Hi,

I am new here and considering lapband surgery. I love having found this board it has been so informative. I have just begun to research my options. My question is how did you pick your dr? I have signed up for 3 info sessions with different offices here in Denver. I hadn't heard of Dr. Kirschenbaum until reading these boards and that is one I hadn't considered. However, he doesn't do info sessions I take it. Also, he doesn't have the Center of Excellence rating on his website. How important is this? If I have to self pay he seems the cheapest, but then again when it comes to surgery I don't necessarily only want to be ruled by price. I went to Dr. Johnell's info session on Tues. in Lafayette however the surgery would be in Greeley. I am going to Dr. Snyder's on Saturday at the Cherry Creek hotel, and to Dr. Brown's on Monday. Any info on any of these dr.'s? Thanks.

Hi!

I was banded (self pay!) by Dr. Kirshenbaum on 4/16/08 in Aurora at Crown Point SUrgery Center. If I had to recommend Dr. K, I would, without a doubt. His office staff is amazing - and he is very kind and willing to discuss anything at all with you. I had nothing but a fantastic experience. I flew in from St Louis, MO for my surgery, and didn't even MEET Dr. K until the night before OR! I was in contact with his staff, the nutritionist and the doctor himself as often as I wanted via phone before my surgery date, and since I was banded, I have called no less than 5 times with questions and have not once sat on hold or have been made to feel like a pain or stupid for calling.

If you are curious, I would just give his office a call and ask to speak with Natalie. She did my pre-op interview and before I even decided to go through with it, she and I had a long chat. (She was banded herself a few years ago, too!)

As far as financing, I financed through surgeryloans.com and got a pretty fair interest rate. My surgery will be paid off by Christmas!

If you have any questions about Dr. K, feel free to PM me and we can either chat via email or I can give you a call. Good luck in your search!

Hi,

I am new here and considering lapband surgery. I love having found this board it has been so informative. I have just begun to research my options. My question is how did you pick your dr? I have signed up for 3 info sessions with different offices here in Denver. I hadn't heard of Dr. Kirschenbaum until reading these boards and that is one I hadn't considered. However, he doesn't do info sessions I take it. Also, he doesn't have the Center of Excellence rating on his website. How important is this? If I have to self pay he seems the cheapest, but then again when it comes to surgery I don't necessarily only want to be ruled by price. I went to Dr. Johnell's info session on Tues. in Lafayette however the surgery would be in Greeley. I am going to Dr. Snyder's on Saturday at the Cherry Creek hotel, and to Dr. Brown's on Monday. Any info on any of these dr.'s? Thanks.

Hi there, I am in Aurora and I have been seeing Dr Melniczek he is at redrocksbariatrics.com I am waiting for my insurance to come through, but I know Dr Mel also takes self pay. I would highly recommend him (even though he has not actually performed my surgery yet)

Good luck in your search.

Thanks for the replies.

Kayleighsmommy - that is a dr. I've not heard of yet here in Denver, one more for me to research now.

Nurse - I called and talked to Natalie today. I have a consult with Dr. K on May 9th. She said there was no charge (normally $75) because I called asking for a information seminar. She seemed nice and answered all my questions thus far. Didn't you need to go in before any preop testing? I know the seminar I went to on Tues. made you have several pro op tests, but it was also more expensive. Oh I am confused!! :crying:

Well I just got home from Dr. Snyders Info seminar and I think I found my surgeon. I left feeling so informed, the dr. seems very professional yet personable as well. Am probably having to do self pay and that's a little scary, however, after surgery I am going to find myself a job and pay it off. I am currently more or less retired and can easily find some type of part time job for a while. He's a little more pricey but also does lots of preop testing to be sure you are healthy are ready for surgery which appealed to me. However, i am still going to go to one more seminar tomorrow (dr. Brown) and keep the Dr. K appt on May 9th. I just got the impression from talking to Dr. K's office it was a little more assembly line-ish, but I could have a very wrong first impression so will check it out still.

