butterfly723

Yes, they did the surgery with me showing up as 22 lbs lost. But like I said, their scales are off (someone else on here mentioned the same thing). So I was actually only 16 lbs down according to my scale. One of Choi's patients on here only lost 15 lbs, as well. But she was a good 25 lbs lighter than me. So for all I know, he might have only told her to lose that amount. But like I have read others say, it isn't so much the amount of weight you lose, but that your liver shrinks. So I would think that as long as you aren't cheating on the diet, even though the pounds aren't dropping off, the liver is still shrinking. Prior to surgery, the last weigh in I had was with the nutritionist. And it was only 12 lbs at that point (his scale was the same as mine at home). He was a bit concerned, since I was only a week away from surgery (and Choi said to lose 20 to 30 lbs). He said Choi's office would call with pre-op instructions the day before surgery, and would ASK my final weight over the phone. I found that a bit weird, because if he thought it was so important, why wouldn't they have made me come to get weighed in person, right? But when they called, they didn't even ask. I told them anyway, and they didn't seem to care. LOL

Strax quoted me $10,999, but I ended up paying $10,000. Reason being, I was initially considering going to a doctor in Ocala (Jawad), who at the time quoted me around $11,500. This price included fills and aftercare for 2 years. Strax charges $250 for fills. So when I told the coordinator at Strax, about the price Jawad's office quoted during my consult with them, and brought up that his deal was better because the fills were included, they then dropped the price to $10,000. There are 2 other people on here who I saw paid $10,500. So I think they try to match or beat the best price you have been quoted elsewhere. Also, I was given the quote from Strax in October. Their quotes are only good for two weeks. But once you put a down payment, the price is locked in and they will let you make payments. So I put $4500 on Care Credit in October, made a few payments in between, and paid the balance off in February with my tax return. Around the holidays, I received e-mails from them, advertising the band for UNDER $10,000. But since I had already had my quote and surgery date, it didn't apply to me. So if you can stick it out until the end of the year, maybe you can get it for under $10,000.

Regine, I'm an LPN and currently in an RN program. I do some of my clinicals at Memorial, and didn't even realize Dr. Choi worked there! :smile: So much for my "research", huh? LOL Anyway, I read your post asking about whether or not it is normal to be scared. Let me tell you, I was petrified on the morning of surgery. First of all, I had my pre-op appointment 3 weeks before surgery. So Dr. Choi wanted me to lose 20 to 30 lbs. I did the diet for 2 weeks, where dinner was included. Then the last week it was 3 to 4 shakes per day only. Their scale was about 6 lbs different from mine. According to my scale, I lost only 16 lbs on surgery date, but on their scale it was 22 lbs. So of course I was freaking out, thinking I didn't "really" lose what he wanted. And I would wake up without a band, from a fat liver. LOL But thank goodness that wasn't the case. And of course when they put me on the OR table, I felt for a minute like jumping off and forgetting the whole thing. Something about being intubated scared me to death. In fact, as I was drifting off to sleep, I kept trying to open my eyes, fighting anesthesia. LOL I heard them joking that they were going to get this one guy to do the intubation, because he needed practice. I said, "I can't open my eyes, but I hope you guys know that I can hear you." Everyone started laughing. And before I knew it, surgery was over. I was wheeled into the OR at 9:10 am, and woke up in recovery at 10:10 am. I told my nurse I had "bad gas pains". She said it was from my surgery. I was like, "It's over??" When she said yes, I said "Thank you, Jesus." LOL I was a but nauseated at first, but that subsided before I left the facility. And Dr. Choi only prescribed Percocet. I was worried at first, because I thought I'd have nausea at home. But when the nurse asked if I could have a prescription for it, he said I wouldn't need it, because it was only from the anesthesia. He was right! I had shoulder pain for one day post-op. The heating pad helped with that. And then I took Gas X and Percocet for all the other pain, for a few days. The pain was mostly from the gas they put into your abdomen. My incisions (four across the abdomen, and a smaller one kind of between the breasts) didn't bother me. The whole thing really wasn't that bad at all. So no worries! Think positive and have faith, and you will be fine. :laugh:

I had my LAP-BAND® procedure done at Strax. I am 12 days post op and feel great! I'm down 28 lbs (including pre-op diet) and am excited about a healthier, happier future. Dr. Choi was very personable and friendly. The one thing I noticed though, was that he didn't go into great detail, explaining things like what to expect, fills, diet, etc. He seemed to be in a rush the few times I spoke with him (pre-op appointment, day of surgery, and first follow-up appointment). However, I had already done extensive research on the band for over a year, so it wasn't really a big deal. I knew what I was getting myself into. And to his credit, the few questions I DID have, he answered to my satisfaction. So I guess I would just advise anyone going to him, to have their questions handy (even written down), to ensure all their concerns are addressed. He also called me at home the morning after surgery, to see how I was doing. I missed the call, but heard the voicemail. I was impressed that he actually called to check in. It made me feel liked he cared. LOL The facility at Strax is well-equipped and very clean. They have a full operating room and recovery area. The staff is very professional and caring. Everyone I came in contact with, put me at ease (I was a nervous wreck). I got there at 8 am, and was leaving by 11:30. The actual surgery took less than an hour. I was even able to fill my pain medication at their pharmacy, for a mere $16. I was a bit hesistant at first, since lap banding at Strax seemed to be a fairly new procedure being offered. But from the research I've done on Dr. Choi, (as far back as 5 to 6 years- in New York), I couldn't find anything negative. And he told me he was trained by bariatric surgeons (can't remember exact details). Either way, I am very pleased with my experience there, and would recommend Strax/Choi to anyone.

Hi Summer, I am considering getting my band done at Strax. Do you mind telling me how much they charge there? Thanks!

Thanks, Restless Monkey. I actually just found out today that I have been approved to receive benefits through the VHA in priority group 6, so that's the first step. I know that they do gastric bypass surgery for veterans, but I haven't found any concrete info about the lap band. I have read that they will do it in some cases, but it's only done at some facilities. So I will call them in a few minutes and see if I can get any accurate information. It seems strange that they would approve it for Tricare but not the vets, but I guess I will have to wait and see. I'll post when I find out more!

I am currently working on receiving benefits through the VHA as a combat veteran. I know that Tricare started approving the lap band this year, but does anyone know if the VHA covers it, as well? I went to the VA website and read that they do gastric bypass, but not lap band procedures. However, that was from a post in 2004. I haven't been able to find any new updates about the lap band through the VHA. Does anyone have any information at all? Thanks in advance.