Call your insurance company and ask them the following question: “I am considering having an operative procedure performed whose CPT code is 43644 (roux en Y), 43770 (Lap-Band®). Is this procedure an exclusion on my group policy?”

If it is an exclusion then surgery for obesity is not, nor can it become, a covered benefit. If you would like a more information concerning the cost for the Lap-Band please call our office and ask to speak with Brenda Fisher.

Even if surgery for obesity is covered, to qualify you must:

• Have a body mass index of 40 or more, or a body mass index greater than 35, if you also have significant medical problems. Calculate your body mass index
• Be 18 years or older
• Weigh less than 400 pounds

Finally, stop smoking! The risks of anesthesia are greatly increased if you are actively smoking and it takes about a month for the lungs to recover. Stop now! If you do not quit, or cannot quit, your surgery will likely be cancelled.

The path to surgery typically takes two to three months after your first clinic visit. Each individual is carefully evaluated for all related medical conditions. This often require special studies and occasionally consultations from medical specialists.

Only after we are completely satisfied that weight loss surgery is right for you and that both you and we are fully aware of associated risks will we proceed with the scheduling of surgery.

Patient Manual Index

• Introduction
• Questions to Ask Your Insurance Company
• Your Health Care Team
• Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
• Lap-Band Procedure
• Path to Surgery
• The First Clinic Visit
• The Second Clinic Visit
• The Third Clinic Visit
• Preparation Instructions for Surgery
• Day of Surgery and Postoperative Stay
• Hospital Course Following a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
• Hospital Course Following a Lap-Band Procedure
• Post Surgery Follow-up Care
• Potential Complications of Roux-en-Y Bypass Surgery