Each person must make their own healthcare decisions. If you do not feel you are being served by a particular doctor or set of healthcare practitioners, it is your right as a medical consumer to change them. If it means changing jobs, then again, it is your decision, it is your health that determines what decision you will make. You can always get another job, can you get another life? For less than the cost of a new car, you can have the surgery that saves your life and/or makes it worth living going forward. It all comes down to what you want to do? Do you want to control your life, your health, your destiny? Research everything, discuss everything, go to surgical seminars. In any given year, there are at least 4 in the Seattle area. They are all different, with different rules for patients and insurance companies.

Remember, the insurance company would rather pay for your stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism (because one of them might kill you, then they would have no more responsibility), so the more obstacles they put in your path, the less surgeries they will have to pay for. Also remember, your insurance dollar is being spent on strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms too. Do you want it to pay for yours, or someone else's?

Go to a bariatric physician in the United States, and research the one you go to thoroughly--talk to former patients, get his or her statistics on patients, attend a support group meeting for the surgery you are contemplating. Once you start doing research, it will become apparent that the easiest surgery on the patient is sleeve gastrectomy.

Personally, having had a sleeve gastrectomy by a Cadillac doctor, in a Cadillac country, here are the reasons I NEVER even thought about going to a foreign country for surgery:

1. Everybody in the process, doctor, nurses, hospital personnel and support people all speak English and I have already met all of them.

2. The banking laws in the United States are known; your mo Each person must make their own healthcare decisions. If you do not feel you are being served by a particular doctor or set of healthcare practitioners, it is your right as a medical consumer to change them. If it means changing jobs, then again, it is your decision, it is your health that determines what decision you will make. You can always get another job, can you get another life? For less than the cost of a new car, you can have the surgery that saves your life and/or makes it worth living going forward. It all comes down to what you want to do? Do you want to control your life, your health, your destiny? Research everything, discuss everything, go to surgical seminars. In any given year, there are at least 4 in the Seattle area. They are all different, with different rules for patients and insurance companies.

Remember, the insurance company would rather pay for your stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism (because one of them might kill you, then they would have no more responsibility), so the more obstacles they put in your path, the less surgeries they will have to pay for. But remember, your insurance dollar is being spent on strokes, heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms too. Do you want it to pay for yours, or someone elses?

Go to a bariatric physician in the United States, and research the one you go to thoroughly--talk to former patients, get his or her statistics on patients, attend a support group meeting for the surgery you are contemplating. Once you start doing research, it will become apparent that the easiest surgery on the patient is sleeve gastrectomy.

Personally, having had a sleeve gastrectomy by a Cadillac doctor, in a Cadillac country, here are the reasons I NEVER even thought about going to a foreign country for surgery:

1. Everybody in the process, doctor, nurses, hospital personnel and support people all speak English.

2. The banking laws in the United States are known; your money does not need to be converted or transported in cash.

3. There is no better quality care than the United States. People from all over the world come here for care.

4. If anything goes wrong, you have the court system of the United States to bring suit or appeal.

Why go anywhere else?

I haven't heard anything about Dr. Aceves' promotion. I am scehduled for July 7. WasA, how did you hear about the promotion?

I haven't heard anything about Dr. Aceves' promotion. I am scehduled for July 7. WasA, how did you hear about the promotion?

I heard about it via PM by someone who is thinking about going there. I don't know details.

Perhaps I should email Nina. Every little bit helps! (But I'm still going either way!)

ETA: Email sent. I'll let you know her response.

Edited June 16, 200917 yr by TennJenn

Holy Moley! I can't even imagine. Although I felt great right after surgery, I still was on pins and needles regarding possible leaks or other complications. I liked the security of being in the hospital.

Yes, and keep in mind that some will charge more if the surgery is a revision and not a first time surgery. I had a band previously and had to pay 3K more and worth every cent.

"instead I am lucky enough to live near the practice that has done the most sleeves of anyone in the US and has some of the best stats out there."

hI Mac...I'm in the research phase. Can you tell me where that practice is? Being a nurse, I am anxious about selecting the most experienced. The docs around here where I live, some of whom are cited as being in "centers of excellence for bariatrics", have done 20 or so sleeves. NOT what I want!.

thanks.

Cajun

It's LapSF. The SF stands for San Francisco. There are similar guys on the East Coast... Dr. Gagner who is either in FL or back in NY is one. My doc has done over a thousand.

I hate the 'my doctor is better than your doctor' wars that goes on in boards like this.

I do too. It reminds me very much of the "helmet vs. no helmet" flame wars that I see on many bicycling forums.

I don't think that goes on at this board. I have never seen any posts like that. I am sure that I haven't seen every thread, but to my knowledge, nobody has knocked anybody's doctor.

We try to keep the doctor bashing down on these boards and stick with facts only.

I haven't seen any doctor bashing on this forum and I've read pretty much every thread - there was one very heated debate between a few members; however, that was quite some time ago. I know that many of us used Dr. Aceves and we think he is absolutely wonderful and don't hesitate to speak out about that; however, we aren't bashing other surgeons. I don't know anything about any other surgeons so I certainly wouldn't offer any opinions about another's choice.

Once again there is a lag between the time of this thread and my citing it...(but I've only been registered here about 2 weeks now), so I'm not too sure that anyone will even read this. I'd like to add (for the record) my 2 cents. I have been researching WLS's for many months now and of this I am certain, I would not hesitate to have my surgery performed by Dr. Alberto Aceves/Mexicali, Mexico, if I had the funds, which, BTW, include travel expenses and follow-up. I would feel much less anxiety knowing that I was in his care and facility. I am going through a Hospital with a "Center for Bariatric Excellence" It is a North Shore/Long Island Jewish Hospital in Syosset. I wouldn't call it a dump. The WLS center does have a fat farm factory sort of feel to it, but then the centers sole purpose is WLS. I have met with my surgeon 3 times already and spent at least 40 minutes with him at each visit. My next appointment at the hospital will be for the pre-surgery testing on Sept. 9. My surgery is set for the 15th. He is one of 3, or 4 "specialty surgeons". My surgeon is the only one there who does the VSG procedure. I made my decision based on many factors, money, insurance, proximity and a doctor with (I pray) the expertise. WASa, (among others here), is right I mean everything she has said is spot on. Despite my insurance approval for the sleeve...it is a "no-brainer" if I were in a position to self-pay I would go where I would have the greatest certainty for success...Mexico and to Dr. Aceves for sure. His reputation is impeccable. And the people in these message boards have been there and testified honestly to his merit.:biggrin0:

We totally understand and we are here for you no matter where you have your VSG done. We are just happy you can have it done.

It's LapSF. The SF stands for San Francisco. There are similar guys on the East Coast... Dr. Gagner who is either in FL or back in NY is one. My doc has done over a thousand.

My Dr, Dr Pomp has done many of these surgeries. According to the staff at the hospital many perople come from around the world for him to do WLS. The care and treatment that I recieved at Wiell Cornell was second to none. I saw the doctor at least twice a day and his team 5 or 6 times. I was in for two nights but I did vety well. If I was not ready to go home they would have let me stay longer.

I am very lucky as my insurance is covering my surgery. If I had to self pay I do not know what I would have done.

We try to keep the doctor bashing down on these boards and stick with facts only.

While I agree that with the change in admins things have greatly improved related to Dr Bashing however that was not always the case.

Now that Wasabubblebutt does not post much n this board and "resigned" as an admin things are much more balanced.

I have no problem with folks singing the praises of their surgeon. I DO have a huge problem when lies, half truths, unsupportable facts are posted and when the poster refuses to provide cites and or sources for their "facts".