempted to find a vein in my arms, hands, feet and lastly my neck. This took place during my hospital stay and after being sleeved. During my 1 week pre op diet, I lost 16 lbs, however I ended up gaining all back due to my IV..so it was nothing but Water weight. I started off desiring the lap band, but I heard about all of the complications, and switched to the gastric sleeve. My doctor informed me, that he made it very small..and I believe it. just drinking 1 oz of water , feels like I went to a buffet and pigged out. I hope it gets better because I don't want to be dehydrated again. I know my weight loss will be a guarantee with this type of restriction, and I have noooo hunger nor desire for food since Tuesday ..4 days ago. Today I will attempt a Protein drink, and see what happens. I do notice a change with my stomach, crystal light pink lemonade gives me alot of gas pain, but it wasn't like that before and my drink can't be icy cold but luke warm. Cold drinks give me stomach spasms...but not painful. I'm still painfree yayyyyyy...so far since my sleeve date ...I have lost 10 lbs in 4 days. So I am excited about my new beginnings once my healing process is over. Does anyone have the same problem or did before and what did you use for gas. My pepcid does ok, gas x ok..??? Sheri

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope you are feeling much better now. I'm really not sure why you haven't had any replies about your condition. Erosion is one of the main causes of having the band removed. Maybe you could re-post in the section of October 2009 (maybe there are others in your month who've had the same troubles) or in previous months.. It is odd they haven't replied here. I hope you manage to get everything sorted. I have had MAJOR troubles with my band in my first few weeks.. from port flipping 180 degrees to infection to inflammation of my oesophagus ..and all in the first 6 weeks!.. I've been banded for 18 months now and have lost 50 pounds. not as much as I'd like but it is easy to stray and forget the rules.. I was offered to have my band loosened so I could enjoy my vacation last summer.. I was MORTIFIED.. NO WAY!.. I told my doctor.. "you don't understand.. my friends and family.. they EAT!.. and I have no willpower.. I NEED my band! '... So as you can tell.. with all of my complications.. I love my band and it has certainly helped me from GAINING anymore weight.. I just need to refocus on my goal and start following the rules again.. otherwise my dear band may have to be taken out due to neglect and abuse!.. take care and let me know how you get on!.. :thumbup:

Jacqui, normally I don't disagree with you. You are usually right on with everything you have to say. I have heard of this though. I have heard of people who have been banded and for one reason or another, want to have the band removed and have a different WLS. They are usually people who can't tolerate fills due to esphogeal spasms. But when they go in to remove the band, there are complications to the point that they can't have a different surgery. I will have to e mail a friend of mine for more details. She is an Operating room nurse. She is the one who told me about this.

Beth, erosion is a RARE complication. It happens in a teeny number of cases - the stats vary but they're uniformly low. But alarmingly, lower for some doctors than others, so you would want to speak to your own doctor about this and get a clear picture of it. You are absolutely correct - you have more chance of dying of an obesity related disease than of having major complications with this surgery. Complications when they do occur are not nice, and they can be very serious and they CAN leave lasting damage to your body. But of those small number of erosions that occur, people dont always end up damaged and unable to have further surgery either - people also heal completely and get rebanded several months down the track, or convert to toher surgeries. The way it is being discussed here makes it sound like a common, everyday event which is not the case. However, these things should be known by people considering the band. Put in perspective there can be complications or unexpected outcomes for ANY surgery.

Vent warning! So, yesterday I worked my last shift at work, I have the weekend and the holiday off normally, then Tuesday I am off for another doctors appointment (unrelated). Surgery is Wednesday. I am ready. A little nervous, but mostly excited and anxious to get this done. Hubby is home for his normal day off. All he is doing is giving me crap about the unnecessary surgery and how I can lose all the weight if I just diet more and walk at least 5 miles a day. He conveniently has forgotten that I gained all the weight when I hit 40 and was doing EVERYTHING RIGHT! Including also walking EVERYWHERE. He also conveniently forgets all my failed diet and exercise attempts and how my health has been steadily going down hill with the weight gain. Or how many times he has helped to sabotage me. He is TRYING to be supportive, but he is berating and mocking me at every chance he gets. I know this is his stress talking. He is so afraid of surgery and he thinks of this as an elective/unnecessary procedure. HIS surgeries have complications. Mine are always fine thus far. I see it as a necessary procedure to help me regain my health. Anyhow... he was awful this morning. I finally got angry and nearly broke down in tears. When that happened he finally got his **** together and said he is supporting me. If he wasn't supporting me he would now have gotten time off of work to help me or drive me to/from the hospital. But that doesn't change what a jerk he is being. Just so frustrated! And of course, time feels slower now that I am so close. Need to move the clock forward. I desperately want to get past the surgery so he can stop freaking out and I can start recovering!

I had my surgery OCt. 18. No complications or problems so far with the band, however, 2 of my incision sites will not heal and are wide open and deep. Luckily I work in the hospital so a PA has been looking in on me and checking my incision weekly for infection and the wound clinic has been keeping them clean and covering them. But its been six wees and they are still not healed and now I am having severe pain. ANyone else had this happen? Any suggestions?

Wendy, So sweet of you to post and leave such a positive message for me. I really appreciate this! As for losing weight on my own, I am totally focussed at the moment and that hasn't happened before. I know I can do it! 60 pounds isn't really that much and what else would I do in the next two years?. I still have to eat right anyways whether I have the band or not. I know a person who got the band in January of this year and she's not losing that much weight. She's disappointed! She's lost almost 35 pounds since her surgery and she has another 120 to go. (Wow) She hasn't had any complications, so that is good. I believe in God and what I've read on the forums about the complications and troubles people had with the band I know God was whispering with that little voice in the back of my head that I shouldn't do this surgery. Some of the stories got me real scared. I know God is a loving God and only wants what is best for me considering my heart condition. My appetite has greatly decreased in the past month and I believe this is an answer to my prayer. I prayed and asked him to help me with this weight problem because I cannot do it alone. I need him to give me the strength and motivation. I believe this is the way he wants me to do it and I am A okay with that! :D I feel so content and happy! Best of luck to you as well. Hugs, Christina

I am 12 weeks post of and doing well. No complications. This past week I started developing gas pains in my shoulder when I eat and they are PAINFUL. I experienced these directly after surgery but now they are back 3 months later but only when i eat. Has anyone experienced this?

I hope it wasn't me you were calling "a little judgy." I was just giving the OP some important information about eating with the band that can help her avoid complications. My eating history is just as full of poor choices and bad habits as everyone else on this forum!

Hi all. I had the sleeve done with a local doctor back in December, but this post isn't about me. A friend of mine had the sleeve done in Mexico (Jerusalem Clinic, I think? Dr. Ponce de Leon) back in October, so she's about 4.5 months out. Everything fine until about 2 weeks ago, she got sick. Typical flu-like symptoms - fever, unproductive cough, tired, no appetite.. 2 days in she started getting better but strangely started to become nauseated. Still not eating at this point and barely getting in enough fluids, she became dehydrated and went to the hospital to get an IV. Made an appointment with her PCP last week and he scheduled bloodwork to see if perhaps it was a viral infection. He prescribes her antiviral meds and anti-nausea meds. The week continues and she is feeling worse - nearly constant nausea, any attempt at eating (and sometimes just taking her pills) ends in vomiting. Even the occasional 'nothing in my stomach but still end up vomiting/dry heaving'. Fast forward to this afternoon at the bloodwork followup, she's now two weeks without really eating anything and not keeping down anything more substantial than a small glass of orange juice or Water. Doctor finds nothing off in the bloodwork results, she's very drained (obviously from not having any nutrients), and what's more worrying is that he can't even get a blood pressure reading after multiple attempts (again I presume due to lack of nutrition and being dehydrated yet again). He basically told her she had to go to the hospital, it was not an option. So, she's now at the hospital getting an IV to rehydrate and I believe she will be admitted so they can figure out what exactly the problem is. I'm putting this out there because I wanted to see if this condition rings any bells with the community. We don't know if her problem is related to some general illness or if it might be connected with her VSG surgery. It just seems odd that it would suddenly present itself 4 months out on the tail end of being sick. The only thing we could think of is that perhaps her heavy coughing during the first couple of days could have caused a problem of some kind. (Sudden leak?) What's odd is that it's just nausea. I know there's lots of talk here over leaks, strictures, gall bladder problems, etc but she has no abdominal pain, it's just nausea all the time and an inability to keep food down. My other concern is that since her surgery was done in Mexico, she doesn't have a surgeon familiar with her surgery who can get involved in her diagnosis. She's at a pretty good local hospital but as far as I'm aware, no one at that hospital does the VSG, so I don't know if VSG complications is something they will give much focus to or even be aware of. I'm tempted to call my surgeon (who is in another town/hospital) but I suspect they would not give any kind of medical advice or even their opinion without seeing the patient. So based on the above, does this sound like something that could be a complication from VSG? Has anyone had (or developed) nausea 4+ months out after an uneventful recovery period? Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.. like I said it could be completely unrelated to VSG, I just wanted to see what the community might have to say about it.

