Afterglow

I dont understand how Inamed would name any doctor as its "top surgeon". What does that title mean; is it just that he'd done more lapbands (and thus used more Inamed products) than anyone else? And was this honor bestowed by an Inamed official in writing or by an employee who happened to be fond of that doctor because he banded her mother?

I was banded by Dr Spivak in November and I agree with every compliment about him that's been posted. He wont tell you how great he is (as opposed to how Dr Spiegel is) but he's really amazing. I didnt find that Dr Spivak pushes bypass at all. He's one of the best bypass surgeons in the country so, if you're going to have bypass, he's the one to go to. From what I've read, Dr Spivak is a bit less expensive than Dr Spiegel, but I'd have chosen Dr Spivak regardless of the cost (I was self-pay).

I used Capital One too. They have special financing for surgeries like this. I applied online and had to put down the name of the surgeon so I used the name of the doctor I wanted. At that point I hadnt even contacted him. I got my online approval the next day and the surgeon's office called me right away because Capital One faxed them the approval too. I had my consult in the next couple of days. I didnt have to sign any financing forms until after the consult, when a surgery date was set; the surgeon's office had everything ready for me to sign and they took care of sending the paperwork to Capital One.

<p>I agree totally with Alexandra. Several people on this board have posted they like the fact that Mexican doctors dont require as much pre-op testing as some American doctors do. In addition to a cardiac workup, my doctor required an endoscope instead of the barium x-ray that most people get; at first, I was a bit upset about the hassle but I came to appreciate the fact that my doctor was ensuring that I was healthy enough to undergo the banding. </p> <p> </p> <p>I was self-pay and I originally planned to go to Mexico. However, the concern about finding good local aftercare made me decide to use an excellent local surgeon. The cost (including testing) was more than twice what it would have cost in Mexico and I had to take out a loan that means I wont be able to replace my 10-year old car for a long time. However, peace of mind is priceless.</p>

There's a Houston Bandsters list on Yahoo; in addition to support posts, they meet monthly. There's also a Houston list on this forum.

I think Mousecrazy's observation is right on the money. My heart goes out to you, Laura, especially because it sounds like there's always a reason nothing will work for you. That mentality is bound to make you even more depressed and might be one thing your doctor was referring to in the evaluation. There have got to be some good things going on in your life; you have your mother to help you (stop focusing on the fact that you think she shouldnt have to do so; you have a nice house (stop focusing on the prospect of losing it); etc. I say this out of caring and concern for you. I've been "down" like you in the past and I know how hard it is to get "up" but please try to focus on the positive aspects of your life. As Mousecrazy pointed out, some people have a need for focusing on the negative; it gives them a reason not to try difficult or different things but it also keeps them locked into an unhappy existence. You're intelligent and bright and you deserve more out of life. Go for it!

I'm a Aries and patience is not one of my few virtues. Here's my timeline: 10-31-05: First learned about Lapband on an eBay discussion board. Stayed up all night researching it on the internet (and, yes, I had to go to work that day). 11-01-05: Applied for financing. 11-02-05: Financing approved. 11-04-05: Attended Lapband seminar and had consultation appointment. 11-07-05 thru 11-11-05: Pre-surgery tests (gastroscopy, x-rays, heart) 11-21-05: Got banded. Let me say that, had I depended on my PCP, I'd still be waiting for the surgery. I had to schedule an appointment with her during the week of pre-surgery tests and she was totally against the banding (due, I'm sure, to a lack of knowledge about its success and relatively few complications).

My banding cost was $15,000 which wasnt covered by isurance. I'm hoping the pre-op testing was covered by my insurance but I had to pay more than $1,500 upfront in co-pay for the tests. If the insurance company turns me down for pre-op testing coverage, I'll have to ante up another $4,000+. I'll be paying this off for years and years but it's worth every penny.