I just found out my surgeon's office charges $20 a meeting to attend the support group meetings. Is this normal? It's not that I can't afford the $20, but it just seems like bad taste to have the in-house psychiatrist charging money for a support group.

Has anyone else been frustrated with their surgeon center? I swear every dealing I've had with them has been an issue. First my one and only nutrition meeting was a bust because the dietician kept dozing off while she was talking. She was sick and I felt bad for her, but now that I'm sitting here one week post-op struggling with what I can eat, I see that I could've used a dietician who was at her best. Then the Friday before my Monday morning surgery, the scheduler called to tell me that there were problems with some of my pre-op tests and some of them hadn't even been completed, and she left it to me, on a Friday afternoon, to deal with it all. I spent the whole weekend before my surgery literally sick with anxiety before it was all cleared up on Monday morning, a couple hours before surgery. Turns out the scheduler was looking at the wrong file on the computer. No apology or anything. There's no consistency and I deal with a different person every single time. I made my required follow-up appointment with a specific Physician's Assistant, the one person in that office that has been professional, and I find out I'm seeing another PA, not the one I made the appointment with.

It seems like most people love their surgeon center and they've been really helpful to them. I feel like the second they got my money (I'm self-pay, $23,000 cash upfront, every penny I'd saved and borrowed for the last four years in order to do this) they left me on my own. Literally. i came home from the hospital with no prescription for pain meds. I had to call my General Physician's answering service on a Friday night so he could write me a prescription for something stronger than over the counter Tylenol. They have all this advertising on youtube about how they care for their patients and see them through this process, and that wasn't my experience at all. It seems at the very least they should have a point person to talk to.

I thought when my surgery was over I would be able to let it all go as long as I came out of it with the correct procedure done (which I did thank God! I was so worried after the wrong file fiasco), but because I still have to deal with them and their disorganization and now to find out they charge for support group meetings. I'm so angry at them!

Wow! I started off self pay with the same surgeon who did my lap-band surgery five years ago. He has support meetings, etc that are no-charge. I did decide to change to a different doc and they too offer ongoing support. It's mostly email and online support but I can email the doc, or NUT at any time and get a very timely response.

For 23k they should be kissing your butt pre-op and post-op (and include post-op support care)!

I just found out my surgeon's office charges $20 a meeting to attend the support group meetings. Is this normal? It's not that I can't afford the $20, but it just seems like bad taste to have the in-house psychiatrist charging money for a support group.

Has anyone else been frustrated with their surgeon center? I swear every dealing I've had with them has been an issue. First my one and only nutrition meeting was a bust because the dietician kept dozing off while she was talking. She was sick and I felt bad for her, but now that I'm sitting here one week post-op struggling with what I can eat, I see that I could've used a dietician who was at her best. Then the Friday before my Monday morning surgery, the scheduler called to tell me that there were problems with some of my pre-op tests and some of them hadn't even been completed, and she left it to me, on a Friday afternoon, to deal with it all. I spent the whole weekend before my surgery literally sick with anxiety before it was all cleared up on Monday morning, a couple hours before surgery. Turns out the scheduler was looking at the wrong file on the computer. No apology or anything. There's no consistency and I deal with a different person every single time. I made my required follow-up appointment with a specific Physician's Assistant, the one person in that office that has been professional, and I find out I'm seeing another PA, not the one I made the appointment with.

It seems like most people love their surgeon center and they've been really helpful to them. I feel like the second they got my money (I'm self-pay, $23,000 cash upfront, every penny I'd saved and borrowed for the last four years in order to do this) they left me on my own. Literally. i came home from the hospital with no prescription for pain meds. I had to call my General Physician's answering service on a Friday night so he could write me a prescription for something stronger than over the counter Tylenol. They have all this advertising on youtube about how they care for their patients and see them through this process, and that wasn't my experience at all. It seems at the very least they should have a point person to talk to.

I thought when my surgery was over I would be able to let it all go as long as I came out of it with the correct procedure done (which I did thank God! I was so worried after the wrong file fiasco), but because I still have to deal with them and their disorganization and now to find out they charge for support group meetings. I'm so angry at them!

You should have went to Mexico. I am in eagle pass, Texas in a holiday inn and in the morning the van will pick me up and drive 10 minutes over the border to dr. Alvarez for my sleeve surgery. It only cost me $8700.

