Hi,

I have a dilemma I need help with! I am getting the Lap Band surgery on June 26th and I spoke to my patient coordinator for Dr. Joya and he said for an additional $2,000 I could have Dr. Saldana lipo out my double chin fat that I HATE while I am under for Lap Band at same time. I have a little double chin even when I am skinny, everyone in my family has that fatty deposit there. What do you guys think? Should I weight until I lose weight? Would there be a complication or may it turn out ugly if I do it now? Your opinion means a lot! Oh, I'm 5"8 and about 235 lbs the last time I checked (doing pre op diet).

Thanks!

Alysha

If it were ME I would wait. You need to focus on Your band now and get that down before you add to the stress with an additional surgery. Not only that in a year you may need it to be done again. Why go through that twice? Just my .02 Good luck

I think I would do it. It is highly unlikely that you will regain fat in the chin area as you are losing weight. Since this is something you want done anyway, I would think it would be nice to recover from both at the same time and just have the anesthesia ONCE.

Hi, I have several questions for you. I really hope you don't mind. I have recently joined this group and need some questions answered. I noticed your BMI was only 35-36. Are you paying for this surgery out of your own pocket? Did you attempt to get your insurance to help you and got no assistance? Do you mind telling me how much this is costing you? Maybe you are just independently wealthy and money is not an issue at all. I have been looking at the prices of this surgery here in the U.S. and it is anywhere between $15,000 - $22,000. That is a lot of money to me!!!! Maybe I am looking at this all wrong, but the thought of spending that kind of money on myself makes me feel so guilty. Does anyone else here have any similar feelings? I have not even gone to a medical doctor for this procedure, because of this total feeling of guilt and lonliness in this entire matter. You ladies seem to be able to express yourself better than I do concerning this matter. I am just totally depressed and anxious about the entire ordeal........Please address some of these feelings and concerns. :help::help:

Hi, I have several questions for you. I really hope you don't mind. I have recently joined this group and need some questions answered. I noticed your BMI was only 35-36. Are you paying for this surgery out of your own pocket? Did you attempt to get your insurance to help you and got no assistance? Do you mind telling me how much this is costing you? Maybe you are just independently wealthy and money is not an issue at all. I have been looking at the prices of this surgery here in the U.S. and it is anywhere between $15,000 - $22,000. That is a lot of money to me!!!! Maybe I am looking at this all wrong, but the thought of spending that kind of money on myself makes me feel so guilty. Does anyone else here have any similar feelings? I have not even gone to a medical doctor for this procedure, because of this total feeling of guilt and lonliness in this entire matter. You ladies seem to be able to express yourself better than I do concerning this matter. I am just totally depressed and anxious about the entire ordeal........Please address some of these feelings and concerns. :help::help:

Hi, yes I tried to get approved by insurance but they told me know even though I had a few co-morbidities. I am going to Mexico to have this procedure with Dr. Joya and it is costing me $8000 - that includes airfare, surgery, hotel. No, I am not rich, but I make a nice living and am fairly succesful. I am paying for this cash, not financing. It definitely is a tidy sum and will take a chunk out of my savings, however, being healthy and pain free and feeling good about myself is priceless. I believe that once I am on the road to being healthy again I will be that more happy and will make even more money (less time off work, more energy, more sales, etc.)

You could get 100 different opinions! You have to do what you feel is right.

I wouldn't do it for me. I needed to time to get used to the band and not think about the pain I am in from lipo. Even though the band didn't cause me a lot of pain, it took a lot of energy to eat right and come up to speed being a good banster.

Good luck...........

Nope. I wouldn't. Wait until you've recovered, lost weight. See how you look.

Chin liposuction doesn't cost very much, even here in Dallas, where plastic surgery is rivalled in frequency only by California.

Besides, doesn't it smack a little of nepotism? Or feel a little too much like coersion? Who brought it up? You or him?

Sounds like he's just wringing more money out of you.

Besides, liposuction hurts.

Nope. I wouldn't. Wait until you've recovered, lost weight. See how you look.

Chin liposuction doesn't cost very much, even here in Dallas, where plastic surgery is rivalled in frequency only by California.

Besides, doesn't it smack a little of nepotism? Or feel a little too much like coersion? Who brought it up? You or him?

Sounds like he's just wringing more money out of you.

Besides, liposuction hurts.

I brought it up to the Doctor, I had no idea he had a Dr. he "referred" business to. I then googled the Dr. Saldana and saw he had some good feedback and a lot of people liked his work. I'm just wondering as someone brought up to me in a PM, maybe they are quoting me too high for the additional "work" since I will already be under anestesia.

