Had enough. Newbie needs info.

I have decided I want surgery. I'm 5'7 and weigh 340 lbs. Before I was too afraid because I have bad reactions to anesthesia, but with the lap band surgery I think I can handle it. I've tried everything else. I am tired all the time, have sleep issues, can't walk well, and I just want to live a normal life. So I have some questions maybe some of you folks can answer or have had experience with. 1. Anyone ever had any dealings with Fed gov Blue Cross and B. Sheild? They say they cover Gastric by-pass but do not specifically state that Lap band is not covered. Anyone have any experience? 2. Which doctor's in the No.VA area do the Lap Band Surgery and participate with BC/BC? 3. Anyone live in Manassas area and already had Lap Band? I want to get surgery soon. I know there is usually a wait, anyone have info on what kind of wait? This is a big decision, and I have a lot of fear about it, I just don't want to fail again. Thanks for any info you have. Jacquie

Jacqueline, I live in Manassas, but after much research I chose the Gastric Bypass(my date is 12/5). I have Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Choice, its an HMO but I had an approval in 4 days. Dr. Moezzez is my surgeon, he is a wonderful man. He does the LAP-BAND as well LAP-RNY. His website is www.metrobariatrics.com Hope this helps...let me know if you have any other questions. -Courtney

welcome jacquie, i do know they will cover rny and you will get approved very quickly. as far as lap band goes i dont know. i dont however have a good favorable of the lap band you don't lose the weight as quickly and don't lose enough weight either.nor does it make you change you eating habits which got us all there in the 1st place. just my opinion though. 2. i dont know the anwer to this as i had my rny at uva sorry.. hope i was a little help to you take care and i wish you the best of luck... Holly

Jacquie Not sure about NVa area, but I disagree with Holly respectfully. I had the lap band in April of this year, I have lost over 80 lbs and have changed my eating habits. I highly recommend the lap band and welcome anyone to read my post on my profile. HOlly is right though no matter what surgery we have it requires change in our bad habits in order to be successful. I personally believe that everyone is unique in there own journey no matter which surgery. Stay positive do some searching and go with your heart, and when you make a decision make sure that you are ready to do your part as well. God Bless and good luck. Keith

Jacquie, Have you done all your research on the Lap Band ? I see where your BMI is really close to what mine was pre-surgery . I had the RNY and very happy with my results . I do understand that everyone has their own reasons for choosing their surgery types , I just want to make sure that you fully understand all that the lap band brings. There are many that are successful with it .. and some who fail miserably . Not to say that there are those that fail at the RNY too . I just want to make sure that everyone that comes to the decision to have WLS fully understands each surgery .. remember you are the consumer . Please if you need more information on the RNY , I have great information for you . Just remember what ever Surgery you choose is your decision and we are all here to support you . Best Wishes , Natalie

Jacqui, Most of us on this board have had RNY and are very happy with it. We mostly chose it over lapband which does have a reputation for losing weight more slowly but if you do not change your eating habits you will put it right back on again. With RNY it is very difficult to outeat your surgery - that is not to say it can't be done but there are usually consequencies. I had BCBS Fed and got approved for RNY in 4 days - but I don't know if they cover the lapband. I would suggest you call the number on the back of your card and they can tell you if you will be covered or not. As for surgeons, I had Dr Halmi in Woodbridge and think he is the best surgeon in the world! He has a support group that meets the first Thursday of every month. The wait will depend on the doctor's office and if yor insurance has any pre-requisites. Please do not rush into this surgery until you have had time to study and research it fully as it is a big decision perhaps with life altering changes that you must be prepared to make. Jackie

I am a federal employee and have BCBS Federal as well. I was told that the only requirement to getting gastric bypass surgery was to be 100 lbs or 100% overweight and that they did not cover the lap band. I had Roux en Y surgery about 3 weeks ago. My advice is to call BCBS and talk to someone to verify what is and is not covered. My surgeon was Dr. Moazzez at Fair Oaks and he was wonderful and so was the hospital. Lots of luck!

Thanks for the response. The reason why I want the lap band is because it's reversable and because I do not do well under anesthesia. My blood pressure goes INSANE after being under. It takes me a full week or more to recover from the effects of anesthesia. This is the reason it's taken me so long to decide to do this. My understanding of the lap band that it usually takes a shorter amount of time to insert. I had my gallbladder removed and they had to stop the procedure 2x to get my blood pressure under control. I also had cervical cancer, and each procedure, the drugs to put me under did a serious job on me. My problem with eating is that I am hungry all the time. I have tried several diets including Very Low Calorie Diets where I lost the 100 lbs etc., but gained it back because of the constant hunger. I was reading about the folks who gained back the weight or had problems losing after their procedure. It seems they went back to bad habits. However, if I'm not hungry I don't usually eat. One thing that seems to work but is hard to do on a continual basis for me is lots of fiber. If I take it, or eat lots of it, my eating is curbed. However, it takes a lot of fiber to fill me up. (I chew fiber tablets and have them as snacks in my purse for emergencies) What I am looking for is absence of hunger as much as possible. For example, if I have a good bowl of oatmeal and some protein for breakfast, sometimes when I get busy, I will find that it's 4PM and it dawns on me that I forgot to eat lunch. If I don't have the time to eat a really super breakfast then I am hungry as all get out ALL day long and eat everything in site and go find what isn't in site. So my theory for myself is that if I an keep busy and I do not have hunger pangs, I am not likely to overeat my surgery. Also for as big as I am, I work full-time and I am active. I put on this last 40 lbs because I broke my darn foot and was layed up for a while. Couldn't do much of anything. I don't hate exercise so as soon as I am able I will be likely to start exercising again. I got the cast off last month and just started water-walking at a local pool. This x-mas my husband will be getting me a Dance, Dance Revolution game, which I hear is addicting and a great work-out without having to go anywhere. (I love dancing) So, while I know that the other procedures make you loose weight faster, I am too afraid of dying on the table. I will be talking with BC/BS tomorrow about the lap-band, I was hoping they would cover it because of my documented problem with the anesthesia. I am looking at a doctor in Reston, VA and am going to his seminar next Friday. If BC/BS won't cover the Lapband, I'll go for the other procedure but I really am hestitant to do something that can't be reversed. It scares the daylights out of me. I'll let you all know what the insurance tells me.

I had open RNY with Dr Halmi and was in and out of the OR in an hour. He does lapband now but can do open RNY. I believe Dr Arnez's office still do open RNY too where they can have you in and out in under an hour..... so that way you would not be under anesthetic as long. I heard a friend of mine say she was going to be banded but her insurance, BCBS, would not do her lapband so she changed to RNY. I am not sure if her insurance was the same as mine or not.... Jackie

Well, I'll see if they cover it. I think when people don't react to the anesthesia, the doctor can do the procedure quickly, but with me, it's the blood pressure boiling over that makes them have to stop, wait for it to come down, then restart. My gallbladder removal should have been over in less than an hour and it took 4 hours. They almost just left it in. I have the Federal BC/BS insurance which doesn't say anything about a lapband as an exclusion to coverage. Usually, they will out and out state in the coverage/benefits book that a particular procedure is excluded but LapBand is not listed specifically or excluded in my coverage book. So I will find out more tomorrow when I call them.