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Dr. Podkameni

Papillon

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted

Has anyone had WLS from Dr. Podkameni? He is one of the surgeons at Banner Gateway in Arizona.

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted (edited)

I had my last weigh-in this morning. Waiting on insurance approval to come through. Dr. Podkameni and his staff Donna and Janice have been wonderful. It is also very impressive to note that his staff trusts him enough to have this surgery too. Two of his staff (maybe more) have had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy and they are doing great!! Inspiring! :thumbup:

Edited by Papillon

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BubbaCrabb    0

BubbaCrabb
Posted

Hey there. I had surgery from Dr. Podkameni. I know this is pretty late, I generally enjoyed my experience with Banner Bariatric. Dr. P is really cool. The rest of the staff so so. Send me an email if you want any more info.

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted (edited)

Dr. Podkameni was wonderful. He took great care of my husband and I. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a very skilled surgeon in Arizona. He takes a bit to warm up to you (trying to keep that patient doctor distance) but, he is very friendly once you get past this part. He checked in on my husband and I daily when we were in the hospital. I am so glad he was our surgeon. He is professional and very skilled. The anastesiologist Dr. Wang was wonderful too. He took the extra time to talk to me about the surgery and what was needed for anastesia. I am a singer (as most of you guys know) so it was very important to me. He was willing to take extra precautions and I have not had any problems with my voice. I was able to sing at a voice lesson one week after surgery. Stamina is still coming back but there is nothing causing problems and I am very happy about that!!! :)

Edited by Papillon

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted

a little over a month out now and I am singing with no problems! My stamina has returned full force and I am able to sing the same repetoire I was before surgery. Bring on the Puccini and Verdi. :) I am so happy I went with Dr. Podkameni. He took extra care with my surgery because of my voice and has been very good to me and my husband. He is a very skilled surgeon and has taken the time to really get to know us and make sure we are following his suggestions. I can't believe it has only been a month... it feels like so much longer.

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted

I have UHC insurance and the entire surgery was covered. I had a $150.00 copay and a few other doctor visit charges.

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azsenior    12

azsenior
Posted

Unfortunately, Dr. P. has left Banner Bariatrics for a practice in Northern NJ--Bergen County, I think. He was my surgeon for two months of my three month pre-op and I liked him very much. I have now been assigned to Dr. Chen who, so far, I like equally as well. I agree with BubbaCrab so far in the assessment of some of the office staff as being so-so, particularly the insurance clerk.

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Papillon    7

Papillon
Posted

Unfortunately, Dr. P. has left Banner Bariatrics for a practice in Northern NJ--Bergen County, I think. He was my surgeon for two months of my three month pre-op and I liked him very much. I have now been assigned to Dr. Chen who, so far, I like equally as well. I agree with BubbaCrab so far in the assessment of some of the office staff as being so-so, particularly the insurance clerk.

He will be missed! My husband and I both really admired him and appreciated his expertise for this surgery.

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mrsnate    55

mrsnate
Posted

Dr. Podkameni is back! I have an appointment with him this Monday. Nervous and excited! I am in my 6 month of supervised weight loss. Hoping for a quick approval. :)

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amyb88    0

amyb88
Posted

Dr. Podkameni is my sugeon--I liked him a lot during my initial consultation. I am in my six-month supervised exercise/diet insurance requirement, but everything is great so far! Hoping to have surgery in November.

Amy

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susanfaye    162

susanfaye
Posted

I'm scheduled with Dr. Chen on Monday. I have had nothing but excellent patient care with Banner. Gateway. Cara Codner has been an absolute God Send in getting my auths and approvals! I would recommend this facility to anyone!

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mztialady    38

mztialady
Posted

Dr P is my surgeon. I am scheduled for 10/1. I really like him. He is very honest and up front. That's what I need. I love the staff. The are super supportive and encouraging.

ON another note, during the pre op diet phase, did you mix your Protein shakes with Water or almond milk?

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amyb88    0

amyb88
Posted

It is my understanding that only Water may be used with Protein Shakes during the pre-op liquid diet. Almond milk is not listed as an option in the binder of instructions received during the three-hour class. I was told to take a very literal interpretation of the instructions and to follow them exactly. If we have any questions beyond that, we should consult with someone at the Banner Bariatric Clinic and to follow the recommendations specific to our own program. Hope this helps!

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Go To Topic Listing Weight Loss Surgeons & Hospitals

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    • KeeWee

      KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.

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