How did your doctors feel about you getting a Gastric Band?

[sphynxmomma 0]

I have an appointment with my doctor today to talk about it and I’m not sure how she will react???<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[juliegeraci 7]

All of my doctors were very supportive, especially my OBGYN. How much do you have to lose?

[sphynxmomma 0]

I'm 230 right now and I'd like to be down to 160 so I guess I'd like to lose 70 lbs

[gkeyt 0]

My PCP told me, without me even mentioning that I was thinking of surgery, "I don't believe in weight loss surgery." So I never discussed it with her. Luckily, my insurance did not require a letter from my PCP, so it didn't matter in that respect. It was kind of a bummer, though.

[wannabthin 0]

I was very nervous to tell my Dr. When I did tell her I told her that I was nervous about telling here and that I didn't think she would approve. She told me that she was very happy that I got the band. She made me feel like I made the right decision.

[Hastings 3]

My PCP was very supportive. She had done a residency in bariatric surgery. If your doctor doesn't support you, maybe you should find a doctor who does.:tongue:

[betrthnever 107]

I switched to my mother's Dr office - one of the reasons (and there were a few others) being that my previous Dr didn't believe in the surgery- only to find out that the new Dr didn't believe in the bariatric surgery either! I never bothered to ask him for the letter. So I haven't even seen him for almost 6 months now. Sooner or later I'll have to see him but oh well it was my decision no matter what. Good thing I have a childhood friend who's a Dr and who was able to write me the needed letter of recomendation for the surgery.

[snowbird 2]

My daughter researched the band and approached her PCP about it. When she told him she wanted to have the band surgery done in Mexico, he said he could not medically agree with that or support her. Then he started doing research into lap band in general and her Mexican surgeon in particular, and changed his tune totally. He now has recommended lap band to other patients and uses my daughter as a reference.

when I decided to get the band, I just switched to my daughter's doctor, as she had already schooled him! He supported my decision to be banded, helped write up referrals for insurance purposes, and has been an enthusiastic rooter for both my daughter and me.

[SpecialK 22]

My PCP was totally against gastric bypass but was only lukewarm in supporting my decision about lapband - hoped she could talk me out of it but knew I needed to lose weight to get healthy.

[Jennie1976 1]

My doctor didn't like the idea at all, but he still provided me with the letter I needed and all the tests I needed to do the surgery.

My last doctor didn't like the idea either, but that was before the lap-band. He worked in a bariatric center and had seen too many people with complications from gastric-bypass. But, he was the BEST doctor I ever had, and I often wonder how he would have felt about the lap-band. Unfortunately, I don't have Kaiser anymore, so I had to change doctors.

[GayleTX 1]

My cardiologist suggested wls to me.....then when I went to my PCP for a referral letter he said he'd do it....then wrote a letter saying he didn't think I needed it, I should just 'try Weight Watches.' He hardly knew me and then he lied to me and then I left him! So my cardiologist wrote the letter. I got my current PCP when I'd already gone thru the pre-ops....he didn't approve, didn't understand anything about it. Two years (and a 160 lbs later) he hardly acknowledges what I've accomplished. I've taken him literature but he just doesn't seem interested.

[Kalipso2 25]

my doctor has known about my weight problems and had tried to help by prescribing Meridia at one point. i went in for my annual physical and brought up my interest. she was very supportive and said she'd send over any information that would be needed to the surgeon i choose.

now, at my first free seminar, the surgeon admitted he preferred the results of gastric bypass than banding but he knew that banding was more affordable and the recover time better. someone asked him how many bands he had done. his answer was ZERO. i walked out.

[ssdown 0]

If your doctor is not pro gastric, find one that is. Ask the people at your gastric office who they might recommend!

[sphynxmomma 0]

The appointment went as I thought it would. She said she did not know a great deal about the procedure and she recommend that I NOT get banded due to the fact that I'm young (32) and should exhaust all my options prior to doing this surgery. She told me to really really think about it and would refer me to a weight management clinic if I liked. She told me that if I DO decide to go through with getting banded she would support me 100% and would look after me the best she could and to never fear coming to her just because she didn't think I should do it. She is a wonderful doctor, I've been with her for 20 years. So that is how it went incase anyone was wondering....thanks for all the replys.

[suecasb 0]

My PCP and his staff think it's great that I'm getting the band. They are all anxious to watch my progress.