Has anyone else been told this?

[mrs_jim 0]

I have just gotten started in this whole thing.I have at least 6 months of dieting supervised by a doctor before the insurance will ok anything. I started out with the seminar where they discussed banding, sleeve, rou- en-y and gb. I decided to go for the banding and made my first appointment. Then I was told that at my size, 330 and 5'2" with a bmi of 60 that with banding you onlly lose about 100 lbs and since that would leave me still classified as morbidely obese he wouldnt do it.(this was his assistant) then he tells me that its a bad choice for me and that I need the rou-en-y procedure. was anyone else told that you wouldnt lose over 100lbs with banding?

[pstroud100 1]

Hey, I was told by my doctor that if I had a BMI of 50 or better that he would not do the lap band on me. I was right on the edge. My BMI was 49. I am not sure why he didnt explain it to me. I have seen people on here talk about having to lose weight before they could be banded. Maybe some of them can offer words of wisdom.

[ssflbelle 829]

I have an BMI of 59.6 and my Dr stated I was a good candidate for the lapband and he would do it. Which surgery does your Dr do more of the rou-en-y procedure or lapband. Sometimes I have heard that the Doctors don't want to follow up with all the fills that are needed with lapband patients. Many have lost 100's of pounds with lapband and I wouldn't let him tell you want he wants you to have. It is your decision and if he will not do lapband see if you can find another Dr who will. What do the rest of you think?

[losingjusme 12]

i started at 5'9" and 402.5.. i've lost 160 so far (now pregnant)...

i dont agree with the doctor. if you put your mind to it, you can do it. (fyi - i exercised 6-9 times a week when i lost the most)

good luck

[snowbird 2]

My daughter has lost 127 lb. She started at 318 and is 5'4".

I don't know if there is a limit to what size stomach a band will fit around. Does anyone know this? I was told that the surgeons always/often pare away excess fat around the stomach to place the band. My daughter's boyfriend got a 4 cc band (before the 10+ cc bands were common) and he has lost 165 lb without a fill; he is contemplating revising to a larger band as he has some issues with being too tight even with no fill.

So I don't have any answers for you, only a couple of observations.

[ladyd 0]

when I went to the seminar I was told by one doc. I was a great

candidate for this procedure.(which by the way is the one that i feel

more comfortable with) When I made my appointment and saw a doc

in the practice, that particular doc. felt that the lapband was not for me. That I should consider the bypass because I would benefit more from it than the LB. I told him that it has taken me a very long time

to make this decision and that I felt that the LB was best for me no matter how the results where for others. This is what I want to do and I Know that I can do it!!!!

[ladyd 0]

That is your body and you should be the one to decide what you

want to do with it. He works for you.

[elisa 0]

I am going in tomorrow thursday 8/28 and my bmi is 49 they havent daid anything about it. He has banded people 450 pds,

[alisamrc 0]

I talked about the banding v bypass surgery. My doc said that some insurance companies will only pay for bypass for people with higher BMI's. He told me that he does not agree with this. He said that studies have shown that initially (within the first 12-18 months) bypass patients lose more weight, but that at about two years bypass and bandinf even out so that both surgeries lose about the same amount of weight.

[Stewy929 0]

I had a starting BMI of 58. i'm 5'8" and was a 374lbs when i went in. My dr just asked me why I wanted the band vs bypass I told her my reasons and she was fine with it. She also said I would make a great canidate. I did all of my preop testing and all of it came back normal. I met with my nutrionist who put me on a 1500 calorie diet where i lost 8lbs. I went and saw my surgeon one last time on 10-30. She was happy with the -8lbs but wanted me to start my preop diet that day. (70g protien no more than 30g carb per day). She wants me to lose at least 15 more lbs to get my BMI at 53. Try talking to your dr. If they do not agree to do the band I would go see another Dr. It's your body. You decide!

SNOWBIRD ~ My dr also told me that another reason to lose as much weight as possible was so she could fit the smaller 8cc band around my stomach instead of the 10cc band. She said with some of her larger patients she has to use the bigger band and as they lose weight they will have to have another surgery to go to the smaller band to reach the sweet spot.

[Dragontech 0]

Not sure what rou-en-y is, never heard of it, but my starting BMI was 50.6 and my doctor thought I was a perfect candidate for LapBanding especially since the reason I got so big is that I have a weak "full" response and ate LARGE portions. I am 5'10" tall and started at 351lbs. That weight was on 09/02, now, 11/12 I am 318, 33 pounds down. If the doctor is trying to dictate what type of gastric surgery you should have, especially if it's because what he prefers to dom or because he doesn't want to provide the follow-up necessary in ALL procedurs, then it is DEFINATELY time to find another doctor. They should be a partner in managing yur health, not a dictator. YOU have the final say in any decision. Even if a surgeon says you should not have this, unless they can truly document WHY, find another who will do it. And I have read many accounts of people loosing upwards of 150 pounds so anyone who says you'll only loose 100 either is trying to sell you something else or is uninformed.

[Julia_N 2]

My doctor recommended the bypass instead of the band because I am a little older and have several co-morbidities. He thought I would get healthier quicker with the bypass. After I thought about it, I decided on the bypass. I won't have to bother with the fills and waiting to hit the "sweet spot."

[missypshep 0]

I started out at 62 bmi and had to loose weight for the band. I have now lost 120 pounds and still loosing. It is a lifestyle change. You have to exercise. I chose the band because if I wanted to eat a piece of cake or some ice cream, I can. I just make sure that I get right back on my routine and dont punish myself for eatting the wrong foods sometime. Dont get me wrong, I basically eat very little and very good. but if I want a piece of fried fish, I have it. I may only have a half piece but I have it nonetheless. Remember,EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL. I work out 3 days at the gym and I ride a bike in my neighborhood 3 days a week. I rest on sundays. I am consistently loosing between 2 - 4 pounds per week sometimes more. I suggest you find another doctor who has compassion.

[PrincesaJenE 0]

I was told this by my doctor. He said that the Lap band is for someone who only wants to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was very discouraged after that visit - so discouraged that it took me 18 months to pursue the surgery again. I'm 7 weeks out and I've lost 25 lbs. Imagine where I'd be had I done this 18 months ago. I've heard that bigger patients actually lose more! I've also heard that GB is better at the beggining but after about 18 months to 2 yrs its all the same. I would see another doctor and discuss this with him openly.

[ladyd 0]

I was told this by my doctor. He said that the Lap band is for someone who only wants to lose 40 or 50 lbs. I was very discouraged after that visit - so discouraged that it took me 18 months to pursue the surgery again. I'm 7 weeks out and I've lost 25 lbs. Imagine where I'd be had I done this 18 months ago. I've heard that bigger patients actually lose more! I've also heard that GB is better at the beggining but after about 18 months to 2 yrs its all the same. I would see another doctor and discuss this with him openly.

Hi, My doctor wanted me to have GB due to my size but I knew what I wanted and wouldn't give in. I had my LB surgery on Feb. 3, 2009 and have lost 51 pound as of today and I really feel great. I watch what I eat and walk daily. I have a long way to go but I don't feel like I'm fighting a losing battle anymore.