just starting out research!! need advice!!

Hello everyone.
I have come to you all for help because I fell like I cannot do this alone. I am new to Lab Band surgery information, so I am needing a little bit of guidance. My first reaction would be to go to my PCP and see if he has any recommendations for surgeons. Also, I found out that my insurance does not cover the surgery, so that is something to be thought about also. 

Does anyone have any information on where I should start?
The help will be so greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks so much,
Maddie

Maddie, you may be feeling disappointed that you haven't got any replies! Try again, putting in the title that it is insurance help you want.

People may be not answering  because we have so many threads asking for advice about whether to have the lapband and it tends to spark silly surgery wars! So people often don't answer!

I'm not in the US so can't help! But the usual way from what i read on here is to go to seminars put on by surgeons in your area.

Kate

 Thanks a lot Kate! I am new to this site, as you can see :). I appreciate your help!

Maddie:

Check out hospitals that are accredited as Bariatric Centers of Excellence and see which surgeons operate there. Take your time and do alot of investigation to understand what work a lap band or other wls involves. Its alot of work and the weight doesn't just drop off. Go to  patient education seminars and go to several of them in your area to get an idea of which doctors you feel more comfortable with. Make sure your surgeon /hospital has support groups. As a self pay, surgery and hospital/Dr Anesthesia can cost up to $30,000 be sure you negotiate a package that includes post op visits and fills for at least 1 year preferably 2yrs and doctors do give discounts to self pays.. Fills are expensive ($150-$1000 depending whether its done in office or under xray) and it usually takes 6-12 fills along the way. Lap bands requires a lot of followup visits and fills that cost add'l to the surgical procedure. You may want to invesigate having a different weight loss surgery that doesn't require as much aftercare expense.

Read everything you can about weight loss surgery (WLS)  and really understand what it involves. Finding this website is a good first step but be informed. Are ready to commit yourself into following wls surgery regimen? Remember WLS does not guarantee that you will lose 50-100+ lbs or that you can keep it off. The gastric band is just a tool and you still have to eat less, exercise more to lose weight. Have you exhausted all other non-surgery weight loss options? Good luck!