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I used Dr David Kim, hes in Colleyville or Frisco. He does the Making Bariatrics Affordable Hiatal Hernia program too. It all depends on your insurance benefit and if you have an exclusion from bariatrics. When you do the Upper Endoscopy and they see a hiatal hernia, your cash price for the sleeve is $4900 and they bill your insurance for the EGD and hiatal hernia repair.

High blood pressure - gone. Type 2 diabetes - gone. Cholesterol - normal. sleep apnea - gone. Back and knee pain - gone. Weight loss - 120+ lbs. (actually 126 at today's weight). Waist size - Pre-op: 48" - 50". Post-op (11 months): 36" 95% of Prescription meds - gone. Dealing with the psychological aspect - it starts with "finding your why". I found mine. Health - Obesity is a progressive, degenerative disease that is the second leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. The links between obesity and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and a dozen other serious diseases are well documented and virtually undeniable. Options - Diet and exercise as a treatment for folks with a BMI of 30 or greater is a myth. It is a statistical virtual impossibility with a failure rate approaching 100%. And science is just now beginning to understand why - http://www.drsharma....or-obesity.html . For more information - "Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments - Diets Are Not the Answer" - http://motivatedandf...s_dont_work.pdf . Bariatric surgery is the single most effective weight loss option known to medical science - by a very wide margin. The September 19, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association reported the results of a study done with 1,156 surgery participants 18 - 72 years old, along with two control groups totalling more than 700 participants. One key aspect of their findings: "At 2 years, 99 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 94 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss. At 6 years, 96 percent of surgical patients had maintained more than 10 percent weight loss from baseline and 76 percent had maintained more than 20 percent weight loss". Read more at: http://medicalxpress...higher.html#jCp Quality of life - The ability to go into any store, anywhere, anytime knowing that there will be endless options for the new you. The ability to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. The ability to play with your children (and grandchildren) for more than five minutes. The ability to take a long walk in the woods with your black lab and actually enjoy every delicious, pain free moment of it. The thrill of looking in the mirror every day and thinking that you look pretty damned amazing. The knowledge that you almost certainly will live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life. The ability to comfortably sit in a restaurant booth. Or an airline seat. The almost limitless energy that you had long since forgotten. Just plain feeling good about yourself for the first time in a long time. Living your life free of the "obesity stigma" - that only those of us who have been there can really understand. The absolute elation of knowing that you did it. That it's sustainable. And that you are finally in control. Complications - zero. Would I do it again? - If I had it to do all over again there is one thing, and only one thing, that I would change. I'd do it twenty years earlier!

I have been dealing with my weight problem pretty much my entire life. I am a 30 year old man. I have been on this diet and that diet. Some with success and some not. I am currently at 476lbs and am starting to get physical problems. I want to beat this before it beats me. So I have taken the first step and told my physician I am considering the lapband. I have not had my appointment yet with the Bariatric office. I recently found this site and have been reading. I am already feeling scared and apprehensive. Lots of negative reading and horror stuff. Q1- Can anyone that has had the ideal surgery and success give me an overview of what to expect? Q2- What are the rules? What will I never be able to eat? What will I never be able to do? Q3- Do you have any regrets? Q4- What is the financial impact after the surgery? Groceries, supplements, etc.? Thanks to whomever answers. I need to do something life changing before there is no life left and anything is going to be scary. Thanks

Can I just say something without the risk of people jumping down my throat? People post over and over about the dangers of Mexico, but until you've gone to one of these border cities you really have no idea what you're talking about. I just returned from my surgery in TJ 3 days ago. NOT ONCE did I feel afraid or threatened in any manner, and myself and some of the other bariatric patients took a walk 5 blocks down the road to the shopping mall and spent a few hours there shopping without a guide...and surprise! I felt just as safe there as I do walking around my suburban neighborhood in the midwest. In any larger city there's going to be crime, that's just a fact of life. But that's because ALL cities have good and bad areas. It isn't like you're going down there to score drugs or get involved in a life of crime, so the odds of people coming after you are incredibly low. In fact, did anyone ever stop to think about the fact that only the bad stuff is put onto the news? I found the people of Tijuana to be wonderful and extremely helpful. If I had to make the choice again whether or not to go to Mexico, I would do it in a heartbeat. I feel like threads like this one scare people who are pre-op and make them unnecessarily nervous prior to having a rather invasive surgery. So please, if you're just basing your opinions on what "you've heard," try to put yourselves in the position of people heading across the border to get the surgery that will likely save their lives. I know I was terrified prior to crossing the border, primarily from things I heard on this forum from people who had in fact, NEVER crossed into Mexico via car, or visited a border city period. Just my two cents.

