Laparoscopic Gastric Banding (LAP-BAND) is a form of surgery for those who are obese. Its advantages are that it is less invasive than gastric bypass surgery and can be adjusted. Selection of a surgeon to do your LAP-BAND procedure should be made carefully.
Instructions
Insurance Restrictions
1. If you have health insurance coverage, your first task is to review the plan document to see if LAP-BAND surgery is a covered expense. Your health insurance card may list an Internet address to where you can access the plan document online. If not, call the insurance company and request a summary of benefits or plan document. Also ask where you can obtain a list of surgeons approved in your plan. This can be your launching-off point.
2. Begin with the yellow pages under the heading "Physicians," "Surgeons" or "bariatric surgeons" if you are without health insurance and will pay out of your own pocket for the surgery. Another source of information may be a number for a physician referral service at your closest or favorite hospital.
3. Get on the Internet site for ObesityHelp.com. This site will give you information on various types of bariatric surgery, a place to get questions answered, and comments and reviews on local bariatric surgeons. This may help you narrow down your list of surgeons.
4. Call the office of your local medical society. They may be able to give you information on local surgeons, such as where they were educated and whether they are board certified. Other sites on the Internet will give you this type of information for a fee. Check that the surgeon is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
5. Narrow your search down to several surgeons. Call to make an appointment and ask if they are accepting new patients and if they require a referral from your primary care doctor. Ask to be sent descriptive information about their office policies and the surgery. Request new patient forms so you can complete them in advance and bring with you on the first visit.
6. Interview the surgeons to obtain information and see how comfortable you are with their bedside manner and attitude toward the obese. Ask how many LAP-BAND surgeries they have completed successfully, about possible complications, how booked up they are for surgeries and whether they have a patient support group. Also inquire about what percentage of their surgery time is taken up with bariatric surgeries. Have them outline the type of pre-operative tests they require and whether they will require sign-offs by other specialists.
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