Hello everyone! This is my first night on the board -- I have just stated my journey of hopefully getting banded. I have an appointment for a consult w/Dr. Van Wanger out of St. Louis in June. Does anyone have anything they could tell me about using him and their experience (good or bad)?

Also I understand his practice requires something called a one-time "program fee" -- is this a common thing? My friend was recently banded in NYC and has never heard of this.

I was banded by Dr. Wagner in February. Insurance paid, but there was no mention of a program fee. Overall, good experience. His staff is great, very helpful.

I was banded by Dr. Wagner in March, there was a 375.00 program fee, I know that some Dr.'s charge this, this is for the staff to work with your insurance company in case there are appeals. I like Dr. Wagner, but he is very shy and reserved. I have always been able to talk Dr.'s into doing what I wanted, but he is defenitely not like that, he goes strictly by the rules, as far as the amount of time between fills and how agressive he will be with the fills. If you are going to him, you will have the choice of an out patient surgery center and St. Alexius Hospital, I had mine at St. Alexius and it is an inner city hospital and I thought that it was in a dangerous neighborhood and not very clean!

Thanks for the info. My insurance dictates that I have to have it at St. Alelxius. I work just a few blocks down the street from the hospital and I live in the city -- so I'm ok with the area. I go out to eat around there and shopping all the time.

Just make sure that someone goes with you and stays the night, if my sister wouldn't have been there with me, I don't think that anyone would have done anything for me!

Ooh! That is good to know. Is that hospital just run down or down right dirty?

Also in regards to Dr. Wagner -- I keep reading how quiet and reserved he is. Did you find him competent? Open to questions? I'm a little curious as to why he doesn't participate in the info seminars at St. Alexius -- I read one negative thing about him on a board and I can't get it out of my mind. Who knows, it might have been a disgruntled patient. I must admit -- I'm not loving having to pay $375 just to walk in the door -- what if I don't like him?

I've also found him to be quiet and reserved, but he has never seemed bothered by my questions, and I tend to be on the assertive side. He did his own seminar that I attended at the Webster Surgical Center. I had to change my surgery date at the last minute due to work and he was very accomdating.

Now, regarding St. Alexius, I also live near there so I was fine with the neighborhood, but found the staff to be hit or miss. The OR, pre and post op, nurses were great, and I was there on the day of a major blizzard and people were calling in like crazy.

However, the nurses on the unit seemed disinterested and bored. I was out of surgery about an hour and needed to go the bathroom, we called them and no answer and a friend went to check with them, we were not sure if I was in any shape to climb out of bed and walk to the bathroom ... they said go ahead. Now, I am not a healthcare professional, but I was at a huge risk of a fall, still slightly doped up, tied to three IV lines and I was suppose to get out of bed and walk across the room? All was well, but that was a sign of things to come. No communication, no one ever proactively checked in, aside from a chaplain, and I had to be very proactive for pain, and anti-nausea meds. Other patients were literally screaming for hours, an elderly man who kept screaming "I Sh*t myself. I am sorry, I won't do it again. Please help." And an elderly woman was also screaming. I am not saying their needs were not addressed, they may have been, but the screaming continued at length.

The next day, I was jumping out of my skin ready to go home. A nurse came in with instructions that were completely different than what I had been told, and when I asked Dr. Wagner, he said those were instructions for bypass patients.

Finally, on the admin side, they were just as bad, I received my forms for the pre op visit a week after surgery, was told to arrive a half hour before the hospital opened, and this just in, was turned over to a collection agency asking for $3700 ... which was the discount negotiated by the insurance company off the procedure. Sarah in Dr. Wagner's office was furious to hear about it and is handling the issue.

So, all said, this procedure was the best thing I have done. I would not willing go back to the hospital, but would certainly go to Dr. Wagner.

I had mine done with Dr. Wagner and I find him very reserved as well but he's very thorough and has really good bedside manners. His office staff is awesome and will take care of anything you need. As far as St. Alexius, I didn't think the hospital was very clean and I had to call and call and call to get a nurse to come in to stop the beeping from my monitors. It was very irritating. Oh, and then there was the guy across the hall that kept screaming he was going to fall out of bed all night long and kept me awake. That was fun. All things considered I had an EASY recovery and that's what I've heard from most of his patients.

Dr. Wagner will be doing my surgery on 7/11/08. I am so excited and I'm driving my husband crazy.

Dr Wagner is courteous, reserved and has a very good bedside manner. The fee I believe isn't covered by insurance. I was self pay so I paid for it anyway. Being self pay it was 17,500 with lifetime fills. It was $1,000 dollars cheaper if I had it at the outpatient surgery center in Webster. The center is very nice, clean and awesome staff. If I would go to the hospital, they said I would have to have an endoscopy, so I was like "that's okay". Surgery center is just fine. It was totally uneventful. He gave postop anti nausea meds and a patch. Never threw up, which I had nausea to previous surgeries related to anes. Had a nasal narcotic spray for pain, and held a pillow to the abs if you have to cough. Back to work 3rd day postop. I had my first fill and Dr. Wagner did it personally which made me at ease. Piece of cake, no pain. And he used a long needle. He is awesome. Good Luck.....

Oh, so its a typo? I was having absolute hysterics at the name Van Wanger!! I was thinking SURELY not!

Maybe a wanger only means what I think it means in Australia....

Sorry to hijack, I have absolutely nothing constructive to add.

Dr Wagner is courteous, reserved and has a very good bedside manner. The fee I believe isn't covered by insurance. I was self pay so I paid for it anyway. Being self pay it was 17,500 with lifetime fills. It was $1,000 dollars cheaper if I had it at the outpatient surgery center in Webster. The center is very nice, clean and awesome staff. If I would go to the hospital, they said I would have to have an endoscopy, so I was like "that's okay". Surgery center is just fine. It was totally uneventful. He gave postop anti nausea meds and a patch. Never threw up, which I had nausea to previous surgeries related to anes. Had a nasal narcotic spray for pain, and held a pillow to the abs if you have to cough. Back to work 3rd day postop. I had my first fill and Dr. Wagner did it personally which made me at ease. Piece of cake, no pain. And he used a long needle. He is awesome. Good Luck.....

Dr Wagner goes to the Ballas Surgery Center now for outpatient. I'm paying for the lifetime package too. I financed it all($15825) so the only thing I had to pay up front was for the psych eval($120). Dr Wagner is very quiet and there is something about him that just makes you calm and at ease.

I just had my surgery today and Dr Wagner is awesome. Anyone that chooses him for thie surgeon, you are in great hands.:cool:

i know this is old but i have his partner dr snow and i love him he has been a big help in answering all my questions