Hi! I need to renew my passport, so it will be sometime for me in March. I know that he is associated with Dr. Bettencourt, and people have not nice things to say about him on here. I also have read some infections and whatnot have occured. One lady spoke about a punctured bowel that was swept under the rug by their organization.. I'm just praying everything goes ok. You'll find people that have been very happy with him. I miss Jo Ann, my Dr. Kuri coordinator. She was wonderful. Anyways, good luck to you!!

My insurance actually covered everything except for co-pay $225 and hospital stay had $250 a night co-pay. Don't know the cash price but I encourage you to contact them. The hospital just spent over a million dollars to be cutting edge in Bariatric Surgery with brand new O.R. and about to have new rooms just for weight loss surgery patients.

Dr. Goyal from NJ Bariatric. Who did yours?

I live in south jersey but my surgery is in Pronceton at NJ Bariatric with Dr. Brolin on July 16th! Super excited!! This has been a long time coming. I did look at Dr Nausbaum but I am Cash Pay and he was really expensive. If you are looking for a 2nd opinion and are close to Livingston I would recommend going to see Dr Andrei's. He is amazing! He would have done my sleeve if it was covered by insurance.

Which was most of my list. Here's my list: chicken broth Beef Broth sugar-free jello Sugar-free popsicles Non-fat milk Evaporated Milk, Skim Soy Milk, not flavored Crystal Light and other Sugar-free powdered drink mixes Various Protein shakes and drinks Various protein Soups that are really just broths So you can see why I think of it as "clears + protein drinks". :laugh: It's also not a real medical designation. If you search the web, you can find medical definitions of clear liquids and full liquids but not "thin" liquids. At the hospital, they called it "Bariatric Clears" btw. But I think they made that up! __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

In this article I interview Alex Brecher founder of BariatricPal Hospital MXabout the safety of weight loss surgery in Mexico. http://www.mybariatriclife.org/bariatricpal-hospital-mx-qa-safe-bariatric-surgery/

I have GEHA. I went to a gastric sleeve seminar in July 2013. Since then I've been jumping through the hoops. First my hospital (Mercy) said I wasn't morbidly obese, so I couldn't have surgery unless I had a co-morbidity. So I had a sleep study done and I had sleep apnea so that qualified as a co-morbidity. I started the 6 months of visits with my PCP, I've had the psych evaluation, met with dietician, went to an all day seminar. This week I meet with exercise and activity. I've had to keep a food and exercise log (started both of those last August). I've also met with surgeon and the RN in charge of the bariatric program. To my knowledge, I dont think they have submitted anything to GEHA yet. I called GEHA last August to see what was required and they mailed me a sheet of requiements. My recommendation is start tracking everything now, exercise, food journal, monthly visits with PCP. If your BMI is not 40 or greater, you'll need a co-morbidity (sleep apnea, diabetes). I'm hoping to have surgery in May or June.

Here is a link to an article on reactive hypoglycemia post–gastric bypass. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass The three most important things after surgery are fluids, Vitamins and Protein. Since you said that "when I drink Protein I throw instantly", have you tried MILK. 32 ounces of 1% milk fortified with 1 cup of powdered milk will give you 56 grams of protein. You cannot drink this all at once but spreading this out throughout the day will help you meet your daily protein requirement.

jtickle, at my first appointment at the Bariatric clinic I was given my patient manual with both pre and post op instructions. Before surgery I'm to work up to one hour of exercise a day seven days a week. Post-op, by the end of my first week, I'm supposed to be taking several short walks a day, totaling 60 minutes, seven days a week. So, I say,as long as your Dr has no problems with it and you're feeling good, more power to you!

Hi I am 6 days post op on liquids now for almost 21 days - I am gazing longingly at the cat's food at this point - & if I have one more Bariatric Advantage Shake or broth or pudding or pureed whatever I am going to puke!

Thank you for your kind comments. It’s been a heck of a month. I’m Glad I verbalized what I was thinking because it seemed to open up a gate. After I posted, I downloaded a journal app and I made four huge entries. I’m seeing my surgeon tomorrow for follow up and I will address what happened with him and see if he has a therapist that specializes in both grief and Bariatric surgery follow up. I have been blocking my grief this past month because my daughter had become dangerously depressed and even expressed a desire to die. I was keeping myself from feeling everything fully in order to care for her. I will take care of myself from now on. I will also stay engaged here on the forum so I can stay focused on my own journey after surgery. I think it will help me a bunch. So appreciative for this place. Thank you all so much for the kindness.

