I have my very first appointment in a couple weeks and was hoping to get some feedback from others that used Dr. Miles/Alabama Weight Loss Surgery. I've read nothing but good things, but would like to hear from someone with first hand experience. Any info will be much appreciated.

I too have my first appointment in a few weeks at AL Weight Loss Surgery although I chose Dr. Schmitt. No particular reason, just liked something about him. I only know what I've read about either of them and it all sounds good. I did find someone on here who is a patient of Dr. Schmitt and she has answered many of my questions. Hopefully you'll be able to find others who see Dr. Miles.

I opted for Dr. Miles because I wanted the earliest available appointment and it was him. My appointment is Monday, December 22nd. From what all I've read, they both seem very impressive. I have a running list of questions to ask. I'm curious what their requirements are for the preOp diet. I still have 6 months of insurance-required weight loss attempt, so it will be a while before I'm to the point of actually doing the preOp diet, but inquiring minds want to know lol.

I also would like to know what/if Vitamins they require postOp. Also, if they send me home with blood thinner injections. These are just a few of my questions. Like I said, inquiring minds want to know lol.

I was curious about the pre op diet too. The lady I talked to on here said depending on your weight Dr. Schmitt usually does 1-2 weeks.

I had my first appointment with Dr. Miles and I am impressed with both him and the staff. They are very organized and extremely helpful. They sent me with a folder full of info...now I just have to get past the 6 month insurance diet.

My appointment with Dr. Schmitt is tomorrow! Can't wait!

Good luck! I hope it goes well for you. The staff there, especially Sunny the insurance coordinator, are awesome! I'd love to hear what you think after your appointment.

I am not using either of those physicians, but just wanted to say hey and good luck to you both....from another bama member!

My consultation visit went great today! Dr. Schmitt was so nice and professional and took the time to answer all of our questions without ever making me feel rushed. After talking with him I was sent to talk with Ashley, the surgery coordinator who also went out of her way to answer questions and point me into the next direction of the process. I never once felt pressured to make a decision and left feeling more confident about my decision. Dr. Schmitt said to get started I would need to do a 1 week liquid pre op diet, attend a support group meeting, nutrition class and do lab work. Sounds easy enough, just gotta get this hard headed hubby of mine on board...now that's where the work comes in lol!

That sounds awesome! Sounds like you're on the fast track lol.

My BMI is 35 and because I have no medical issues my insurance will not cover this so I'll have to do self-pay. Guess that kind of speeds things up a bit.

Hi Ladies,

Dr. Miles did my sleeve June 2014, and I was very pleased with him and the procedure. I recently passed my six month mark, and I am down about 60 lbs. I have had NO complications, and I feel completely normal now only I get full really fast. I have absolutely no regrets. I only wish I had done it sooner. I, too, was self pay. I would happily answer any questions you might have.

Good luck to both of you! I am excited for you. You are going to LOVE your new life!

Hi Ladies,

Dr. Miles did my sleeve June 2014, and I was very pleased with him and the procedure. I recently passed my six month mark, and I am down about 60 lbs. I have had NO complications, and I feel completely normal now only I get full really fast. I have absolutely no regrets. I only wish I had done it sooner. I, too, was self pay. I would happily answer any questions you might have.

Good luck to both of you! I am excited for you. You are going to LOVE your new life!

Reading stories like yours make my 6 month insurance requirement seem like an eternity lol. Did you have a drain after your surgery? How painful was the staple removal?

Yes, I had a drain, and I dreaded having it removed the next morning, but it was absolutely a piece of cake. It was out in less than 2 seconds, and there was no pain. It did feel a little weird coming out, but there was no pain. Because it was a four hour drive for me to return to Dr. Mile's office, my husband actually removed the staples at home, and again, there was no pain. (Note: I do not recommend taking your own staples out. It requires a special tool, which we had because of my husband's line of work.)

Hi Ladies,

Dr. Miles did my sleeve June 2014, and I was very pleased with him and the procedure. I recently passed my six month mark, and I am down about 60 lbs. I have had NO complications, and I feel completely normal now only I get full really fast. I have absolutely no regrets. I only wish I had done it sooner. I, too, was self pay. I would happily answer any questions you might have.

Good luck to both of you! I am excited for you. You are going to LOVE your new life!

So nice to hear from you and thank you for reply. It definitely makes this easier hearing positive stories such as yours! Dr. Schmitt said that he and Dr. Miles had been discussing the idea of removing the tube on the same day of surgery before discharge. He said there wasn't any huge benefit to leaving it in an extra day and believes they will start doing that very soon which was music to my ears since my surgery would be outpatient!

@@Beautiful Mess and @Gammy10

Do you mind me asking what your total out of pocket cost was for self pay? I read on their website the all inclusive price is $11,900 but sometimes those figures can be misleading.

Also- What was the total time frame from your initial appointment to surgery date?

I am in TN and dealing with insurance nonsense and would rather just bite the bullet and pay OOP if I can do it for under $12k.