I'm 48, live in the Florida Panhandle, BMI is ~37, paying out of pocket, looked into LAP-BAND® surgey in Mexico, now looking into surgery thru Dr. Kirshenbaum. Would like any info or recent interactions that any of you have had with Dr. K. How soon from first correspondence to surgey date? Hospital and hotel stays, travel to and from, post surgery care,etc... Was all the pre-op stuff handle via the phone? I've read all the good and bad concerning Mexico (got mostly negative feedback to my earlier threads), haven't heard any negatives regarding Dr. K, are there any? I guess I'm trying to convince myself that the difference between ~$7k (Mexico) and ~$10k (Dr.K) is worth it. Lastly, congrats to all of you, no matter where you got surgey done, for doing what you felt was the best for you.

I had my surgery about 9 months ago now. Did all my preop stuff over the phone. Saw my local GP for tests and checkups. Contacted Dr. K's office in March and had surgery in June to fit my schedule. Talked with him over the phone and the nutritionist over the phone. Had an appointment with him day before surgery in person. I have no complaints. He had a good record. When I talked to him I had confidence in him. He provided his direct number and talked to my mom after surgery himself. I've had no problems with my surgery at all. I had surgery at 3pm and was out of the center by 6:30pm. Got all the drugs the day before, which is a great idea. All my calls and emails were answered promptly and my questions answered and not blown off, like at my local surgeon's office. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Denver South. It was really nice. You will have to have someone with you. You won't be able to drive. A hotel with a recliner would be great as getting up and down afterwords hurts! After I found out I would have to pay for this myself, I considered Mexico too, but my family was dead set against that idea. Many people go and have no issues, but I don't usually get that lucky. I flew home two days after surgery. They have transportation in the airport if you need it. All your meds are liquid, which you can bring on board with you after they bomb test it. I am just reaching the point where I don't freak out about every random thing I feel. It is different.

I had my surgery with Dr. K in July 09. I live in Colorado, but it is quite a drive to the Denver area so I stayed the night of surgery in a super8 that is about a block away from the surgery center. I trust Dr. K. He has been a surgeon for a very long time.

Thank you both for your responses.

paracelsus51 - It appears you are outside of Colorado also. Any problems getting help/fills locally? Or did you go back to Dr. K? How's your loss success so far, if you don't mind me asking?

Yes, I am from outside of Colorado. My insurance excludes any weight loss treatment (which is funny, as they now have this "wellness" program where we are supposed to talk to our doctor and nutritionist about diet, but we can't because it's excluded). The cost here was nearly $5000 more than Dr. K. After doing a LOT of research around the country and Mexico. Dr. K does not offer the BLIS insurance.

You can call around to find a place that will treat you after the surgery. You will need a post op check up and fills at some point. Usually not for 4 to 6 weeks. I went to the local surgeon's office for follow up and I recommend that no one ever go to their office. I should note a couple things, one is that I have GERD, so that is why I did it. My stomach is very sensitive. They gave me a fill at four weeks to accommodate the doctor's schedule even though I never saw him, just an assistant who did the fill. They have a schedule for everyone that is exactly the same and if you don't fit that, it's your fault that you inconvenienced them. I was having no problems beforehand and after too much fill I had to have a complete unfill. I, even at 9 months, have no fill at all.

I now go to the next town over to the University Med center. They actually take the time to figure out what is best for you. So, after that book, sorry, didn't mean to make this so long, what I am saying is that you need to make sure that whatever place you choose, that they don't have a schedule they go by, but make an individual plan for you.

You make need a fill every few weeks or months. Don't rush it. Even with no fill I have lost more than 50 pounds. Another thing is that, and Dr. K will talk to you about this, is that most places fill to the point where Fluid backs up into your esophagus. He does not believe in this. Just because fluid goes through quickly, doesn't mean solids will. In my case, any fluid back up will cause a reflux attack, so I may never be able to have a fill again.

So, give real thought and planning to your aftercare. I spent so much time on finding the right surgeon, I didn't even realize how important the long term aftercare is. I should have talked to some people about the local office and asked more questions. Hindsight and all that.

Hey there, I had my surgery by Dr K almost a year ago, best experience ever. Both Dr K and his support staff are wonderful. All my questions concerns were always answered quickly. When I was looking around I asked around to other surgeons (I live in Colorado but about 4 hours away from Denver) if he was reputable. I am a nurse so I had some connections in the world of healthcare and I never had anyone say anything negative about the man. He has done thousands of these surgeries therefore he has it down. I would HIGHLY recommend him. I stayed at the Marriot which I got off of Priceline.com and got a killer deal 50$ a night and this was a super nice hotel which for me was important just so I felt better..lol I know weird. Anyhow I say go for it hes great.

Heather

Thanks again for the info. That's what is so great about this site, you can get actual experiences and get a good idea of what to expect. In as much as I was convinced that Mexico was the way to go (at least money-wise), there is a peace of mind that comes with spending a little more and having it done in the US. Now I just need to take the next step and call Natalie and make the arrangements. I've already been researching doctors that offer post-op care/fills for out of state surgeries, feel confident that financially it is worth the money, and have the a very supportive wife to help me thru this. So what am I waiting for?! Nerves, I guess. Anyways, thanks for sharing your experiences (I'd love to hear more) and congrats on your success.

I had my surgery with Dr.K about a year and a half and 150lbs ago ... I came from out of the country and was considering Mexico ...the fact that in the USA surgeons are required to have liability insurance was something that set my mind at ease. Not to say its not the same in Mexico but for my peace of mind I chose Dr.K ...The whole experience was great with him, his staff, the hospital, everything.

Good luck with it