Has anyone used Dr. Leino of Global Medical Solutions Dominican Republic?

[kwilliams 0]

I am scheduled with Dr. Leino in June 09 for lapband. I am nervous going out of the country and would love to hear from other patients. Thanks!

[stephleon 0]

I got banded in Mexico. I made the choice to get banded out of the country because of the price. It was the only way I could afford to get banded. So my husband was a little nervous about it. He is from Mexico and said the problem with doing any kind of surgery out of the country is that if something goes wrong, no one will claim responsibility. So I investigated a lot on the surgeon and bought refundable airline tickets in case I didn’t feel comfortable once I got down there. I hated thinking that something could go wrong, but it could whether I do it in the states or not. But I did have to realize that if something serious happens in Mexico it would be very different then in the states. I also realized afterwards that it is much harder to get a fill. Lots of doctors won’t touch people that have been banded out of US because it’s a huge risk for them to take over your care. I do not want to discourage you from doing it, just some things to think about. I do not regret getting banded and everything went just fine.

I found out afterwards that there are a few places in the US that do this surgery to close to the same price as outside the US. I am not sure how much you are paying but it might be worth looking into. One place is in Seattle, WA (the name has escaped me) where I was told by the doctor through fill center that it’s about 11k. There are other places too. If you search through Google for self pay lap band in us some things will come up.

No matter what your decision, educate yourself. You need to feel comfortable about your decision and be educated so you can ask the right questions.

GOOD LUCK!!

[kwilliams 0]

Thanks for your response. Were you able to research your doctor at all? I am not having much luck finding board certification type information in the Domincan Republic. The surgury is $7650. They work with www.fillcentersusa.com for fills and there is a location local to me. In some ways I would prefer a bariatric center for the fills, but I am aware of what you say--that they may not accept me as a patient. Did you get a fill while you were in Mexico or did you wait until you came back to the US? Thanks again.

[stephleon 0]

Thanks for your response. Were you able to research your doctor at all? I am not having much luck finding board certification type information in the Domincan Republic. The surgury is $7650. They work with www.fillcentersusa.com for fills and there is a location local to me. In some ways I would prefer a bariatric center for the fills, but I am aware of what you say--that they may not accept me as a patient. Did you get a fill while you were in Mexico or did you wait until you came back to the US? Thanks again.

I was able to research my doctor a little before getting the surgery. I did research a lot about what to expect and I talked to their office many times before going down there. I scheduled my surgery for 2 months out and continued to research and educate myself. Then when I got down there, I went a lot on gut feeling. I paid 7K and my understanding is they lowered the price even more due to the economy. The surgeon I had has the best bed side manners and all the staff are soooo accommodating. They made me feel at ease and he came in and explained everything to me and showed me the band (still in sterile packaging) and went over everything with me. He made sure all my questions were answered. He was great. I am really glad I did it. They have followed up with me many times. I thought maybe once I was done and they got my money they wouldn’t give much after care. Not the case. I have talked to them and asked them questions over the last 3 months. They are just as nice now as they were before getting the surgery. I am very glad it all worked out for me. I have talked to others that had it done at this place and there were 3 other people there when I got there. 2 had surgery the day before and 1 was getting it the same day as me. I had the chance to talk to them and it made me feel better about it all.

I don’t know much about the Dominic Republic so I am not sure how to get the information. I also get my fills through the fill center.

Let me know what you decide. Good Luck to you.

[clbybee 0]

I am going to be getting the surgery in about 11 weeks and was wanting to know how both of you are doing.. Where are you getting your fills and how much. I live in Portland, Or..

[stephleon 0]

I am going to be getting the surgery in about 11 weeks and was wanting to know how both of you are doing.. Where are you getting your fills and how much. I live in Portland, Or..

I am doing great. I am losing slow and study, just the way I wanted. I am using a Nurse practitioner named Sheila. She is located in Salem and I make all my appointments through Fill center USA. The fills and consultation appointments cost $165. If I just want to have a regular visit with her (no fill/unfilled) then it costs $85. There is another person that works out of Eugene that comes to Portland once or so a month. I was having a hard time making her schedule work with mine so I went through the Fill Center. It has been working well for me. She is really nice and has worked hard to make things work for me too. Hope that helps and good luck!!