I was sleeved 1/29 and I'm down 33 pounds including pre-op diet. I'm thrilled that I've had zero complications and I love my sleeve but I'm stalled and a little frustrated. I get all my protein and fluids easily and probably too much exercise! I know it will pass and will just continue to do my best but its hard!

My name is Knapptown and I have just completed my Lapband surgery on 5/29/14. A little background - I am a 45 yr old male 6'3 - former football player. My weight had been gradually increasing since I laid my helmet down in 1994. When My career was over - I weighed 295lbs. The month prior to my operation - I weighed in at 355lbs. Although the weight I picked up in 25 years was just 60 lbs.... Carrying 295 lbs as a football player @ 25 is VASTLY different from carrying 355 lbs as a 45 year old man. I had no interest in carrying this type of weight into my late 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. So I maned up and banded up. I have several complications that go along with obesity - low back pain, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and a host of others. Furthermore, I am in love with food! Not just the eating part, but the pageantry that goes along with dining. Fun to me is a 4 hour dinner at a great restaurant with 20 friends. But a week after my surgery I can already tell you it was the best decision I ever made. I am down 20lbs in one week and I realize that I have completely embraced this new lifestyle.

Heya everyone! I am about 12 hours away from the actual time of my surgery tomorrow morning, and I am terrified. Even though I am in the program at a Center of Excellence and my doctor has an amazing success rate with an incredibly low rate of complications, my anxiety is still through the roof. I adhered to my pre-op diet and all the testing I had to go through came back A-OK (my PA told me that I am, and I quote, "a healthy fat kid"), but my mind keeps racing with all the "what-ifs". How did you veteran sleevers deal with your pre-op anxiety, if you had any? Also, is there anyone else getting sleeved on or around tomorrow (December 9th)? I'd love to have some surgery buddies! Lots of huggles to everyone! ~ Polara

Okay so, I called insurance in November 2012 and again for the 5th consecutive year I was told NO we do not cover weight loss surgery or anything to do with weight loss period. so my DH and I decided we would pay out of pocket. I'm excited and am getting surgery in 8 days, guess what.... now my insurance will cover, BUT I have 6-8 months of hoops to jump through to see if I qualify. My Husband says lets just get it done he doesnt want to fight with the insurance, and so sweet he says to me, you have waited so long and worked really hard you've earned just getting it done, we've saved the money and theres no guarantee that the ins. will pay any way. I won't lie, I don't want to wait, but I worry now if I pay for it out of pocket, if in the future there is a problem leak, slip etc... will my ins refuse coverage cause I didn't get it through them? I'm curios if anyone here paid for their band and didn't wait for insurance and still have them help later if there was a medical emergency or complication with the band? Or do I bite the bullet and atleast try to go through my insurance even if it means waiting another 6-8 months? I know it's my decision and in the end only I will know for sure what I should do, but I need opinions from people with experience, PLEASE help me out what do think/know? Thanks for help!