NewSho

Wow, I read that and thought "who has open enrollment in February?" I was really interested - that's very unusual. It happens of course, but almost all major insurance companies make their large company clients have their open enrollments before the end of the year so they can get their enrollees registered in time for the first of year. And yes UHC is the best of the national major insurance companies, most likely. (By the way, for those in the Massachusetts area - Tufts Insurance has been voted the top insurance company in the nation. This is measuring qualities like of customer service, satisfaction, patient care, claims, etc. ) Honestly though the MOST important thing is finding out whether or not your specific employer (or your spouse's employer) has an EXCLUSION against obesity-related surgery. Exclusions are negotiated with company to company - and major insurance companies like UHC are putting a lot of pressure on their clients (the employers) to no longer cover obesity surgery. So it's worth checking your policy details (boring documents, but worth reading) for specifics about obesity. Nana - So for right now, sounds like you're locked in with Aetna. I'd try to keep the pressure on them - it's a new coverage year so it's worth really digging in and trying to continue your fight with them. I know it's not easy but try and see if your husband's HR department will be of any assistance - a quick call from the employer's HR dept has been known to 'unstick' a lot of insurance company red tape. Good Luck.

I'm not a patient of Dr Garth (called that because there is also his Dad, who is a renowned surgeon) I've heard excellent things about him. Methodist Hospital is new to Weight Loss Surgery as a whole (they resisted a long time before finally realizing this was not a trend but a whole new way of approaching Obesity) but they are building a good program from what I've seen. Dr Garth has a good reputation, but I've only met his RnY bypass patients. I honestly can't remember meeting one of his LapBand patients but both Dr Garth Davis and his father (also a surgeon at Methodist) have impressive resumes & reputations. Here's a link that I use about their program & Dr Garth: https://www.methodisthealth.com/cgi-bin/hmdim/home/healthTopic.do?pageTypeId=536890449&channelId=-1073825535&action=EN&contentOid=1073821675 Good Luck!

Hello, Jack (and other LBT members) I recommend MSN Groups - there are tons of Specialty Groups specifically dedicated to Plastic Surgery patients & those interested in becoming a patient. Of those groups, I highly suggest checking out the Plastic Surgery Experience Groups (I think there are 3 or 4 in that series of groups) as those are focused on Before & After surgery photos & experiences. All you do is affirm that you are over 18 (these are medically-oriented photos ) and apply for membership. You might want to mention that you are a member of this board - and that you are a LapBand patient researching Plastic Surgery.

Trisha, There used to be a Baytown Support Group previously so there is a large community of Banded folk there. Here is what it used to be: San Jacinto Methodist Hospital 4401 Garth Road (off I-10 East at Garth Rd exit) Baytown, TX 77521 On: First Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. - in Classroom B Hope this helps!

Hello. I just had a Tummy Tuck this past December. So you're not about to have a TTuck or scheduled for one, but you just want to see how others' have done? I probably wouldn't be much help but maybe others have more comprehensive (from pre-op to 6 months to 1 year Post Op) pictures available where you can see the full progression. In my experience the only real estimate you can get is if you gauge with those whose start weights/build/height/medical background/activity level is similar to yours. And even then one person's experience might not necessarily mimic yours - our bodies heal, form, and adapt in different ways. (A Size 14 patient with no kids might have a completely different result from a Sz 14 patient who has had large babies or a set of twins. Even if they are the exact same weight, the surgeon might approach their Tummy Tucks differently...) There are a bunch of great online resources about Tummy Tucks and Abdominoplasty and I'd be glad to point you to some links that show tons of Before's and After's to peruse. So although I'm a recent post-op, I am still healing and I doubt my photos would be of any interest or help to you. Now, I've do have some basic information on getting insurance approval that might be helpful whenever you're ready to start that process. Good Luck on this journey.