Dr. Umbach in Las Vegas?

[MINI-Me 196]

That is what I'll be doing too, but of course now I'm second guessing myself...

If I change my mind my surgery date will have to change too which is okay if necessary, although I'm geared up for 7/16 right now, lol.

Did you find that going to the hotel was okay? My mom will be travelling with me now and I'm hoping that I'll be sleeping (fingers crossed). I have a fairly high pain tolerance and didn't have gas pain from my oovarectomy. guess it's the gas pain that is the most troublesome for people immediately out of surgery?

I assume you are staying at the Wyndam across the street. If so, the hotel was definitely ok. In fact, we could not have asked for better treatment. They will even take you to and from Dr. U's office on their complimentary shuttle van. In addition, your mom can have a nice Breakfast every morning (included in the price) as well as bring you up warm tea and such.

I had quite a bit more pain than others, but it was nice to be in a quiet hotel bed. Definitely pack a heating pad - it really helps with the gas pain and such.

Dr. U will give you his personal cellphone number. If you have any problems, he is just a phone call away & you can be at the hospital within minutes.

[possumtrot 2]

Thanks Mini. As of right now all arrangements are confirmed and I'm feeling VERY good about everything. I've started collecting items needed like a heating pad, gas x, etc. Even Mom is getting excited about the whole trip.

We're going a day early so we can see Hoover Dam and some other attractions. DS is insistent that we go to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop from the tv show Pawn Stars, lol. This history buff is proud that her one and only child is getting into historical items/antiques. <vbg>

[MINI-Me 196]

LOL - Go early. That Pawn Shop gets really busy & they usually have to rope off an area for spectators to wait in line so they don't break fire code.

You are going to do great. Can't wait to hear how things go for you.

[ybnormal 21]

Has anyone seen anything about Dr. Umbach being sued for anything? I couldn't find any, but I didn't dig too deep either. I'm not sure if I want to go to Mexico and have it done, or stay here in vegas close to home. It almost seems worth it to me to NOT have to drive so far after surgery, but the prices...urgh! It's a big difference! I'm going to end up as self pay, so while you may think I'm bargain shopping with my health, in reality I'm trying to make an informed choice because sometimes you get what you pay for, and other times you're just paying for a namebrand, ya know? help!

[Sandi 6]

Molly - welcome to VST. Thank you for sharing your personal knowledge of Dr. Umbach. It is good to have someone on the forum who has had personal experiences with individual surgeons and can share those experiences.

I don't think that the negativity on VST is against US surgeons insomuch as the cost of surgery in the US vs. Mexico if you don't have insurance to help cover the costs.

We are happy to have you as a member and hope that you will continue to post your progress. Congrats on your surgery and on the weight loss thus far.

There is a small group of VSGers in the Las Vegas area - would you be interested in getting together with us for lunch sometime? I think we have about 7 of us right now!

[Sandi 6]

I would definitely be interested in joining your lunch group. Please contact me at 702-739-6409 to let me know where and when.

[Sandi 6]

I was also sleeved by Dr. Teng and his team -- on July 14, 2011. I was informed that he has done 1,000 sleeves and I have no reason to doubt that. I think he is an excellent surgeon. He not only staples, but also sutures as added "insurance" against a leak. My problem with Dr. Teng is the nutrition follow-up. He had us eating 50 grams of Protein a day with very little carbs and I was nauseated all the time. When I asked him about this he said it was because whenever the stomach is operated on, the patient feels nausea for 3-4 months post-surgery but doctors don't know why. I told a client of mine who is a doctor about this, and she said she had never heard of that. I asked about it at support and the nutritionist there told me that the reason for the nausea is that all the protein with very little carbs puts the body into a state of ketosis (much like the Atkins diet) and that a side effect of that is nausea. It only takes 50g of carbs to counteract that, and get rid of the nausea. Another side effect of ketosis is kidney stones, which is something I should have been advised of and warned against, since I only have one kidney. I think Dr. Teng should have known that. We have also been told that we can never take pills or gel caps again for the rest of my life bc they might get stuck going down. I have questioned that, since nothing in the opening to the stomach has been changed or constricted (unlike a bypass or band patient) so it makes no sense that something would have a tendency to get stuck now more than it did before the surgery. Still no reasonable answer to that question. Other reputable sites run by doctors and hospitals say that sleeve patients can take any pills they want (except aspirin) two months after surgery. Teng also says that we must take calcium citrate instead of Calcium carbonate. Again, no reasonable explanation. This is a requirement for bypass patients bc carbonate requires stomach acid to break it down so it can be absorbed by the body. However, since sleeve patients still have a stomach, this doesn't make any sense for us. Still no reasonable answer to this question. Reputable internet sites say that sleeve patients can take either one. Finally, Teng says that we must take Prevacid for 6 months after surgery. However, this deceases the stomach acid to the point where you will likely develop a bacteria in the stomach, and also has a tendency to make patients dependent on it. Reputable internet sites advise patients to only take it as needed. I do not have problems with heartburn or acid reflux, so I have asked Teng why I have to take it. Still no answer to that question. To be fair, I only presented these questions to him and his staff in a forceful manner about three days ago. Perhaps he will get back to me with some good answers, and if he does I will post on this site. In the meantime, I am thinking seriously about paying for a second opinion on these issues bc I am very frustrated with being given a set of rules and regulations that are very hard to live with with no reasonable explanation for them, especially when I am finding on the internet that these rules are not required of sleeve patients. I feel like his office is lumping band, bypass and sleeve patients into the same bunch and telling us all to do the same thing. This is not acceptable to me.

