After 6 months I finally chose- basic questions

[Chlo0oeeee98713 6]

Hi guys- after debating for 6 months and meeting with someone about the esg and then someone about the sleeve, i am deciding to go with the sleeve. I am 255 and my normal weight is 150. Im 33 yrs old. Ive shopped around and seen 2 surgeons and I am scared that neither are good enough even though i mean they both have good reviews. I compared the referrals they gave me and one wanted more blood testing done than the other, etc. One does the egd the same day as surgery. One office admin. Was more responsive but my gut was telling me to go with the other surgeon. Im not sure why.

the surgeon i want to go with (im now indecisive) said if my insurance wont pay for it can i? I have cigna and meet the requirements but now am scared they arent going to submit the correct paperwork to have me approved. The surgeon i decided not to go with wrote up a much better referral.

im seeing all the dcts and have a follow up mid august- what happens after that???

[GreenTealael 25,096]

I have to say Im happy you choose the VSG over ESG. Every time I see someone post about ESG, it’s always about insufficient weightloss.

But to your question, All things being equal, I would go with the surgeon with the best supporting staff because they will be with you long term. They will see you more and help you more often than the surgeon who you may see twice pre op and once post op if your surgery is uncomplicated.

Normally after all the required testing is done, your case will be submitted to your insurance for approval. Once approved they will schedule you for surgery. In the meantime you can double and triple check your coverage to make sure your policy does not have a bariatric surgery exclusion, that the hospital and surgeon you choose are in network, what your copay will be, etc. Bariatric surgery so routine now that they can usually predict an insurance outcome unless you skip/don’t fulfill a key step.

Good luck!

[Chlo0oeeee98713 6]

ohh wow thats so smart to check if the surgeon where the hospital he is affiliated with takes my insurance…how did i not think of that.

i am just scared the doctor wont submit the correct documents for cigna to approve me just because of the comment he made how i would be a great candidate but if i had To pay out of pocket could i. Im tempted to see another place but that may be foolish of me?

did you have to stay over one night?

the guy i think i want to go with also said as long as you are eating a balanced meal, you dont need Vitamins and ive done so much research that contradicts that

[catwoman7 11,151]

3 minutes ago, Chlo0oeeee98713 said:

the guy i think i want to go with also said as long as you are eating a balanced meal, you dont need Vitamins and ive done so much research that contradicts that

most VSGers do take Vitamins. There's at least one person on here who no longer has to take them, though - but she wasn't told she could stop until she was a few months out, I think, and had had normal labs (i.e., blood tests) for a while.

[Arabesque 6,970]

4 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

most VSGers do take Vitamins. There's at least one person on here who no longer has to take them, though - but she wasn't told she could stop until she was a few months out, I think, and had had normal labs (i.e., blood tests) for a while.

I ‘m one who doesn’t. Stopped them with my surgeon’s approval at about 8 months. Mind you I only had to take a multi Vitamin from my surgery & a Vit D for a couple of months. Had very regular blood work (about every 2 months) which was consistently good. They continued to monitor with 3 monthly blood work which continued to show I didn’t need the Vitamins. 5 yrs out, still monitored, bloods every 6 months & still no need for vitamins. The only thing that was picked up due to the regular testing was that I drop a little in Vit D in winter (makes sense cause I hate the cold & hibenate or wrap up completely then) so I take them just in winter. Probably always did drop a little then.

[FifiLux 354]

I have no guidance or experience to offer for the surgeon selection aspect as I went through the public insurance system where I live and once you go to the obesity clinic and they accept you (high BMI etc.) then the government takes care of the costs for pre-op testing, surgery, post-op tests and consultations. I did get a list of their surgeons to pick from, which I did and met her a few months out but then she didn't do the op for some reason and no-one ever had the decency to tell me, I only found out after the surgery!

For the Vitamins I was told to take the special bariatric ones just for the first year and then after that it was ok but if anything showed up in future blood tests to possibly start taking them again. I am only a year on from my surgery so I have decided (for now) to continue with the batch of bariatric vitamins I have at home and then just switch to basic over the counter ones going forward and not panic if I miss a day or three!

[NickelChip 1,113]

7 hours ago, FifiLux said:

I did get a list of their surgeons to pick from, which I did and met her a few months out but then she didn't do the op for some reason and no-one ever had the decency to tell me, I only found out after the surgery!

Oh my gosh, this is really surprising! At my hospital, they took me into a pre-op area about an hour before my scheduled starting time, where I chatted with the surgeon and was introduced to every member of the surgical team, even the medical students. How disconcerting to have a last minute switch you didn't even know about!

[FifiLux 354]

16 hours ago, NickelChip said:

Oh my gosh, this is really surprising! At my hospital, they took me into a pre-op area about an hour before my scheduled starting time, where I chatted with the surgeon and was introduced to every member of the surgical team, even the medical students. How disconcerting to have a last minute switch you didn't even know about!

Oh I know but then nothing about my op went as planned from start to finish.

They all probably thought someone else had told me but no-one had and so far I have been too polite to raise it as a question or complaint but I will one day when I feel comfortable but at the moment I still have various different appointments with the team over the coming months so will wait.