I went to Dr. Snyder for a variety of reasons. My son worked for him and says he is the best and most experienced Dr. in Denver. I was self pay and he is more expensive but When I was in for a fill I heard his nurse say Dr. Kirshenbaum was sending Dr. Snyder a patient and that reinforced my decision. Dr. Snyder has many classes, support groups, online chats, cooking classes,exercise classes and many support systems. His staff is great at fills and they don't hurt at all. I have been extremely happy with my banding experience with Dr. Snyder. My son is a Surgical Assistant and has worked with most bariatric doctors in Denver and swears Dr. Snyder is the best. I hope you enjoy his seminar. They are great! Let us know who you decide on and good luck.

Kathy

Thanks for the response Kathy. The seminar was awesome. It pretty much sealed my decision to go with him and your response rather comfirms that. Dr. Snyder had his assistant there with him today, was that your son?

How long ago since your surgery? My ex next door neighbors both had bypass with him as well and I just emailed them in Atlanta and they had nothing but good to say as well.

I went to the same Dr. Snyder seminar as you did, Long2bThin. I had already decided to use him before then anyway; I liked how responsive his office was, and how informative his website was. He seems really experienced. It made me feel safer about the whole thing after going to the seminar. I have my 1st appointment with him on June 4. In the meantime, I'm getting all my tests done. I can't wait!

That seminar was awesome, I was so impressed with everyone. At first I was put off a little by the sheer volume of it, over 200+ people, the big screens, etc. Thought it was going to be sortta dog and pony show, but once it started and everyone talked it confirmed my thoughts of going with him (my PCP and my neighbor had both highly recommended him already). I've called the office a few times and they are so responsive. I have my 1st appt with him on May 14th which right now seems like so far away. But I already had my blooddrawn yesterday, have my psych and pulmon. next week so hopefully I am set after that. Lana called from his office and told me about her support group at the Northglenn Library so I am going to that on Tues. evening. Also signed up for the preop nutrition class, someone I talked to in the office (can't remember who a Cindy maybe?) told me it was okay to go before my 1st consult with Dr. S. I am self pay so am hoping the surgery will be soon after. The only thing I might need after my consult is the cardio stress test. I am 49 and holding but my 50th bday is May 17th, they told me to see if he would require it at my consult. (the papers said if you were 50+)

Good luck to you. Maybe we'll be surgery partners, in that they will be about the same time.

You must have called for your appointment before me (the soonest he had when I called was June 4)! I imagine he had 100 people calling for appointments after the seminar.

I have my psych eval next week, chest xray and breathing tests too. I'm under 50, so I don't have to do the cardio eval. I haven't been called about support groups yet, or signed up for the nutrition class.

I got the impression it was around 8 weeks after the appt. that the surgery could happen, but who knows. Maybe it's not as bad for lap-banders. I was sort of thinking about trying for surgery the week of August 11th. I am on an immuno-suppressant drug for ulcerative colitis (Remicade) that I get every 6 weeks, and Aug. 11 would be at the end of a six week period when it will be weakest.

I'm hoping insurance covers me without any 6-month diet etc. I'm actually dieting now because I was feeling so terrible at my max. weight, but I think it'll be tough to stay on it for more than a few months. It's been a month so far, and it's really hard!!! My husband of course is just dropping excess weight like crazy. Men!

Hopefully I'll see you at support groups!

Ramona in Boulder

Well I just got home from Dr. Snyders Info seminar and I think I found my surgeon. I left feeling so informed, the dr. seems very professional yet personable as well. Am probably having to do self pay and that's a little scary, however, after surgery I am going to find myself a job and pay it off. I am currently more or less retired and can easily find some type of part time job for a while. He's a little more pricey but also does lots of preop testing to be sure you are healthy are ready for surgery which appealed to me. However, i am still going to go to one more seminar tomorrow (dr. Brown) and keep the Dr. K appt on May 9th. I just got the impression from talking to Dr. K's office it was a little more assembly line-ish, but I could have a very wrong first impression so will check it out still.

