Has any one had the lap band surgery? I am interested in getting it, I do have high blood pressure and sleep apnea and found out that my medicare and medicaid will pay for it but only if I have theses health problems and well as my mbi being 38, please help if you have had a lap band and if it works get back with me,

First of all, you have to contest your hmo's ruling if they turn you down as a candidate and give them all of your reasons for needing the surgery. (They already know though but it seems to get some attention for some to make them see their urgency.) Here is a list of obesity health concerns that the lap band can help end or curtail dramatically: depression, back ache, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, high blood pressure and diabetes.

I am in the new MOVE (lap band) program at the Fayetteville Veteran's hospital and they want to see that you will try to "modify" your diet... not crash diet, exercise (with low impact/isometric type) bands... it ain't so bad. I believe that most HMO's do not want to give you that surgery just because you do not feel like working to save your life. They also do not want to put you and them through that procedure only to have you gain your weight back in a couple of years. Last you can't have drugs in your system.

Folks who have a better medical plan than say... medicaid, medical or medicare should not have any problem as long as they pass the ekg and the shrink quack's questions... "I am a good candidate because"...

There are sites i.e. Surgilite who offer medical loans as long as you do your research.

Last, but not least there are a couple of doctors in Tijuana, Mexico who actually trained some of the best lap band surgeons in the U.S. who offer packages for surgery in TJ. The packet includes: flight to a San Diego, CA hotel, surgery, and the lap band checkup to see if the band has slipped about a day or so after the procedure.

A lot of the medical, surgical loan companies only request that you have a 550 credit score. The only hitch is to make sure that if you are filing out those forms use the utmost caution in giving your personal information on the net. You may just want to ask particulars and then request a form via snail mail.

Good luck

I have all of these depression, back ache, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, high blood pressure but I'm not diabetes. And my BMI is 38.6

My doctor told me that I did not have to have all of the symptoms but enough to ruin the quality of my life!