Advice Please!! Thinking about changing surgeons!!

[ashleyc 10]

I have been seeing preparing to have surgery and have completed all my insurance requirements.... I want to have surgery as soon as possible! My surgeon is requiring me to have a sleep study done and then IF (you know they will) they say I have sleep apnea they are going to make me sleep with the cpap for 14 nights straight before being cleared for surgery.... WELL there is another center of excellence bariatric surgery place here that DOES NOT require a sleep study that my friend works at and I could possibly have surgery with him within 2 weeks.... I am seriously thinking about switching surgeons... What would you do??

[Valentina 2,642]

I think that you need to stop and take a deep breath.

Why the rush?

If you do indeed have sleep apnea then you need to have the sleep study and possibly a CPAP. Not doing so when you may need it could damage your heart and in the end, kill you.

Now, think about just why you want to have a sleeve? Isn't to help you get and stay healthy??? It doesn't make much sense to have a sleeve now just because you can just to wind up with a damaged heart or dead, does it?

Just take some serious time to think of what and why you are doing the things that you are doing. Search deep within yourself. That is where you will find your answers.

Wishing you well,

Valentina

I have been seeing preparing to have surgery and have completed all my insurance requirements.... I want to have surgery as soon as possible! My surgeon is requiring me to have a sleep study done and then IF (you know they will) they say I have sleep apnea they are going to make me sleep with the cpap for 14 nights straight before being cleared for surgery.... WELL there is another center of excellence bariatric surgery place here that DOES NOT require a sleep study that my friend works at and I could possibly have surgery with him within 2 weeks.... I am seriously thinking about switching surgeons... What would you do??

[ashleyc 10]

If I have the sleep study and am required to sleep with the cpap it will probably kill my chances of having surgery with this surgeon anyway. My insurance only covers 70% of the cpap machine and I will not be able to afford the other 30%. Which will ensure NO SURGERY for me!! So the time frame thing is not my only reason.

[new_beginnings_ 16]

Ashley, I know what you are going through because I went through it with Dr. Miles when I had my band surgery. Their office is pretty strict when it comes to sleep apnea and if you go in for a sleep study, more than likely, you will have sleep apnea. I have not known one person that did not have it. It took me alomost 3 months just to get my sleep study done and get my results back. It cost me a small fortune to rent a CPAP machine just so I could have my first surgery. I'm not saying that sleep apnea is not serious but I know if I had it, I did not really suffer with it like some of my other family members. As soon as I had my surgery, I sent the machine back and have not worried about it ever since. My husband says I don't even snore and he has never heard me stop breathing while asleep. I'm not sure how your insurance works but Dr. Touliatos' office at Trinity did not require a sleep study for my sleeve surgery. I have United Health Care and had NO problems. I had my band removed and sleeve done within a month of my initial consult. You are required to meet with a nutritionist, physical fitness, and psycologist but they are in the same office which makes it so easy. You also have to attend a class before your surgery. There is a program fee of $300 which covers your follow up appts for 6 months. Honestly, I have had such a great experience with their office, compared to Dr. Miles and Schmitt, I would recommend them to anybody. I hope this helps and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

[Valentina 2,642]

I hate to be the Party Pooper here, but I can not state strongly enough--HAVE YOUR sleep STUDY. sleep apnea is NOT a "forget about it" issue. My SO denied he had it for years. Finally when he ended up in the hospital with CHF, he had a sleep study done. Not only did he have sleep apnea but ignoring it for so long seriously damaged his heart.Sleep Apnea is a silent killer. One may not have ANY symptoms that they remember. Meanwhile your heart is being damaged. I say what is the point of rushing into having a sleeve to improve you life, just to cut that same life short by refusing to wear a CPAP at night?

Think about it. If it's the cost of the CPAP, call around: Catholic Charities, your local hospitals, your insurance company, your doctor's office, your sleep study department, medical equipment wholesalers, medical supplies stores.

It also might be that you may not need a full CPAP. You might just need some O2 at night. That you can get with an O2 take, regulator and hosing. --and once you lose weight you may lose the sleep apnea.-- Not always, but sometimes

PLEASE, stop and think about it...