You could not be further from home base. Dr. Kirshenbaum's price is no reflection of the kind of care you will receive in his office. The reason he refers patients to Dr. Snyder is because Dr. Kirshenbaum does not work with insurance nor does he do gastric bypass. Dr. Kirshenbaum is the top guy in town for doing Lap-Bands. He negotiated a cash price so patients like me who's insurance won't cover the surgery could afford to have the surgery done. Many patients who go to Mexico to have surgery come to Dr. Kirshenbaum for their fills. He decided that he wanted patients to stay in their own country for surgery so he negotiated the cash price. He does any testing he feels is necessary but does nothing that is unecessary and jack the price higher. He would never jepordize a patient due to lack of testing. If you want someone who offers all the bells & whistles with a $15,000 cash price go for it. Myself I would rather have the top doc with more experience and a lesser fee. We are all entitled to our own opinions and this is mine.

Whomever you choose to do your surgery with the best of luck to everyone. The only thing that counts is the end result. Getting Healthier!!:party:

Long2Bthin, best of luck on your decision. As a career obese individual, morbidly, my foremost thoughts are that we feel comfortable and confident with those we choose to have our medical procedures performed by. With all the weightloss promises and, as I often say, false hype of wonderous weightloss wizardry that I've encountered, I was mindful as I searched methodically for my doctor.

I had done so much studying on the band that I wanted a doctor with solid experience. When I learned insurance wouldn't pay for my procedure here in Florida, that ended up being the most freeing experience I could have hoped for. Lucky you to live in the Denver area!

You can check my signature line to see I picked Dr. Kirshenbaum. How I ended up with him was a web search that got me to pricing. When you are paying for the surgery yourself, you have the luxury of reading, jotting down names and numbers, calling and shopping for surgery. When I came upon Dr. K, he was the lowest priced doctor at the time and the WHY of his pricing is what moved me from Mexico to Aurora. (If you go to his website: link on my signature or www.lapbandrockies.com you can see his cost comparisons.) Bottom line was told to me by Marilyn, who is someone on his office staff ( I also did a test run of the office staff...more on that later ) Dr. Kirshenbaum priced his surgery to encourage people to stay in the United States because as you probably have learned, cost is greatly reduced in Mexico. The problem with Mexico is should you have a problem ( you can read one nightmare story on this website ) you have little recourse. Mexico operates under a different standard than we do here in the U.S.

Secondly, I am an educator - 18 years. Education, knowledge and how that is communicated ranks HUGE on my list so I was very glad to see your seminar left you with feeling like you were informed. It should. When I spoke to Dr. Kirshenbaum, he sent me an electronic presentation so I could follow along with him on my computer, like I was having a one-on-one seminar from my living room. He speaks very methodically and carefully goes over what will happen. When I hung up, I was committed.

My surgery was in Parker at Crowne Point. Gorgeous! Clean, open, modern and the comfort I felt from the time I checked in until the time I was wheeled out, was such that I was not afraid or skittish at all.

Marilyn, the woman I mentioned earlier, has been with Dr. K for over 20 years. That's dedication and with the personnel rollover that can happen, seeing a new face every time you go in can be daunting but at Dr. K's office, there is a "home spun" feeling that I find very appealing. I don't like to feel like a number, I do like to feel like they know something about me and remember me after a few minutes on the phone or in the office. As you can imagine with all the media attention the band is getting now, his office is very busy. Despite being in high demand, I can tell you truthfully that once you are in and a patient, you get that special touch.

Think about the post-op service/aftercare, convenience for you ( I fly to Denver every four months or so ) and then..the price. You will have this band, perhaps, the rest of your life. My best to you. Here are some photos I took of your amazing and wonderful state while I was there a few weeks ago.

Patty

This is Natalie and me. We found a spot during my visit that was quiet so I could talk to her. It just happened to be in a walk-in closet!! She makes time to listen. I have found that to be an unexpected benefit and also another tool that has helped me.

Liteweight and Lapdancer,

I stand corrected. I am glad for your responses and to find out my first impression (just over the phone with someone in the office who may have just been having a bad day and we are all entitled to 'em) was wrong. I certainly didn't mean to offend or anything and am glad for your great experiences. Going to 3 seminars in a week and of course surveying the internet all hours of the day and night gets overwhelming. But I am so grateful for all the research available out there. Hope there's no hard feelings, that was not my intent at all. We all have various needs and wants in surgeons and that's why there are so many out there. As LapDancer said, one of the benefits of being self pay is we can all research and pick where we are most comfortable instead of where we have to go. Thanks for enlightening me!