I don't know anything about Dr. Umbach, but I did have my sleeve surgery on October 8, 2009, by Dr Francis Teng. He is a general surgeon, however, he has been doing the sleeve surgery for the last 7 years. In my research I have found many people who have used him for many different types of surgery (including my dentist) and everyone said the same thing - he runs a tight ship, has used the same surgical team for the last 7 yrs here in Las Vegas, including his brother who is the anesthesiologist. I was a self pay and once I made the decision to go thru with the surgery I had the usual tests plus he required an echo since I previously used phen/phen . It wasn't realistic for me to travel to Mexico as I am the caretaker for my father - the cost of hiring a caretaker for at least a week, the travel, just the fear of being in another country for surgery and possible complications - it was worth it to me to stay in my own town - hospital 10 minutes from my house - an overnight stay in the hospital - wasn't cheap (25k) but Dr Teng's office follows you for 2 years and the hospital (Mountain View) follows you for 5 years - no follow-up charges by either. I figured if it extened my life a minimum of 25 years - that's a thousand dollars a year - less than 1 hundred dollars a month - I felt I was worth it. Good luck to you on your surgery with whatever doctor you select. It was the best decision I ever made. Renee

[Neoteric Verve 65]

Hi, Sandi.

You are correct about ketosis. 50g of carbs will alleviate this. The only thing is that in ketosis is that you do lose more bodyfat whilst in it. I theorize that maybe one month on and one month off will be good. Need to research that more. Citracal is needed for the first month or two post surgery. As for the Vitamins, I currently take Opti-Men 2-3 times daily. Post surgery I am gonna crush them into a powder and incorporate them into my Protein shakes. But only until my stitching heals. After that I reason that I can resume normal pill form. Yes, granted the stomach is quite smaller than before but a multi isn't going to be erased from my regimine. Prevacid is PRN (as needed).

Ketogenic is a term referring to a ketone based diet, hence the term "in ketosis." This is caused by the consumption of ultra low carbohydrates - under 100 grams per day for sure, but most often I think, under 30-40 grams - in order to force the body into ketosis. Ketosis is the point where there is not enough glucose to fuel the system, particularly the 100 grams or so it takes to fuel the brain, which forces the liver to produce ketones for fuel.

After a period of time, between 1-4 days normally, the brain adapts to using the ketones for fuel. After a longer period of time, between 2 and 4 weeks, the body begins to efficiently use bodyfat for fuel and decreases the use of ketones to fuel the muscles.

[Sandi 6]

Thank you very much for the inormation. My point was that MY DOCTOR should have told me about the ketosis. Instead, Dr. Teng told me that nausea is a side effect of any stomach surgery. That was inaccurate. As for me, I only have one kidney, so I don't want to risk the kidney stones that are also a side effect of ketosis. I will suffer with a bit slower weight loss. Also, I cannot function with the constant nausea.

Did your doctor tell you that you can take regular pills without crushing once your stomach has healed? What about gel caps? Dr. Teng tells his sleeve patients that they cannot take either FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. That makes no sense to me. I plan to get a second opinion on that. Who is your doctor?

I quit taking the Prevacid. I don't need it, and see no reason to take it unless I have heart burn or acid reflux which I have never had in my life. Taking that one day at a time.

Hi, Sandi.

You are correct about ketosis. 50g of carbs will alleviate this. The only thing is that in ketosis is that you do lose more bodyfat whilst in it. I theorize that maybe one month on and one month off will be good. Need to research that more. Citracal is needed for the first month or two post surgery. As for the Vitamins, I currently take Opti-Men 2-3 times daily. Post surgery I am gonna crush them into a powder and incorporate them into my Protein shakes. But only until my stitching heals. After that I reason that I can resume normal pill form. Yes, granted the stomach is quite smaller than before but a multi isn't going to be erased from my regimine. Prevacid is PRN (as needed).

Ketogenic is a term referring to a ketone based diet, hence the term "in ketosis." This is caused by the consumption of ultra low carbohydrates - under 100 grams per day for sure, but most often I think, under 30-40 grams - in order to force the body into ketosis. Ketosis is the point where there is not enough glucose to fuel the system, particularly the 100 grams or so it takes to fuel the brain, which forces the liver to produce ketones for fuel.

After a period of time, between 1-4 days normally, the brain adapts to using the ketones for fuel. After a longer period of time, between 2 and 4 weeks, the body begins to efficiently use bodyfat for fuel and decreases the use of ketones to fuel the muscles.

[LVikingFan 14]

It has been a couple of years since anyone posted on this thread, but I want to add that I also was sleeved by Dr Teng here in Las Vegas and do not have a single bad thing to say about the entire experience. They are meticulous with the pre-op testing and information sessions. The follow up is terrific, the office staff great and the results have been more than I had expected. I could have gone to another program here in V and paid next to nothing with the insurance I have, but I chose Dr. Teng because of his track record and recommendations. He is doing over half of his surgeries as sleeves now, so he is well qualified.

[Tammy ChanceCover 0]

Just caught #Blossombaratrics in a big fat lie. They said claims were denied when they were never filed because they refuse to fill out and one sheet W9 form to recieve a check. As a QMB patient they are not legally allowed to bill me or to deny my insurance which is against and to deny services is also against the law. So I am reporting this to Medicare Fraud and abuse. See the link https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/medicare_beneficiaries_dual_eligibles_at_a_glance.pdf