Hello I'm Roxanna, I'm a nurse from Central Florida. After two and a half years of research and studying all the options for weight loss surgery, I have finally decided on the solution that is best for me. I am going to get the Lap-Band!!!

About a year ago I almost had the gastric bypass surgery mainly because I was at my witts end, and that was the only thing that my insurance would pay for. I went through the entire process and was just awaiting to be given a surgery date. Suddenly, I realized that I was actually being pressured into having the gastric bypass only because of my insurance. All my medical knowledge, and common sense told me to get the Hell out of there, and that I did. I canceled the surgery, and decided that my life & health should not be held hostage to the insurance company. I needed to take charge of my health and my life and never ever compromise on the things that are important to me ever again. I trusted my instinct, and I am so glad that I did.

After continuing my research over the past year, I have finally decided that the Lap-Band is the best choice for me. I need the help that this tool can give me, but at the same time I can keep what is valuable to me. I want my organs to stay intact and left just as God made them. I love that it is adjustable and can be adjusted as my body changes. I feel secure knowing that if something were to go wrong, it can always be removed.

Of course, my insurance would pay for a mutilating, dangerous, & more expensive surgery, but they will not pay for the Lap-Band surgery that is the total opposite. So, I will be a self pay, as many of you are also. I have chosen my surgeon to be Dr. Ariel Ortiz in Tijuana, Mexico. I have chosen him for many reasons. The most important reason is his experience and expertise. As a patient and a nurse, I would much rather have the teacher than the student, be holding the scapel. This is very important! I know that medical school is important and so is who teaches you, but the real skill and expertise comes when you do it in the real world. Practice makes perfect, is really true. So having a surgeon that has top experience and that is also a proctor/teacher to other surgeons all over the world, is very important to me.

I still need to make arrangements to have a follow up doc locally. I am hoping to get Dr. Grossbard. He not only is local but also was Banded by Dr. Ortiz himself, and he also was proctored by him, and he also works with Dr. Ortiz in Cancun. If I can not get in with him, I will probably just go back to Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana for all my fills.

So, I will be scheduling my surgery very soon. I hope to get to know you all better. I really love this site, and I hope I can make a difference to others as you have to me. If anyone has any suggestions or helpful comments, please let me know.

Roxanna: So glad that you did your homework. That is so important in this journey. I too am a nurse. I was a RN Cancer nurse for 8 years and then retired early. Found me a man. LOL!!! Anyway I digress, there are several people on this site that have went to Ortiz and I am sure they will chime in to lend their input. The aftercare is really important and I am so glad to hear that you are already trying to line that up.

Good Luck and anything I can personally do just let me know.

Roxanna,

I live in St. Petersburg, and was banded by Dr. Grossbard last week. I dont think Dr. G is filling anyone who is banded from Mexico anymore but if you call his office Barbara can assist you. Where in FL do you live? Have you been to one of his seminars or any seminars regarding the band? When I was researching the band I was told not to leave the state, due to the special aftercare that we require. People indicated that I probably did not want to be hopping on a plane, or go to NY for my fill and then get home only to realize that I needed a slight adjustment. I am not trying to discourage you from getting your surgery in Mexico, but I just wanted to share what other shared with me, when I was planning to go to NY to see Dr. Ren one of the most experienced in the US.

So far no regrets, LOL, I am still in the liquid phase so we will see. But I have lost 21 pounds and feel great.

Hi Roxanna, welcome to LBT.

Of course, my insurance would pay for a mutilating, dangerous, & more expensive surgery, but they will not pay for the Lap-Band surgery that is the total opposite.

How crazy, but most insurance company's are the same as yours. I had to do a little (not much) phone work to get mine to pay... it was worth it though!

Good luck

Thanks everyone! Rachel, Maybe if I beg and pled Dr. Grossbard will let me in!! lol. Hay, How much does Dr. Grossbard charge here in Florida? I know if you go to Cancun, Mx Grossbard and Ortiz team up and charge $13,500. Then you guaranteed to to get Grossbard here in Florida for your follow up. I'm sure he charges more here, but do you know how much? Wow, you are really doing great. Hang in there through that liquid phase. Is it really hard? Paula, Really you got your insurance to pay for it? Who is your insurance? and what did you say to convience them?

Roxanna,

I believe my surgery was around 16,000. I wish I had insurance help. How much are flights and hotels going to run 6-10 times in the next year to Mexico? There are alot of people who have gone to mexico on this site, if you type in mexico surgeries or something like it in the search I bet you will find alot of info. Where in Fla are you?

Roxanna, Congratulations! So glad that you've done careful research. Like already stated, please be sure that you have your after care lined up before you get your band. Best of luck to you!

For me, Mexico is a $98 round trip flight, 50 minutes, down in the morning and back at night same day..... so $98 plus the fill of $110 is $208 plus some incidentals so I figure about $225 each trip. I am under the impression that fills in US are wayyyyy more expensive. Is this true?

Hi Roxana, and welcome!!

There are so many nurses deciding on banding rather than RNY it warms my heart. I totally agree about the absurdity of the insurance carriers' preferences. However, I'm living proof that you can fight the carriers and win, since my insurer wouldn't pay for banding at all on the "experimental" grounds. I appealed to the third-party review guaranteed by my state and won, and I've heard that I was the first or second person in the country to have Aetna pay for my band.

So even if you think it's impossible, you may find out that it's not. Good luck with everything!

I too am a nurse in New York . I guess I was lucky ,my insurance not only covered mylap band but authorized an overnight stay. I chose lap band over RNY because I choose to keep my plumbing intact and I like the fact that it is can be reversed. My primary was supportive. I did my research and found a local surgeon,during nursing school I had a chance to observe the procedure and I was sold. I still did about 1 1/2 yrs research and a paper in college on the subject. I am now 18 days post-op and feeling great. There are now several people at my job who are looking into this procedure.

-16 pre-op

-12 post-op