Dolittle

Being a moderator at another lap band forum, It's not often I can praise a doctor and his office staff. I just can't say enough about Dr. Watkins, Melody and the rest of the staff at Synchrony Health in Oakbrook IL. Being a Mexican lap banded patient myself, their willingness to accept Mexican patients for their aftercare is a big plus. Every time I go to Synchrony Health for follow ups, fills, support groups or whatever, Dr. Watkins and his staff go that extra mile. If your looking to be banded or need follow up care, check these guys out. So far I've never been disappointed.

I don't know if this thead is that active? There's a bunch of bandsters living in the QC area. I'm in RI. I was banded 2 years ago by Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Tijuana. If you have any questions,, feel free to email me.

I had a Lower Body Lift at Cosmed Clinic last October. Dr. Quiroz moved my port one layer deeper. It used to be between my skin and the muscle flaccida, it's still in the same spot but now its just under the muscle flaccida. That's as deep as you can go without going under your ab muscles. Just before my plastic surgery I could feel the port very easily and see it protruding like a small jaw breaker under my skin. Now,, with it one layer deeper I can't see it, but if I lay on my back I can still feel it. I have had an band adjustment since and the fill doctor had no problem finding it and hitting the target. I have no experience with the newer low profile ports. I do know that some patients once they make goal have no problems with this issue, but some,, like me,, could see the port protruding. I suggest that you talk it over with your plastic surgeon before surgery. Your plastic surgeon should be able to move the port with ease. If he can't,, you better find another plastic surgeon.

I just got back from Synchrony Health. This was the second time I've been there for a band adjustment. I can say that they do a damn good job. I can't say enough to you fellow Chicago area, Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana and Southeast Wisconsin Bandsters that this is the place to go to. As usual,, Dr. Watkins, Karen and Melody and the rest of the staff are the "BEST"! Give them a call, 630-990-2440

I just got back from Synchrony Health. This was the second time I've been there for a band adjustment. I can say that they do a damn good job. I can't say enough to you fellow Chicago area, Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana and Southeast Wisconsin Bandsters that this is the place to go to. As usual,, Dr. Watkins, Karen and Melody and the rest of the staff are the "BEST"! Give them a call, 630-990-2440

I've used Sychrony Health in Oak Brook. They even take Mexican banded patients. Which is really great. Fills are only $95. They did a great job, I'll be going back to them for my next fill

Hi Sooverit,, I looked at Dr. Rumbaut,, He's one of the Docs that took part in the lapband trials. But when I priced the airfare to Montery, that put me over the top of my budget.. I then went looking and found Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana. His clinic is called Obesity Control Center. He's one of the worlds best too. Plus its cheaper to fly to San Diego. You might want to check him out. I had my surgery in March of 2007,, I'm down 90lbs. It was one of the best/smartest things I had ever done. I love my band!!!

Being band 15 months ago somewhere else,, I was curious about Trinity's new program and went to their free lapband seminar. Their first seminar was disorganized and shakey. The second one was a little better. I found their coordinator very impersonable and somewhat rude,, or she had this attitude.. I checked out the Genesis program and found it very professional. Their seminars were very educational and organized. The weird thing was,, they charge $25 for their seminar,, but the room was packed. The bariatric program staff was great. If I had to choose,, I'd be going to the Genesis,, hands down. They seem to have it together.

I had to pay out of pocket and choose Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Martinez at the Obesity Control Center in Tijuana. They have a nice facility and great staff and one of the lowest complication rates in the industry. They even came with high recommendations from Inamed. I was very pleased. In fact,, my wife was so impressed,, she was banded 7 months after I was. So now were a bandster family. I LUV my band!!!

All us folks from the Quad city area use a great doctor named Dr. Joe Vitello. He works out of a Downers Grove hospital on Highland Ave. Here's his email addy jvituic@comcast.net He only fills patients that have had their lapband surgery done in Mexico.

If its bugging you, have them fixed. Get what you paid for. Can we ask who the PS was?

Trinity hospital of Moline Illinois had their first lapband seminar last Monday on Aug 13th. The first seminar was put on by their bariatric surgical team and the Inamed rep Sean Fitzpatrick. The seminar consisted of a power point slide show and a question/answer session afterwards. Being a lapbanded patient and a moderator on another lapband website I went to check it out. Being it was their first seminar, they did a fairly good job compared to other seminars I had been to in the past. I'm sure the presentation in the future will become a little smoother and those first time jitters from the doctors will disappear. I was mostly concerned with how they were going to treat patients that have already been lapbanded, no matter where they had been banded! There's a small number in this area that are banded and have to travel to their original surgeon/clinic to recieve aftercare. The new lapband program at Trinity is so new that they haven't done one procedure yet and questions concerning noninsured pricing and aftercare for patients that had been banded were still up in the air. I look for their program to take around six months to get up and running at full steam because of most of their future lapband patients having to wait that long for insurance preapproval. Trinity has already scheduled another seminar for next month. I'll have to attend to see if they have answers to the questions that went unanswered. I'll keep you posted.

Does anyone know if United Health pays for the Fluoroscope part of a fill? If they will, what is the insurance code for proper billing?