BigDavid

His Totol cost for the lap-band is $15,050.00 plus any pre-op testing (UGI, Blood work are a must. Then after he reads your blood work results there could be a few other things.) I was also self-pay it cost me right at $16,500.00 but I had extensive testing done. The avg. is probably $500.00 to $1,000.00 less then I paid. But let me tell you after having Dr. Spivak do the surgery I would not even think of using anyone else and I would pay what ever. He is without a doubt the best there is no question!!!!!! Stick to the instructions he and his office staff give you and you will be completely pleased. I was banded on 4/3/2006 I've already lost 33lbs in just 3weeks. Good Luck. Big David (soon to be little David)

First off thanks to all for the great feeddback. I should have been a little more discriptive on what I was eating. Like I said in my first posting I was at home 3 hours after my surgery and calling the dr. office to find out when I was able to eat because I was allready hungry. Yes I was on liquids for the first 48 to 72 hours ( carnation instant breakfast, sugar free Jello, sugar free puddings Ect.) Then I switched to soft foods and let me give a small briefing on how anal I can be! First off the day before surgery I went out and bought all kinds of containers 4oz, 6oz Ect. plus any and all the foods that I was allowed. Once I started the soft part of the diet I got rid of the the high caloric liquids instant breakfast 220 Calories choc. pudding 80 calories 4oz and so on. Today I went out and bought a Digital scale that weighs solids as well as liquids so I can really stay on top of things. I also want to say that Dr Spivak did really explain everything in great detail which included a film as well as the 45 minute seminar. Were he explained the difference between the two types of surgery (Lap-Band or Gastric By-Pass ) again in great detail. I was just a little unsure of which one to choose, the lap-band was always my first choice but the other one hung in there on the side lines. That is until y'all gave me the boost that I needed. Thanks to everyone it really helped me alot. BigDavid still 455lbs Houston,Texas. Dr Spivak May 3, 2006

I was banded on May 3rd one week ago today. I did not have any of the problems that some of you have gone thru, other then some abdominal pain I bounced right back. My question is or where i'm a little confused is that I thought that my pouch was only going to be between 4 and 6oz and that I was also going to feel full after I ate. Well that really has not happened and if I had not watched and counted my calories instead of not losing pound one ( I was the exact same weight one week later as I was when I weighed in for surgery) I would have gained weight. Now I know that the band is a slower process then by-pass surgery, But I'm a 455 lbs man so I really though that I would have lost some weight in the first week. I'm just a little worried that maybe I should have done the by-pass surgery instead. Insurance did'nt cover any part of the surgery I paid for the whole thing in cash, and at 47 I just don't want to have made that kind of a financial mistake. maybe I'm reading to much into this first week thing.Anyhow if anybody has some uplifting advise I sure could use it. BigDavid Houston,Tx Dr. Spivak