Valentina

Ashley, I know what you are going through because I went through it with Dr. Miles when I had my band surgery. Their office is pretty strict when it comes to sleep apnea and if you go in for a sleep study, more than likely, you will have sleep apnea. I have not known one person that did not have it. It took me alomost 3 months just to get my sleep study done and get my results back. It cost me a small fortune to rent a CPAP machine just so I could have my first surgery. I'm not saying that sleep apnea is not serious but I know if I had it, I did not really suffer with it like some of my other family members. As soon as I had my surgery, I sent the machine back and have not worried about it ever since. My husband says I don't even snore and he has never heard me stop breathing while asleep. I'm not sure how your insurance works but Dr. Touliatos' office at Trinity did not require a sleep study for my sleeve surgery. I have United Health Care and had NO problems. I had my band removed and sleeve done within a month of my initial consult. You are required to meet with a nutritionist, physical fitness, and psycologist but they are in the same office which makes it so easy. You also have to attend a class before your surgery. There is a program fee of $300 which covers your follow up appts for 6 months. Honestly, I have had such a great experience with their office, compared to Dr. Miles and Schmitt, I would recommend them to anybody. I hope this helps and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

[AutumnLily 77]

sleep apnea is mostly due to excess weight so if you get the sleeve done and lose the weight you will not need the cpap machine. I personally would change surgeons as you have lived this long without a problem. It seems to me that every person who does a sleep study is diagnosed with sleep apnea. Makes you go hummm. Is it being over diagnosed?

[new_beginnings_ 16]

I hate to be the Party Pooper here, but I can not state strongly enough--HAVE YOUR sleep STUDY. sleep apnea is NOT a "forget about it" issue. My SO denied he had it for years. Finally when he ended up in the hospital with CHF, he had a sleep study done. Not only did he have sleep apnea but ignoring it for so long seriously damaged his heart.Sleep Apnea is a silent killer. One may not have ANY symptoms that they remember. Meanwhile your heart is being damaged. I say what is the point of rushing into having a sleeve to improve you life, just to cut that same life short by refusing to wear a CPAP at night?

Think about it. If it's the cost of the CPAP, call around: Catholic Charities, your local hospitals, your insurance company, your doctor's office, your sleep study department, medical equipment wholesalers, medical supplies stores.

It also might be that you may not need a full CPAP. You might just need some O2 at night. That you can get with an O2 take, regulator and hosing. --and once you lose weight you may lose the sleep apnea.-- Not always, but sometimes

PLEASE, stop and think about it...

Valentina

Valentina, I agree that sleep apnea is not light matter but this particular doctors office that we are talking about sends ALL the patients to one of two sleep disorder doctors. One of the doctors is his sister and this is the one that they recommend the most. I spent a conserable amount of time and money going through the sleep study and I had NO change in my quality of sleep afterwards. And yes I did follow the doctors orders. I think this is another way for this doctors office to make money on it's patients. I have family members that have very severe sleep apnea so I know how important it is to be treated, IF you need it. I did NOT need it so I was very resentful that I spent probably a total of $500 for something that I used for less than a month.

Sleep apnea is mostly due to excess weight so if you get the sleeve done and lose the weight you will not need the cpap machine. I personally would change surgeons as you have lived this long without a problem. It seems to me that every person who does a sleep study is diagnosed with sleep apnea. Makes you go hummm. Is it being over diagnosed?

I am in complete agreement with you. Like I said in my previous post, I have never met anyone that had not been diagnosed with sleep apnea after a sleep study. Not that it's never happened, but I think it is pretty rare. I had NO symptoms and they told me that mine was pretty severe. My grandmother and my brother have it and I know what they sound like when they are asleep and I have never sounded anything like that. And the bad part about it was that I had to wait forever to get an appointment and then it took a couple weeks to get back in the office just for them to tell me I had it. Yeah I had to make an appointment and pay a co pay for me to be in the office for 10 mins so they could tell me I had sleep apnea, after they already told me during my study. I think they are exploiting people that are having weight loss surgery because they know they can.

[ashleyc 10]

MONICA!!! Thank you so much!! You have just about confirmed my decision for me!!! I have a friend who works for Dr. T. She is a nurse there. She tried to get me to go to him b4 I ever went to Dr. Schmitt. I AM LISTENING NOW!! I am out 200 bucks but at least I wont have to wait on that dang sleep study. I am calling tomorrow to get an appoint w him asap. I would love to talk to you on the phone!!

[new_beginnings_ 16]

MONICA!!! Thank you so much!! You have just about confirmed my decision for me!!! I have a friend who works for Dr. T. She is a nurse there. She tried to get me to go to him b4 I ever went to Dr. Schmitt. I AM LISTENING NOW!! I am out 200 bucks but at least I wont have to wait on that dang sleep study. I am calling tomorrow to get an appoint w him asap. I would love to talk to you on the phone!!

<font color="#9932cc">Hey, believe me I have been in your shoes so I know how you feel. I just wish someone would have talked me out of the band because I wasted two and a half years on it.