Hi There - I had my surgery through the same surgical center but a different doctor. Mine was covered by insurance so maybe there are differences. I'm sorry you had that experience as mine was the total opposite, except maybe working with the schedulers. I think they have too much on their plate and the office may need more help. I think your idea of a point person is a good one. I pretty much only called and talked to 2 different people - one that handled all my pre-op appointments and requirements and the other that handled insurance and surgery scheduling.

As far as my Dr. (Dr. Rantis) was really great before, during and directly after the surgery. All of my followups have been with his PA but I haven't needed to see him as my recovery was fairly easy and uneventful. I did go home with a perscription for liquid pain medicine and omperazole - actually both written by Dr. Guske when I was released. I couldn't imagine leaving without either! I wonder what happened that you didn't have this?? Which hospital did you have your surgery? I ultimately had it at Alexian Brothers as the days my surgeon is there fit better with my schedule.

Which nutritionist did you meet with? I did not think they had any at the surgical center but I did meet with one at St. Alexius and also attended a nutritional class before surgery - both were required by my insurance company. I also met with Dr. Crane, the Nutritional Psycologist before surgery and he was good to talk with.

Did they raise the cost of the support sessions? Their website where they list all the classes and support groups still shows $10. I haven't attended any recently but they were pretty informative.

Good luck to you and I'm sure things will improve.

Hi There - I had my surgery through the same surgical center but a different doctor. Mine was covered by insurance so maybe there are differences. I'm sorry you had that experience as mine was the total opposite, except maybe working with the schedulers. I think they have too much on their plate and the office may need more help. I think your idea of a point person is a good one. I pretty much only called and talked to 2 different people - one that handled all my pre-op appointments and requirements and the other that handled insurance and surgery scheduling.

As far as my Dr. (Dr. Rantis) was really great before, during and directly after the surgery. All of my followups have been with his PA but I haven't needed to see him as my recovery was fairly easy and uneventful. I did go home with a perscription for liquid pain medicine and omperazole - actually both written by Dr. Guske when I was released. I couldn't imagine leaving without either! I wonder what happened that you didn't have this?? Which hospital did you have your surgery? I ultimately had it at Alexian Brothers as the days my surgeon is there fit better with my schedule.

Which nutritionist did you meet with? I did not think they had any at the surgical center but I did meet with one at St. Alexius and also attended a nutritional class before surgery - both were required by my insurance company. I also met with Dr. Crane, the Nutritional Psycologist before surgery and he was good to talk with.

Did they raise the cost of the support sessions? Their website where they list all the classes and support groups still shows $10. I haven't attended any recently but they were pretty informative.

Good luck to you and I'm sure things will improve.

I had my surgery at St. Alexius since it was so close to my house and the nurtitionist I saw was through there. I loved my nurses and she tried to get the Physician's Assistant to write me a prescription for liquid pain meds to take home, but the PA wouldn't because I'd gotten sick on one the day after surgery. I think I got sick because it was the first thing in my stomach after so many days of fasting and liquid only, and I was newly sleeved. Of course I was going to get sick. I ended up with a pain med drip during my stay in the hospital, and when I got home I was fine taking the liquid meds that my regular doctor wrote a script for.

Did you see just one Physician's Assistant? I don't mind seeing one, but I saw three different ones in the hospital and I'm seeing yet another one for my follow up. I initially had an appointment with Dr. Crane for clearance, but he (or someone from his office) canceled and said because I was seeing another pyschiatrist every three months, he could clear me without seeing me. Maybe because I was self-pay they just pushed me through quick. From my initial consultation to surgery was a month and a half.

My behavioral class pre-op was $10, but when I called to check the support group schedule they said the price was $20.

I had Dr. Rantis in my seminar, but I was initially thinking about lap-band and he wasn't that positive about lap-band, so I went with Dr. Guske, even though I ended up changing my mind to the sleeve anyway. Thinking back on the seminar, it did seem like Dr. Rantis was a little more hands on with his patients.

That's pretty messed up to charge for a support group, unless they're willing to provide actual therapy in it.

There are two large hospitals in my area. One wanted $550 for six months of support groups/surgery prep and the other one didn't. Can you guess where I went ? My insurance covered my surgery. The hospital has about 6 different support groups a month, all free. Plus, they have their own forum like VST that is monitored by the office staff. I really feel like my office cares about us, to just their wallet. So sorry you are going through this. Does it sound very professional what so ever.