[Jerry]

I will be seeing a dr in June, i have been reading some of the questions...I was wondering ...do you have a choice on what type of WLS to have or is it strickly up to the doctor? Or does it depend on how heavy you are , and what kind of shape your in?

[DocSanae]

If you go to a surgeon, you may not have a choice, if the surgeon does only one type of surgery, which is the case for some surgeons, while others are trained to do several types.
If you go to a bariatric center with a number or surgeons, you are likelier to have a say in the choice, as they probably have surgeons doing different types of prodedures.
That said, basically, which type is best for you will depend on what issues you have, and how much you need to lose, so even if you have decided what you want, it's a good thing to keep your mind open and receptive to other ideas, until you get all the facts you need, and your dr has all the facts the dr needs.

[fr1endly2]

WELL for me it was my choice. BUT i will add when i started looking into the options on my own before seeking a surgein i was thinking to do the lap band figureing the bypass surgery was just too risky and much. BUT after discussing fully with my surgeon i felt i wouldnt have lost enough weight with the lap band and then the bypass became a wiser option for me based on statistics.
AS far as having an open of LAP gastric bypass procedure sometimes surgeons dont offer lap verses open so its not the patients choice its
what the surgeon does.
GOOD LUCK
and my your deicsion process go well.

[LittleLisaMarie]

ok my answer to this is YESSSSSS. It is your body and it is your life. Therefore you shop around until you find a surgeon you are happy with that will give you all the pros and cons of all the different types of surgeries and then together make that choice. If a particular surgeon you choose does not do the surgery that you have decided you want, then you continue to shop around until you are satisfied. If you were buying a car and you went to a certain dealership and they didnt have what you wanted , you would continue to shop around until you were satisfied. This is your body,this is your life, this is your choice. We all have the ability to choose, sometimes it means taking more time and doing more research however in the end you have to be happy with what you end up doing. Unfortunatly on the other hand there is that thing called an insurance company that tries to dictate what we should or shouldnt do. My feeling on that is fight and fight along with your doctors until once again you are satisfied.

Good luck.

LittleLisaMarie

[bren]

For me my insurance wouldn't cover the band (thats what I wanted orignally too but now I'm happy I went all the way) So check with your insurance company as well. Unless your a self-payer.