Hi there,

I am considering Dr. Kirshenbaum in Aurora, CO (www.lapbandrockies.com) I know that there are a few of you in LBT that went to him. I am interested in knowing your thoughts on him and if you have had any complications. I am just a little leary since the price is so low, there is little on the internet about him, and I will be traveling from WI to have this done. Any information you could provide would be much apppreciated...

Thanks!

Sheila:)

I didn't know he did tummy tucks. Does he do anything else? What does something like that run? Mind you, I am way long ways from that, but I can't imagine there won't be need.

The breast lift should make you happier, even if you don't get implants. It's not worth the worry. I always thought I would never consider such a thing, but now I am older and can appreciate how some lift has benefits.

Oh, I'm not having it with Dr. K. It's a plastic surgeon here in Salt Lake who does quite a bit of work with weight loss patients. I'm paying $9600 total for the two procedures. Not bad, in my opinion.

Oh, I'm not having it with Dr. K. It's a plastic surgeon here in Salt Lake who does quite a bit of work with weight loss patients. I'm paying $9600 total for the two procedures. Not bad, in my opinion.

I think that is very good! I was quoted just over $13K for a pannus removal and an arm lift. I bet you're so excited!

I think that is very good! I was quoted just over $13K for a pannus removal and an arm lift. I bet you're so excited!

I am excited. I was actually thinking that it was a good price, and that it might be worth your while to talk to my doctor. Salt Lake is certainly a whole lot closer than Mexico. Not sure about the anesthesia stuff though.

OK, went in for my first fill today. I wish I could've had Dr. K do it, but I couldn't make it back. Ended up with a PA, which will not happen again. I thought I was getting the doctor. He took a good five sticks to get the port, which was outside the numbed area, so that was a waste. They added 2cc's of fluid, in spite of my telling him I have GERD and having fluid back up into my esophagus is not good. He just said that WAS what they wanted and I really don't think he understood at all. So, needless to say, my GERD is just horrible right now. I will probably have to go back and have fluid removed. Actually, I will if this doesn't stop.

I wanted to jump in here and ask a couple questions about Dr. Kirshenbaum. I am not banded yet and was wondering if uses a fluoroscope for the fills? Also, I had asked in a previous post, but got no response about financing with Dr. Kirshenbaum. It looks like to me they work with a couple different finance companies. What method did you find to be the best and if you had to finance the whole thing, about how much was the monthly payment? I don't want to apply for a loan quite yet, until I get my consults, etc., so I'm not sure what the loan terms usually are. Thanks!

I wanted to jump in here and ask a couple questions about Dr. Kirshenbaum. I am not banded yet and was wondering if uses a fluoroscope for the fills? Also, I had asked in a previous post, but got no response about financing with Dr. Kirshenbaum. It looks like to me they work with a couple different finance companies. What method did you find to be the best and if you had to finance the whole thing, about how much was the monthly payment? I don't want to apply for a loan quite yet, until I get my consults, etc., so I'm not sure what the loan terms usually are. Thanks!

Hi vjsmiles,

Welcome! No, Dr. K doesn't use fluoroscope for his fills. He charges $15.00 for each fill after the initial 3 months which are free.

About the financing, I'm not sure if anyone here used financing to get their Band. I didn't. I used my divorce settlement money for mine.

I know Capitalone has medical financing and some other companies do too. Do you live here in the Denver area? Maybe you could meet with Dr. K and then sit down with Natalie or Marilyn (in his office) and see what financing they suggest.

Sorry no one answered your financing question previously, but it might be that the few that did finance aren't regular posters here.

Good Luck!

OK, went in for my first fill today. I wish I could've had Dr. K do it, but I couldn't make it back. Ended up with a PA, which will not happen again. I thought I was getting the doctor. He took a good five sticks to get the port, which was outside the numbed area, so that was a waste. They added 2cc's of fluid, in spite of my telling him I have GERD and having fluid back up into my esophagus is not good. He just said that WAS what they wanted and I really don't think he understood at all. So, needless to say, my GERD is just horrible right now. I will probably have to go back and have fluid removed. Actually, I will if this doesn't stop.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience! That sucks! I honestly have never had more than one poke to get a fill. I have a friend at work who has a band and she always gets poked 6 or 7 times. Her port area is always very bruised after her fills. (she has a different doc, NOT Dr K)

It also sounds like the PA has no idea what GERD is or what needs to be done to manage it with the Band.

Edited July 16, 200917 yr by PrtyAntOvrYt

I am excited. I was actually thinking that it was a good price, and that it might be worth your while to talk to my doctor. Salt Lake is certainly a whole lot closer than Mexico. Not sure about the anesthesia stuff though.

Are you having your surgery in the hospital or in a surgicenter? Can you please PM me his name when you have time? thanks!!!

Sorry about the BOOM-BOOM problem. I feel your pain, sista! Miralax really does the trick fo me. I had some terrible problems after my first restriction and someone on this website told me about it. I take about 1/2 a dose two or three nights a week before bed and I haven't had a problem since. Of course, I am eating better now too.