I saw your post here and I'm new. I don't know if I'm even responding properly. I found this post by searching for info on Dr Garcia on Google. I received a call today from a woman named alma. She was calling from Ready4Achange.com. We talked about bariatric surgeries and she recommended Dr. Garcia above all those other doctors, and she actually works for all of those four. Ready 4 a Change is rated well with the BBB. I don't know if that makes a difference. Anyhow, I was wondering if you got your surgery and if so, who with. Would your recommend doing it and with the doctor you chose? I have been doing a lot of research and am very interested and excited about surgery. I am also apprehensive about doing it in Mexico. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. BTW...I am a mommy to six also:) Thanks and blessings, Donna donnazang@msn.com

Thank u for all the info my bmi 44 I have high cholesterol back and knee pain I have my first appt. With my pcp on friday my insurance told me yes bariatrics are covered just has not toln me the requirements they told the the hospital where I can go and sent me a new pt packet I will be attending a seminar next month only thing missing is a referral from my pcp. I rarely see my dr. Because its a community health clinic usually see a nurse practitioner and she is very supportive of wls but can't refer me I pray my dr will be as supportive

The page with the specifics about bariatric surgery won't load, but your member's handbook does say that surgeries (other than emergency) require prior authorization. You don't mention your BMI or any other medical problems you have. What sorts of questions do you have?

No I used Bariatric Pal Team MX Dr. Illan Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I take Bariatric Advantage and don't mind them at all right now. I have the same problem where I can take vitamins for a while and then all of a sudden they start making me sick and I don't know why, so I regularly change my vitamins. The very first one I took as a sample made my stomach upset, but after that, they haven't bothered me at all. I hope you find something that works for you! Maybe your insurance has some other options that may work!

Here you go!! Dr. Aceves is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. (FACS.org) This means that the American College of Surgeons has done an extensive background check on the doctor. He has to exceed the same standards as a US surgeon. His background is completely verified, his licensing, credentials, certifications, absolutely everything. If he does not maintain his reputation and current standards he cannot maintain his affiliation with the FACS. FACS is a really impressive issue in the world of medicine. Not all US doctors can maintain the background and honesty necessary to be a Fellow of the ACS. But Dr. Aceves can. There is a doctor in MX that claims to have almost 600 VSG procedures completed. He claims to have been doing this procedure for 3.5 years. Yet according to his CV he was just trained in the procedure 2.5 years ago. We know full well he has not done as many VSG procedures as he claims but unless you know what to look for you won't know that his statistics are impossible. This is why going to an FACS surgeon is critical whether you are going to a US or MX surgeon. Surgeons from all over the world (including the US) inflate their stats so they appear more experienced than they are. If they told the truth about their inexperience they wouldn't get any business. So, they are less than honest. Dr. Aceves is the Vice President of the Mexican version of the American Bariatric Assn. This is a position that is voted, so the doctors of MX voted him into this position. They recently voted again and he will be President this year. There is another organization called the International Federation of Surgical Obesity. (IFSO.com) This is an organization where weight loss surgeons all over the world belong. A few years ago Dr. Aceves holds the position of Secretary for this organization so this means that even the US doctors voted him into this office. Dr. Aceves is a proctor surgeon meaning he trains other doctors in various bariatric procedures. He typically travels to one country a month and either attends lectures to further his own knowledge on the new advances in medicine or he trains other doctors in various surgical procedures. He recently returned from Chile and Argentina training their doctors in the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. He trains US surgeons in the various procedures as well. Mexico has been doing the sleeve longer than US doctors and there are simply very few doctors willing to train other US doctors because then they would have competition. Dr. Aceves believes competition in this procedure is good as patients have more surgeons to choose from. Dr. Aceves has done 1,000 Gastric Sleeves, and over 1,000 Gastric Bypass procedures. This means he has over 2000staple lines, a technique that is critical in a safe surgery for a VSG procedure. When researching surgeons you want someone that has done at least 250 VSG and at least 250 Gastric Bypass procedures. The reason is that the Gastric Bypass procedure has a very difficult staple line. It is an interrupted staple line and quite difficult to do. If a surgeon can do the more difficult Gastric Bypass staple line, he can do the easier VSG staple line. There are only 50 VSG surgeon world-wide that have done at least 250 VSG procedures *and* have excellent stats. Dr. Aceves is the only doctor in Mexico that has done over 1,000 VSG and never had a major complication. Leaks are a potential problem with this procedure but he has a technique where he over sews the staple line and we believe this one of the many reasons he has only had one leak with a VSG. I think one big issue here to remember is that just because someone is practicing in the US, that does not make them a good or skilled surgeon. Just because someone is in MX does not mean they are not a skilled surgeon or a person without ethics. I had a choice to go to any surgeon I wanted for my own sleeve and the only doctor I wanted to go to was Dr. Aceves. He is the surgeon with the most skill, the best stats, the best reputation, and the safest location. Another upside to going to Dr. Aceves. In the US if you have the VSG you will likely spend one night in the hospital. Dr. Aceves does not agree with this. He keeps you in a fully equipped hospital for three nights following surgery. He believes you need to be medically supervised, have a total of three leak tests to be 100% certain you have no leak upon returning home, and he wants someone monitoring your vital signs, drain tube, and he wants someone available to manage your pain should you have any. He does not believe in sending you home before three nights/four days. Keep in mind, he is completely and totally depend on reputation for business. He has no insurance companies referring patients. He has to do it by reputation. Dr. Aceves has been operating on US citizens for many years. He wouldn't have the reputation he does if he didn't do the best possible job for each patient. . He has another belief,; he only hires educated people around him. training. His Office Manager is an engineer by trade. Her Office Assistant is a Law student. His OR techs (OR techs are used in the US and typically have 9 months of training) are actually 4 year RNs. His hospital coordinator is a retired teacher that previously taught English in the MX school system. His Aftercare Specialist is a PhD. She is a licensed psychologist in MX and available to all Dr. Aceves patients by phone or email. I think you'll find that he meets or exceeds the standards of any US doctor or hospital.

