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Hidden Costs for self-pay?



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Most of the surgeons for self pay are very good about giving you a full price up front. It's insurance that's a hassle, honestly. The hardest part now is picking your surgeon and deciding how to pay!

I researched three surgeons for self pay - Dr. Nick Nicholson (Plano, TX), Dr. Trace Curry (Cincinnati, OH) and Dr. Aceves (Mexico). After much deliberation I opted to go with Dr. Aceves. He was cheaper ($8,700 for surgery) but that wasn't my full motivation. I have insurance that does not cover the sleeve at all and flew from Germany to have my procedure. I wanted a longer hospital stay before my return flight home. I felt I got much more bang for my buck with Dr. Aceves, and it was several thousand dollars cheaper, too, even including my travel. I paid $10K for everything including my flights, medications in Mexico (I brought them home with me) and my extra hotel night (I had to pay for one night on my own because my international flight landed the night before).

Find a reputable surgeon with believable positive testimonies online. Then find people here and on OH (that aren't working for the surgeon!) to share their experiences. Scour the web for positive AND negative reviews. Read BOTH. Make an informed decision before you go forward.

I have paid nothing else for my surgery. My PCM resumed my care - they saw me shortly after one year post op and did my blood panel with no issues. I didn't bother getting a prescription for my omeprazole because my insurance gets charged about three times what I pay for it myself and that's just ridiculous. I also by all of my own supplements and Protein shakes, too, but that's not exactly a hidden cost.

The worry comes when you fall into that 1% group with complications. Weigh that carefully. Nobody expects to be that person. A way to minimize that risk is of course to be very careful about selecting your surgeon. But there is risk with any surgery, and should complications arise you could find yourself footing the bill if you pick the wrong surgeon.

Best of luck. Start researching and take your time. This is a big choice to make. The good news is that once you do decide, things move quite quickly.

~Cheri

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You are all soooo helpful. I love the support on this forum.

I will definitely do my homework. I hope to post when I have a decision as I move forward...

:)

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I was going to use Dr. Alvarez but decided to try the insurance route 1st (and I will use him if I get denied). I was really impressed with the support staff. I had already had a date scheduled and paid my deposit. When I cancelled my deposit was refunded within 48 hours and were just as friendly and helpful and when they were taking my money. They have since contacted me just to check in. I know that this is just good customer service and they are following up on a potential client, but I have to admit that the entire staff made me feel like I was important and that they cared about my weight loss journey. (Which is more than I can say for the "center of excellence" staff that I am currently using. Who could care less about me but will charge my insurance almost 10x what Dr. Alvarez charges.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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