Sugarbear

Hi. I am working on my insurance ect. so I might get banded also. Where are you getting your surgery done? I have a friend that got banded a month ago and is doing great. no problems whatsoever. I guess you are on the liquid only diet now? Do you get a salad once a day? Just wandering what your pre-op diet is like. Different doctors do it differently. Good luck on the surgery and Merry Christmas.

What was the difference in cost between the hospital and surgery center, if you don't mind me asking. I have chatted with a couple of others that are interested. Thanks

Hi Kim. You may have me mixed up with someone else. I am not banded yet. But I have been looking into it for a good while. But there are many that have been banded for a year and many more that have been banded for much longer. Many will tell you the ups amd the downs. It seems like that the most that have trouble ( not all) know why they had the trouble. I have a young friend that has been banded for a little over a month and she is doing fantastic. BUT she is following the drs. orders to a perfect T. After all the reading I have done, that seems to be the key.

I haven't been banded yet but I am waiting on insurance approval. Check out the post from "hippmom" a little further up in this thread. She said she saved a few thousand by going to the surgery center. You might ask her more about that. I have never heard one negative thing about Dr. K or Dr. H. in Texarkana. If I get to do the surgery I am going to ask for Dr. K, the lady doctor. I just think I will be more conforatable, and tha'ts who I prefer. I think everyone like them both. If you have any questions just ask, the bandsters on this site are great to help in any way.

No, I am not banded. I have been looking into it for some time now. My drs. have sent letters to my insurance, which doesn't want to pay more than a fraction of the cost. At this time my case is under review. I don't know how long that will take. If I were to get banded I would probably get in done in Texarkana.

Thank you Hippmom for the reply. Have you had any problems or just having trouble getting the proper restriction? My insurance doesn't want to pay but about 20% of the cost. I am working on that. I can't afford it without help from the insurance. I didn't realize it would be less expensive at the surgery center than out-patient at the hospital. I don't think people have to usually stay over night.

Thanks for replying, and Happy Thanksgiving. Can you tell me about your lap band experience ? How are you doing with it? Did you like your surgeon, ect? I am dealing with my insurance now about the surgery. I have been to the seminar, but that's it.

Hello. I am from sw arkansas. There are seldom any replies for Arkansas. I can tell you that the surgeons in Texarkana, TX charge about 16,000. Or at least that was one of the amounts I read in the past year. Good Luck

aNY BANDSTERS FROM THE TEAM IN TEXARKANA?

Thats Strange. I Thought The Team In Texarkana Was Extremely Busy Doing Lapband Surgery? Yet No Replies?

I would like to hear from some Texarkana Bandsters about their experiences. re: doctors, pre and post surgery, and how things are going for them now. I am considering the lap band.

I have been here before but it has been a long time. My insurance didn't want to pay much for the lap band surgery so I just had to forget it. Couldn't afford it. Anyway someone sugested I appeal to my insurance for a review of my situation, (health issues). I have, and two of my doctors have written letters also. I have Arkansas BCBS. Has anyone ever done this and had the insurance change their mind and approve the surgery and pay for it? It's my only chance of getting the surgery.

Texarkana, TX has a husband/wife team that do the lap band at Wadley Regional Medical Hospital. Also (further) is Little Rock, AR

why would they approve the by-pass instead of the lapband?? I have read of this several times. Maybe you can explain their reasons to me. I am sure they must be valid but I just don't know what they are. Thanks

Hi Delarla. You sound very determined and I have every confidence that you will succeed! Just hang that outfit where you can see it all the time. You will have to post a picture of you in it for all of us to help you celebrate when you wear it in March. Once upon a time when I dieted and loss quite a bit of weight, I found that walking really helped. Once I got used to it I hated to miss it. Wish I could get back on that track again. Just can't seem to work up the will power. That is why I was considering the band. I used to walk a minimum of 45 minutes. I mapped me out a path and walked away from my car for at least half the walk, that way I couldn't cheat and had to walk back to my car to go home. The walking really help increase the weightloss. Good Luck to you!!

Hi Delarla. I am not banded but have been researching it and have attended a seminar ect. Sorry the band didn't work out for you. Do you think you would get rebanded after you heal. I have noticed that there are several post about erosions to patients of Dr. Lopez. Maybe not more than anyone else but it seems like I have read several by his patients. Not as many by that other one, Dr. Kuri, (as far as the MX doctors go). I think you are right, if you paid for the band, you should get the band. The drs. that put them in should be able to tell if they are defective when removed. They are supposed to be trained in all aspects of the band. Surely they give them a good going over before they put them in? Good luck to you what ever you decide to do now that you don't have the band. I have read about so many problems, I am getting cold feet.

Hi Penni60 I am so glad you are doing good. hang in there with the healthy eating, you sure don't want to gain back what you lost. How much was that and how long did it take? Will you get rebanded when you heal? I think they say about 6 months. Where will you do it if you decide to do it again? Sugarbear

Hi Wannabealoser. I will definitely keep you in my prayers. The doctors in Texarkana appeared to know what they were talking about. We mostly got to hear him, she was in surgery and only came in during our question and answer session. I want me and my husband to get banded at some time. We found out our insurance pays a very minimal amount towards the surgery. It is my understanding the hospital (Wadley) won't give any break to self or nearly self pay, also the doctors give a little break, if I understood correctly. I talked to someone in their office. Don't recall the name. I would have to come up with about $13,000. I know it is worth it but still have to come up with the cash. I hope you do well with your surgery. It is my understandin a lot of it has to do with following your doctors instructions to a "T." Take care of your band. Good luck. Please keep me posted on how everything went. We still want to do it, but it might be a while longer before we can swing it. (one at a time).

For some reason I am getting replies and questions about tztmamas bill of $75,000 for her surgery. Don't know how that happened? Anyway it was certainly too high. The banding cost that I have heard of and researched has been about 16,500. (With the exception of Mexico). Even at 16 to 17 thousand is pretty stiff when your insurance is willing to pay next to nothing. My said "up to" $4,000. Sorry for the mix up tztmama.

Penni, how are you?

Most of the surgery cost I have cheked out is around 16,500. Hospital, doctor and all. That is in Arkansas. (USA)

Thank you for the reply. My insurance coverage for the procedure is very limited. Then on top of that the coverage would be less because it would be out- of-network. I am planning to get a letter of medical necessity for my husband and myself. We are both considering the lap band and have attended your seminar. When we get the letter they will be sent to our insurance along with a letter from me. I hope our insurance will consider this surgery more seriously than they obviously do now.

:phanvan Haven't been here in a while. Still considering surgery but have now found out my insurance is going to pay very little for the surgery. I am going to write a letter to them along with a letter of medical necessity. Hope that will help. They make me sick sometimes, after what we pay for it and then they want to pay practically nothing! I am wondering how much difference there is in cost between the doctors especially if they know you are self pay or nearly self pay? I am also wondering how Penni is since she had to have her band removed?

We sure don't have much going on in Arkansas with bandsters do we? I am not a bandster yet but I am working towards that by the first week or two in Jan. I thought there would be more info comming out of Texarkana, that is where I attended my seminar. So sorry about Penni having to have her band removed because of erosion. Wonder what all causes that? I think I have the right Penni. I read the post but maybe it wasn't the same one on this thread? That is kinda disheartening and scary to someone who is trying to get up the nerve to do it. I am learning a lot on this site. Any more info would still be appreciated.