Share your surgeon with me please :thumbup: I have been reasearching the last week or so emailing and calling. I am looking for a surgeon who has done at least 200 Sleeves. If you love your surgeon please tell me about him or her. How many sleeves/leaks/deaths. Price? What does that price include? How has your aftercare been? And any other info you want to include. :001_cool:

My surgeon was Dr. Christophersen (I always spell that wrong) at Genesis Bariatric in Davenport, Iowa. My clinic is of the mindset "once you have surgery, you are with us for life!" so probably not your best bet if you're in TN. :001_cool: My surgeon was excellent though. I don't recall how many sleeves he has done, but he has had 1 leak, which was caused several weeks post-op due to the patient advancing his diet too quickly. My price was (I think) around $22,000. That included surgery itself + anesthesia, 1 night hospital stay, all my pre-op appointments & evaluations (psych, dietitian, physical therapist, recreational therapist, pharmacist, nurses appt.'s), all of the vitamins they gave me for pre-op and aftercare (though I didn't use all of them) and all my aftercare for the first 9 months post-op. Aftercare has been great. I had a 2-week postop, 3 month, and I will go back at 6 month, 9 month, 1 year, and then annually. Both the surgeon and the dietitian are very open to questions and everyone in the office is extremely friendly. I look forward to my appointments because they are always excited to see me! LOL. It's kind of cool because they don't see me often, so for example when I went in for my 3 month post-op appt, they hadn't seen me in 2 1/2 months and I had lost over 35 lbs in that time, so even the receptionist was like "WOW, Randi! I didn't even recognize you! You look amazing!" :thumbup: Couldn't ask for a better experience!

Dr Nicholson in Dallas has done a tremendous amount of surgeries. If you type in Dr Nicholson bariatric in any search engine it should take you to his site. His staff is amazing. Self pay was 12,200. It pays for surgery, up to two nights in the hospital pain meds while there etc. I believe it even covers follow up visits and and all preop work. It is all listed on his site. Good luck!:001_tt2:

Thanks Lucy, I contacted him on Wednesday and am waiting to hear back from him. Everything I've read has been great about Dr Nicholson.

I had surgery with Dr. :thumbup:Nick May 17, everything has gone well. Had the surgery at Baylor Plano, very nice experience so far all around. I still have a some pain in one incision site, but that is normal I'm told as it is the biggest incision where they pull the removed stomach out, so it had to be a deeper stitch. No problems with leaking or infections, he has a very good rate on that. He is also the medical director for bariatric surgery at big Baylor too. Check out his website! Nick Nicholson clinic.

I went to Dr Aceves in Mexico. I had the best care there that I have ever received in my life.Go to the doctor section on this board and read about his credentials. He is fabulous!

Mark Pleatman, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Bariatric Surgeon Profile - Mark Pleatman MD

His profile hasn't been updated, he's actually done closer to 400 sleeves. If you google him you can see his website too (it may be linked there on OH, I'm not sure).

Self-pay price for a sleeve is $11,200. The $200 is for the initial consult, which my insurance actually paid for. The $11,000 covers his fee, the hospital fee, and anesthesia, all pre-op testing (the hospital stuff, he didn't require psych or anything), and two years of follow-up visits. I've been extremely pleased with the entire experience! :001_tt2:

I had surgery on June 15 with Dr. Aceves. The whole experience has been terrific. I am now home with no complications and feel fine other than a sore throat. I Am 59 years old, have high cholesterol, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease, arthritis and had a BMI of 38. I feel like I had Nordstroms quality for JC Penny cost. My surgery cost $8750 inclusive as opposed to $23000 here at home. I stayed in the most immaculate hospital with extraordinarily attentive staff for 3 nights as opposed to 2 at home. My surgeon has done more than 700 VSG as opposed to 40 for the whole practice here in Delaware. That is why I went to Dr. Aceves, who is Board Certified and a proctor surgeon for other surgeons. Dr. Aceves follows you closely for 5 years and more if needed

I just had surgery on June 11th with Dr. James Davidson at Forest Park in Dallas. He is at Presbyterian Hospital. I'd recommend him. Self pay is $12,510, that includes everything, including up to two nights in the hospital. All aftercare up to your three month visit. They do consider you a patient for life and he wants to see you every few months if possible and annually after the first year. The staff is great, Forest Park is wonderful. Sandy, Dr. Davidson's nurse....you get her cell phone number and it is ON from 6 AM until mid-night, 365 days a year. 'Nuff said!

I will be having surgery with Dr. Tom Umbach in Las Vegas.

I also had Dr James Davidson in Dallas. He is just great. Highly recommend him, Forest Park, Sandy, and the rest of his staff!! 12,510 covers it out of pocket.

I will be sleeved with Dr. Jossart from LapSF at California Pacific Medical Center. He has done 900+ vsg's. The sticker price covers the surgery, hospital stay, anesthesia, and it includes 23 months of aftercare by the surgeon & nutritionist.

I will be sleeved by Dr. Brandon Helbling at Mid-Dakota Clinic/St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, ND. He has done hundred of sleeves with a zero complication rate. The staff are great. Insurance coverage was no problem because he is in a pilot program with BC/BS; I got approval in a week.

I wish you the best. I had a great recovery, and am on my way with a loss of 30lbs since may 12. I have not had any complications at all.

My surgeon was Dr. Robert Marvin in Houston, doctormarvin.com, he is world reknown.Aftercare is included.He is great!

I will be sleeved by Dr. Brandon Helbling at Mid-Dakota Clinic/St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, ND. He has done hundred of sleeves with a zero complication rate. The staff are great. Insurance coverage was no problem because he is in a pilot program with BC/BS; I got approval in a week.

That's interesting I would like to know more about the pilot program. My insurance refuses to cover any obesity services.