The new furniture sounds lovely. I've been eyeing my own living room lately. I'll have my surgery paid off in December:tongue2:, so I'll start looking after then.

Mary

Hi VJsmiles.

Since being banded in Nov of '08, I have had a total of 4 fills in Dr. K's office. Three were with him and one was with his PA. In all four fills, they got it the first time and without the flourescope. Dr. K. and his staff are absolute experts in this field.

I had set up financing through one of the companies that is linked to Dr. K's website and got approved. They sent a letter to his office verifying they would pay for the surgery. They were very easy to work with, and had a variety of payment plans. I ended up cancelling the loan because we had been saving for a new vehicle for awhile, and given how little interest it was earning in savings, we decided to pay cash. I'll have savings paid back in full by December, and my sweet husband will have his nest-egg back for his next truck.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Mary

What method did you find to be the best and if you had to finance the whole thing, about how much was the monthly payment?

Hi VJ. I actually put the whole thing on my Frontier credit card to get the airline miles, then transferred the entire balance to a zero interest (for 18 months) credit card offer I got in the mail. May as well get some miles for that kind of money. If I don't get it paid off by the time the interest rate goes up, I'll just transfer it again to another zero interest card. Good luck.

I financed through surgeryloans.com

Glad I did. It made things go quickly and I could never have saved that kind of money.

Dr. K is great. I have had 4 fills, all with him. One stick for each fill.

I looked into the financing, but ended up borrowing from family. Much better rates. Some places charge the doctor a fee and Dr. K doesn't accept those, so make sure you ask about that.

I went back in this morning and they took out 1cc of the 2cc's they put in. I felt better within minutes. I just get so frustrated having to explain again and again about the GERD and how that has to dictate how the band works for me. It's the reason I got the band, to control the GERD as nothing else helped and I couldn't have the nissan procedure. I had a horrible night and I felt like death warmed over with pretty much every symptom of GERD. Their thinking is just restrict for weight loss. They told me I was going to be an exception to the general rules. I think they might have got it. At least he got the port on the first stick this time, but my belly is sore tonight.

Looking for opinions.....

I went in for a fill Tuesday (not Dr K) and the surgeon told me that only eating 600-700 calories a day is fine. He said " people in concentration camps ate less than that and still lost weight" (On a seperate note I found that somewhat disturbing and inappropriate....not sure why... maybe it's just me???? :scared2:)

He said that whole body going into startvation mode is just a wives tail.

Any thoughts on this????

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Also....

Since the fill I have been gurgling in my throat when drinking water... I thought that meant you might be a bit overfilled...but I can eat popcorn. Go figure.

Looking for opinions.....

I went in for a fill Tuesday (not Dr K) and the surgeon told me that only eating 600-700 calories a day is fine. He said " people in concentration camps ate less than that and still lost weight" (On a seperate note I found that somewhat disturbing and inappropriate....not sure why... maybe it's just me???? :scared2:)

He said that whole body going into startvation mode is just a wives tail.

Any thoughts on this????

*********************************

Also....

Since the fill I have been gurgling in my throat when drinking water... I thought that meant you might be a bit overfilled...but I can eat popcorn. Go figure.

I don't agree with your doctor. I know that you can lose on ultra low calories, but over the long term it just damages your metabolism. Your body forces itself to become used to living on very low cals. I believe this to be true and then when you're at goal and you would like to eat 1200 calories or a little more, you cannot without gaining weight. Can a person eat a balanced diet on 600-800 cals? Are they able to eat fruit, veggies, whole grains and Proteins? I don't think so. WE all want to lose weight, but do we want to damage our bodies in the process? Our bodies need all the nutrients that other's need. We can't obtain all of our Vitamins and minerals from a pill.

For many years through high school and college, I lived on restricted diets. I'd go 4 or more days with eating only 300- 400 cals. Then I'd do liquid fasts. I'd lose and keep it off as long as I kept my cals extremely restricted. As soon as I ate anything - anything at all, I'd gain. The same is true for people who lose a lot of weight with things like Optifast. Oprah lost all of that weight. She said, that the day after her coming out show - when she had that wagon filled with all of fat equalling all the weight she lost - she ate a real Breakfast and a real lunch and no dinner - she gained 5 lbs. People told her that was impossible, but her doctor told her exactly what I had said, that her body had to slow it's metabolism way down to maintain life and energy - it became used to sustaining life on 400-600 cals a day. Oprah learned at that time, she would never do another one of those diets. Luther Vandross lived on those diets. He'd lose weight fast on the Optifasts and other restrictive diets and then gain it back. It was a vicious cycle for him. He died a young man of a stroke.

Just some food for thought.

I agree I think it was pretty rude to compare obese people to the poor jews in the comcentration camps.

Lastly, popcorn is a slider food for me. Does the Water griggle up after you've eaten or on an empty stomach? When I have perfect restriction the water griggles up when I drink after that 1 hour post meals.