I went to the same Dr. Snyder seminar as you did, Long2bThin. I had already decided to use him before then anyway; I liked how responsive his office was, and how informative his website was. He seems really experienced. It made me feel safer about the whole thing after going to the seminar. I have my 1st appointment with him on June 4. In the meantime, I'm getting all my tests done. I can't wait!

Kirshenbaum! Without a doubt Kirshenbaum gets my vote. A good surgeon and a very ethical man.

If not Kirshenbaum then Mexico is an excellent alternative, inpatient hospitalization vs. out patient surgery and only $7900.

Edited May 3, 200818 yr by WASaBubbleButt

Long2Bthin, best of luck on your decision. As a career obese individual, morbidly, my foremost thoughts are that we feel comfortable and confident with those we choose to have our medical procedures performed by. With all the weightloss promises and, as I often say, false hype of wonderous weightloss wizardry that I've encountered, I was mindful as I searched methodically for my doctor.

I had done so much studying on the band that I wanted a doctor with solid experience. When I learned insurance wouldn't pay for my procedure here in Florida, that ended up being the most freeing experience I could have hoped for. Lucky you to live in the Denver area!

You can check my signature line to see I picked Dr. Kirshenbaum. How I ended up with him was a web search that got me to pricing. When you are paying for the surgery yourself, you have the luxury of reading, jotting down names and numbers, calling and shopping for surgery. When I came upon Dr. K, he was the lowest priced doctor at the time and the WHY of his pricing is what moved me from Mexico to Aurora. (If you go to his website: link on my signature or www.lapbandrockies.com you can see his cost comparisons.) Bottom line was told to me by Marilyn, who is someone on his office staff ( I also did a test run of the office staff...more on that later ) Dr. Kirshenbaum priced his surgery to encourage people to stay in the United States because as you probably have learned, cost is greatly reduced in Mexico. The problem with Mexico is should you have a problem ( you can read one nightmare story on this website ) you have little recourse. Mexico operates under a different standard than we do here in the U.S.

Secondly, I am an educator - 18 years. Education, knowledge and how that is communicated ranks HUGE on my list so I was very glad to see your seminar left you with feeling like you were informed. It should. When I spoke to Dr. Kirshenbaum, he sent me an electronic presentation so I could follow along with him on my computer, like I was having a one-on-one seminar from my living room. He speaks very methodically and carefully goes over what will happen. When I hung up, I was committed.

My surgery was in Parker at Crowne Point. Gorgeous! Clean, open, modern and the comfort I felt from the time I checked in until the time I was wheeled out, was such that I was not afraid or skittish at all.

Marilyn, the woman I mentioned earlier, has been with Dr. K for over 20 years. That's dedication and with the personnel rollover that can happen, seeing a new face every time you go in can be daunting but at Dr. K's office, there is a "home spun" feeling that I find very appealing. I don't like to feel like a number, I do like to feel like they know something about me and remember me after a few minutes on the phone or in the office. As you can imagine with all the media attention the band is getting now, his office is very busy. Despite being in high demand, I can tell you truthfully that once you are in and a patient, you get that special touch.

Think about the post-op service/aftercare, convenience for you ( I fly to Denver every four months or so ) and then..the price. You will have this band, perhaps, the rest of your life. My best to you. Here are some photos I took of your amazing and wonderful state while I was there a few weeks ago.

Patty

This is Natalie and me. We found a spot during my visit that was quiet so I could talk to her. It just happened to be in a walk-in closet!! She makes time to listen. I have found that to be an unexpected benefit and also another tool that has helped me.

wow..beautiful pics

julie

hello long2be and all other posters!

i was happy to see mention of Dr. David Melniczek with Red Rocks Bariatrics/Associated Surgeons. I went thru his offices after going to an information session and have been thrilled with my experience. I was self pay, and he was the most affordable and reasonable doc in town. As well, he simply is a good person and a caring doctor...our sessions often go for at least an hour while we visit, talk about our dogs, etc...he is goofy and laid-back and his office ladies are quite friendly. I hope anybody who is in the Colorado area will consider him.