Absolutely - I was quoted less than $2000 (a few years ago though so I'm sure it's more now) for chin lipo. I didn't do it because they kept pushing to do more - full face lift, eyelid lift and some other stuff! I'm 44 years old and have virtually NO LINES anywhere on my face - I'm frequently told I look like I'm 30. I guess that's where I got the bad taste in my mouth for plastic surgery. They just push for too much because it puts money in their pockets.

Definitely call around to different places and find out what price they quote for a chin lipo. Obviously you need to research to find a good doctor if you actually DO the lipo but you can makes calls pretty easily to find out some prices.

Hi, I have several questions for you. I really hope you don't mind. I have recently joined this group and need some questions answered. I noticed your BMI was only 35-36. Are you paying for this surgery out of your own pocket? Did you attempt to get your insurance to help you and got no assistance? Do you mind telling me how much this is costing you? Maybe you are just independently wealthy and money is not an issue at all. I have been looking at the prices of this surgery here in the U.S. and it is anywhere between $15,000 - $22,000. That is a lot of money to me!!!! Maybe I am looking at this all wrong, but the thought of spending that kind of money on myself makes me feel so guilty. Does anyone else here have any similar feelings? I have not even gone to a medical doctor for this procedure, because of this total feeling of guilt and lonliness in this entire matter. You ladies seem to be able to express yourself better than I do concerning this matter. I am just totally depressed and anxious about the entire ordeal........Please address some of these feelings and concerns. :help::help:

I understand your concerns about spending money but spending it on yourself to improve your health is one of the best decisions you could ever make. You shouldn't feel guilty about it. After all, you're extending your life by doing so.

Additionally, there are doctors in the US that do the surgery for less than what you've listed. My surgeon, Dr. Thomas Lavin, is well-respected, experienced and was one of the first 4 proctors for Inamed. His outpatient, self-pay package price is $12,900, which includes a 23-hour hospital stay, the surgery, anesthesiologist and 1 year of follow-up care/fills. You can find more information about him and the self-pay program at www.whyweight.com.

I've also read about the Wish Center doing the surgery for non-insured, self-pay patients for $10,700. I don't know anything about them so I wouldn't feel right recommending them to you. But, I did feel it would be beneficial to pass the information along to you.

http://www.wishcenter.org/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/wish_center_lapband_special.html?D=081905

Alysha, I keep thinking about this, lol. I assume your surgeon doesnt feel that there would be any problems, issues, or complications in doing the lipo at the time of banding since his staff referred you to the lipo doc (although the price seems unreasonable). It is obviously important to you or you wouldnt have inquired with your surgeons office in the first place. I said I would probably go for it for several reasons.

You will already be at the hospital.

You will already be paying for the hospital fees, operating room, anesthesia, etc...

You have already rearranged your work schedule.

You will already be taking pain meds, if needed.

Lipo on such a small area is usually an outpatient procedure anyway.

If your doctor doesnt feel that there are any problems doing both procedures at the same time you really just need to go with your own instincts and not listen to us (me included!)!

Wow, I'm so conflicted now!!!! I wish the PS doctor wasn't in Mexico so I could ask him questions!

Why don't you get his number and call him? If you do, remember he's going to try to sell you on lipo. Don't make an instant decision because you're talking to the guy. Do all your research and then decide.

How much would it cost at a later date?????

Hi Alysha,

I had full body lipo last summer before my lapband. I had it on my belly, flanks (back fat) upper and lower thighs/knee areas and my chin. The only two places where I can honestly still see a difference from the lipo is my belly and chin. I, like you have the double chin run in my family so I wanted to get rid of it. My plastic surgeon actually didn't charge me at all for the chin lipo BUT that is b/c I was getting it in 5 other places. I definitely think 2 grand more for that is WAY TOO MUCH espc in Mexico. BTW I think you could probably get it added on in Mexico for like $500 or so. They really aren't taking much fat out at all. And it didn't hurt very much either. Not the chin area anyways. Everywhere else...VERY bad. I am also down over 40 lbs now though so I might of felt differently about the effectiveness of the chin lipo if I was still @240 lbs. You are in an advantage that you will already be under anethesia but pls try to make sure that the surgeon is qualified b/c i have seen some really nasty, messed up ps done by incompetent surgeons, even on chins. If you have any questions feel free to email me. Good luck you!!

~Liz~

banded 03/10/06

Dr.Ortiz

241/196/150

5'7''

I probably wouldn't do lipo on my chin area before losing the weight because you don't know what the skin is going to do. If you want lipo later, you may also want them to take in the skin a little and in my opinion it would be better to just do that once, instead of having 2 procedures.

And I agree that 2k sounds like alot for them to 'add in' that procedure.