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

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,

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

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.

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.

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

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...

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?

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.

Dr Allen charges 1100 for a years worth of fills. Donna

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....

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!

I'm looking to move to Indiana and had my surgery done in Mexico. Anyone have any recommendations for fill dr.s?

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.

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