On the back of the Medicare card there's an 800 number. Call and tell them you're looking for a bariatric surgeon in your area that accepts Medicare. That way it's only ONE phone call and you can get your information! I have Medicare and was banded on 5/5/08. No 6 month diet, very easy.

You might want to try Dr. Cribbins or Dr. Hamm in Plano. They operate at Plano Presby which is a Center for Excellance which I believe Medicare requires. If they don't, the bariatric coordinator at Plano Presby might know.

What are your doctor's instructions??? Each are diff and just cuz mine had me on mushies at that stage (I had to do 10 days each stage full liquids - mushies - soft - regular) so by 21 days out I was moving to mushies.. Refried Beans (fat free with a little 2% cheese) And at the end of my full liquids I was eating about 1 cup of soups. Are you getting 60 grms of Protein in daily??? Or I should say what are your doc's instruction on protein - but I would say that most want you to get 60 grms a day - and on the 1st 3 phase I had to incoporate clear Protein drinks (like crystal lite but with protein - ck out Bariatric Choice - they have the clear protein drinks - 70 calories and 15 grms pt...

To the OP: PLEASE post this in the Mexico forum, they need to know! I find the statement about US doctors being a safer or more advanced option to be arrogant, and honestly misinformed. I am a surgical technician in the USA, and I have to respond to this. Mexico is not a bad place to live for everyone who lives there, and upon investigating their laws and medical practices and training for the past 2 years- it actually rivals the USA. I can seen where a Mexican MD would prefer to raise a family in Mexico, and be around their family. My Dr. (Dr. Kelly) is also a US medical doctor, and visits here frequently to actually train US surgeons- he prefers to be in Mexico, where he was born and his family is. Property is much cheaper there, and the education system is actually much better than our public school system, and cheaper for private school. There are people who choose to live in Mexico, not because the USA isn't an option, but because they genuinely are happy there. I met a nice couple from Canada who has VSG in Mexico, when I mentioned the USA they gasped and said "I would never let an American doctor perform this surgery!"- also a prejudgement based on bias, but it goes both ways. It stands to reason that a surgeon who performs 5 sleeves a day for many years is going to naturally be more skilled than a doctor who performs 2 a week- it does not matter what country you are in. There are amazing doctors in the USA and Mexico, and there are shady doctors in the USA and Mexico. Though we would like to believe that if a US surgeon left us badly injured there would be justice or a revision surgery to correct it, the reality is they are set up for malpractice law suits- those forms you sign aren't just for fun. Though I think most surgeons would jump to correcting a complication here, there is no guarantee you are "safe" in the event of a complication. That said, it's obviously much harder to pursue a doctor whose surgery resulted in a complication if they are in Mexico and you are in the USA. There is little to no justice you can get, other than alerting other patients. I will say, when ever I've called or e-mailed Dr. Kelly, I've had a detailed response in 30 minutes or less to my concerns. When I've had concerns that would require a visit, he referred me to an independent bariatric surgery practice in my area (Los Angeles) that is very reasonably priced for visits, and performs VSG. I've felt very, very, very cared for through this process. The only surgeons in the USA I have real cell phone numbers for are friends of mine- a treating doctor rarely gives out that kind of information here. The OP also did not has VSG, she/he had plication, which is a different procedure altogether. It would be good to alert them on Sleeveplicationtalk.com instead of here. I chose VSG after my research because I didn't trust the results of plication. nor having a pprtion of my stomach "tied up" in a sense.