New to the site

[Parisblues 0]

Hallo.

I am new to this site and to the idea of a lap band procedure.

I live in the Phoenix area. I went to a lap band seminar just the other day (my first one), but the costs of the procedure in the USA are out of my league.

I am not health insured, and if I were, I would not be qualified, as my BMS is about 33, but I have no other health issues but being overweight.

I wonder if anybody would recommend a clinic in Mexico or a doctor that is affordable, but still does a great job, also with the after care, within reasonable means...

Any suggestions/ Experiences?????

[TerriDoodle 6]

There is an entire section of the forum devoted to doctors and hospitals, so I suggest you start there. There are doctors in the US that will do the procedure for less than $10K.

The most important thing to consider when having your surgery away from home is after-care. You have to do your research BEFORE you get banded to make sure there is a doctor in your area....ideally less than 2 hours away....who is willing to take you on as a patient for the after-care. You will need adjustments to your band regularly for the first year or so and need to have a reliable doctor close by if you have any issues or problems. Most people need an un-fill urgently at some point in their experience. Also need to research what they charge for the aftercare....seems like they charge a LOT for outside patients....so make sure you are clear about that. Also need to find out what their schedule is for after-care. Seems like many doctors dont have much time for doing fills...which I don't understand, but seems to be the case in some areas. They should be scheduling fills at least 2-3 days a week with an adequate staff. One girl I know has a doctor that does fills one-HALF day ONCE per MONTH! Needless to say, she has a very difficult time scheduling adjustments and is very, very frustrated with her doc.

Hope this helps!! Good luck to you!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

TerriDoodle raises VERY good points. There is a person a few posts above yours who had her surgery done in Mexico, can't go back (or surgeon is gone) and now her port is leaking and no one will help her. US surgeons don't want to take other patients because of malpractice or for whatever reason. The band is for life; you need long term care and maintenance with it. There are USA surgeons (ie one in Aurora Colorado) that charge less; that may be an option (but you are still out of luck if you have an emergency and your surgeon is hours away)

The surgery, for life, is about the cost of a small car. Are you worth a Kia? If you think you are, finance it and have it done near where you live. You'll be glad, in the long run, that you did.

[Parisblues 0]

Dear Terridoodle and RestlessMonkey,

thanks for the fast response. I will try to find out more here about hospitals , costs etc....

Maybe I am lucky and find a doctor in the USA that is reasonable....

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Good luck. I know it's hard to pay thousands more for something! But you may be able to hit a good balance between cost and follow up care. When you first get banded, if you are like me, you don't realize just how important that follow up care is! But I'm starting to realize that I will likely always need access to fills etc, because as we change the band changes! There is a doc in Aurora CO who does the surgery for about 10K and his last name starts with a K...kirschenbaum? Something like that. That MAY be an option for you. Just remember you are worth it! And many surgeon's offices have information on financing. Good luck! I know you'll make the best decision for you, whatever it may be!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

There is a category called "doctors and hospitals" or something like that...navigate to "home" and then look down the left hand side. You may find info you need there! :thumbup: