Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

looking for a fill doctor in indiana



Recommended Posts

Hi, i'm new to the forum but have been reading for a while. I had my surgery in May 2007. i'm self pay and i'm looking for a doctor who does fills in the Indiana area. my current doctor is not aggressive at ALL, i've had 2 fills so far, and he does not tell me how many cc's each fill was for, all he has told me was that the first fill was under 1 cc, and the second fill was under .5 cc. Since I am self pay, i am very concious of the fact that he is going so slowly when other doctors are more aggressive with fills. i can't help but think that he is taking his time with the fills so that he can make more money off of me.

i would appreciate any info or advice you all could send my way.

thanks,

-ifonly

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I drive 5 hours each way to see Dr. Trace Curry. He's in Cincinatti Ohio, I don't know how far that is for you but he is fabulous. I was self pay too and there are fill doctors 30 min.s from me that will fill Mexican patients but I only trust Dr. Curry with my band. He's done thousands and very affordable and hits my port first time. He is really good. He answers the complications threads questions on here. You can search on here for Dr. Curry and read lots about him and here is his webpage:

Trace W. Curry, M.D. Lap Band Surgeon :: Home

Hugs,

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am going to use Dr. Allen in Lou. Ky. Right across the river from Jeffersonville In. I have not had the first fill yet tho. Donna

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you in Northern Indiana, mid or southern?? My Dr in Northern Indiana charges 75.00 per fill. Then you have 10 days from the fill to get it readjusted.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I will be having surgery soon with Dr. Clark in Indy. Since I haven't had surgery yet I can't say much except that he seems wonderful. I am actually driving 3+ hours to have him do the surgery. I did a lot of searches for docs closer to home, but when I met him I knew that he is the right dr. for me - just one of those weird unexplicable gut feelings.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I live in Michigan and will be having Dr. Steven clark in Indy do my surgery - in a few weeks I hope. Although I haven't had much contact with him I just know he is the right dr for me. Amy at his office has been unbelievable helpful. the name of his practice is Premier Bariatrics

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ok sorry about that double message. For some reason I thought the first one didn't post. Not too savvy when it comes to message boards...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you in Northern Indiana, mid or southern?? My Dr in Northern Indiana charges 75.00 per fill. Then you have 10 days from the fill to get it readjusted.

thanks to each of you for the information...i really appreciate it. jillrn, does your dr also charge an office visit for the fill? what is the total cost when you go in to get a fill. if it is just $75, it might be worth it to drive up. i'm in indianapolis.

one of the things that is most concerning to me is that my current doctor does not tell me how many cc's he is putting in. if i ask, he tells me that i don't need to know. i find that troubling, considering it's MY body. also, if he's just putting in a very tiny amount, how will i be able to compare with other doctors to see if he is using standard/normal proceedures? How do I know if he is intentionally only putting in trace amounts to make sure I have to come in for more visits?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow,

I would be upset too. Dr. Curry always asks me how much I want in and then he gives me his opinion and then we usually meet in the middle and he always pulls in what is in there to let me know exactly how much fill I have. To me it would be essential in keeping up with it. Just my opinion.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't get discouraged. Your MD is more than likely trying to take it slow to avoid adjustments problems. Not to take more money. If you really believed that - he probably should not have been your first choice of a surgeon. I believe that they train to help people but yes they do have to make a living. If you check into the literature posted by the surgeons with the most experience...obrien, felding, allen, ortiz === all recommend a formulated pathway for adjustments. Your surgeon is probably going with the most experience instead of free lancing the adjustments. Too agressive of adjustments can lead you to problems. Since you are self pay, you do not want to increase your risk of problems. The smaller adjustments every 4-6 weeks give you time to adjust to your eating patterns. The weight loss will come!!! Hang in there:) Also there are 5 different size bands. I would not worry about the adjustment amount....I would concentrate on the things you can control....diet, excercise, making healthier choices, meal planning, educating yourself on nutrition and moving ahead with your new healthy lifestyle. Talk to other patients of your MD for support. Hopefully, your first 12 months were included in your financial package because the majority of the adjustments take place in the first 3-6 months. Dr Keith McEwen advises against telling patients their Fluid amount because there is a pathway that is followed and should be followed for the best results. So the only reason you really should feel that you need to know the amount is if your switching surgeons. However, when they draw back- they would be able to see the amount. There are many things that influence the adjustments, amounts, size of bands, what you tell the doctor....so I would not worry....money is probably the last thing coming to your doctors mind. My doctor rarely knows who used insurance and who is private pay....usually only if the patient tells him. Most doctors are there for your surgery and surgical recovery....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

IF you are a self pay patient - usually your adjustments are free for a year...if you are insurance....are you saying that your copay is not worth your life back...the surgeons follow guidelines. I doubt that he is only giving you trace amounts for some kind of purpose. Every surgeon is different so why try to compare. But if you aren't happy then move on............. my doctor, Keith McEwen will not adjust other surgeons bands but he is good but there are plenty of docs out there who will in Indiana. As for a doctor asking you how much YOU want in...scary unless you have some type of medical degree. It is YOUR BODY but you did not fall into the morbid obese category by knowing what was best! I know I did not get to a BMI of 32 because I was an expert on weightloss! :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Are you in Northern Indiana, mid or southern?? My Dr in Northern Indiana charges 75.00 per fill. Then you have 10 days from the fill to get it readjusted.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi. I had my surgery in Detroit and I am looking for a surgeon who will do a fill in Northern Indiana? does you doctor do them and if so what is his or her name and what city are they in? Thanks!. Jenny

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×