DO I NEED A NEW DR

[brittney24 0]

HI MY NAME IS BRITTNEY. IM VERY NEW TO THIS AND STILL HAVE ALOT OF QUESTIONS. I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE... DO I NEED A FAMILY DR TO REFURE ME TO A SURGEN OR CAN I FIND ONE MY SELF? IM ASKING BECAUSE TODAY MY NEW DR TOLD ME THAT MY BMI WAS TOO HIGH FOR THE LAP BAND AND HE THOUGHT I COULD LOOSE IT ALL MYSELF WITH DIET AND EXERCISE OVER A 2 YEAR PERIOD. I TRIED TO TELL HIM IVE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND IM JUST BAD AT IT AND IT DOESNT WORK FOR ME. SOO, DO SURGENS NEED UR FAMILY DR'S RECOMINDATION OR CAN I JUST FIND A SURGEN ON MY OWN AND FIND A DR AFTERWAEDS FOR FOLLOW UPS?

[abqann 3]

It kind of depends on your insurance coverage, if they require referrals or not.Check int centers of excellence in your area for a good program. I understand how frustration it is for one of your Drs to tell you to loose weight the normal way. My pulmonoligist told me I did not need WLS and I should buckle down and do it the old fashioned way. I would not care but he is the guy who signs off on my ability to have anesthesia ( i have asthma) so I am a little worried about it.3I also know that these decisiond are between you and yur doctor. Just thought I woul give my perspective on it..**** Luck.

[Humming Bird 275]

If you use insurance they call the shots. You have to do a long list of things and every ins. seems to differ. If you have ins., it is worth jumping through all the hoops. You could also find a new PCP if need be.

In my case, I have no insurance. I went straight to the lapband surgeon and was banded 3 weeks later.

[Kimmypoo38 5]

My insurance requires a PCP referral with 6 months weighloss record. Luckily I see my PCP faithfully every year and inbetween. All my insurance needed from him was 3 yrs worth of weights from my visits and I didn't have to do the 6 month weighloss because I told him over the past about all the diets I have been on. I would call your insurance company and see what their requirements are. If you need a referral from a PCP, then find a new one and maybe join Weight watchers online or in your neiborhood. This will show your PCP that your serious and help you kickstart a healthy lifestyle. Once you get past that hurdle, then you find a surgeon and they will have another list of testing and counseling that they want you to do. Its a tedious process but well worth it in the end.

[Damander 11]

The bariatric seminar I attended said people with BMI over 50 cannot get the band, and the gastric or sleeve is recommended.

I would tell your DR to still refer you to a surgeon because they will be able to tell you yes or no and if your dr refuses, then seek another dr

[Jewel28 5]

I didnt need to get a referral from my pcp. I went through True Results a center that specializes in the lapband they set up everything for me all I had to do was show up for my appts. But I did share with my pcp and she was happy for me. Btw my bmi was over 50 I was never told that I couldnt get the lapband.

[honk 780]

I think you need to speak with a surgeon. Many general doctors are anti weight loss surgery. I had a BMI of 57 when I starting this journey. My doctor said I needed to loose 10% body weight before surgery; I ended up loosing 15%. The question is really not can you loose a large amount of weight but can you keep it off. I lost 100 pounds TWICE during my teen years only to gain it back. I lost 100 when I turned thirty and gained it back. I was always an all or nothing dieter. Meaning super low fat/calorie diets. After a year I just could'nt take it anymore and I would start adding back in pizza, french fries, hamburgers, etc. While I don't really miss most decadent foods; I allow myself to have occational treats. I CAN have birthday cake at a family party once every 3 months. I just cant have it every day.

[brittney24 0]

thanks everyone for your replies!

[Dibley Dawn 84]

The bariatric seminar I attended said people with BMI over 50 cannot get the band, and the gastric or sleeve is recommended.

it's absolutely not true that you can't get the band with a BMI over 50. My BMI was over 58 and I had no problems having the procedure. I also didn't have to lose a percentage of weight before being banded. The only weight I lost before being banded was caused by the liquid 2 week pre-op diet.

[pugsx3 39]

My PCP tried to talk me out of the procedure, and fortunately I did not need a referral from him to go to a surgeon. When I contacted the surgeon, he was very encouraging and motivating, and had no hesitation at all about doing the surgery. I started out with a BMI over 50, and was not required to lose any weight before surgery either. I did have to do a 3 week preop diet, and lost 24lbs in those 3 weeks. The surgeon also required that I get medical clearance from my PCP, and when I saw him for the clearance, he tried to talk me out of it again. I simply stood firm and told him that this was a tool that may or may not help, but I owe it to myself to try because although I've been able to lose weight in the past, nothing I've done has kept the weight off. I just couldn't find a down side to having the surgery.

I'm now a 3 weeks post op, have lost another 12 lbs, and am thrilled to death. I've got an appt to see the PCP tomorrow, because I think he needs to drop one of my BP meds. I'm getting light headed and dizzy if I move to fast, which he warned me would happen. I had a follow up scheduled with him for November, so I'm more than 6 weeks ahead of schedule on that. I can't wait to see if he's still as pessimistic about the surgery now!

[Damander 11]

it's absolutely not true that you can't get the band with a BMI over 50. My BMI was over 58 and I had no problems having the procedure. I also didn't have to lose a percentage of weight before being banded. The only weight I lost before being banded was caused by the liquid 2 week pre-op diet.

Hey, I am just saying what I heard my surgeon say in the seminar. In no way am I a Dr-just relaying information.

[Dibley Dawn 84]

i'm not gonna shoot the messenger since your doctor said it. but he was lying. Just because he isn't personally able to do it doesn't mean it can't be done. I don't want anyone to have wrong information.

I had one of the best surgeons in the country do my surgery and if he had said that it couldn't be safely done, i wouldn't have done it.

He has done this surgery on people who weigh over 500 pounds, so he was pretty confident that it would work for me. i am well under that number.