Hi Everyone!

I'm thinking of getting my band with TLC Edge. Has anyone here gotten banded by them? Does any one recommend them? What was your experience with them? What's the first step to getting the surgery started? I know i'm going to be self-pay and i've already been to many seminars so i know what this surgery is about but i have no idea how to get started? If any one has gotten banded with TLC Edge doctors i would really appreciate any information. Thanks in advance.:wink_smile:

Hey!!! I got banded with TLCEdge in Dallas October 20, 2008. They are very nice. I did my whole work up in one day and then scheduled the date for my surgery. It all went very well. However, I have only lost 10 pounds total. I go for my third fill tomorrow and I am thinking this one will be it. Just call the number the website gives and they will do all the work for you. I was self-pay as well. I have received bills for the work-up from the PCP and from the surgery anesthetist, but I just faxed them over to the tlcedge people and they handled all of it. Good luck!!!

Hello!!

I went toTLC for my banding. They are nice but I only saw them once at the first visit and never heard from them since. It is like they booked the surgery appt only and I did all the appts and everthing else myself. The only good thing that came out of it was the Dr. Dr. Manuel Castro is great!!!!. I guess he gets the refferals from TLC and then you become his patient. I deal solely now with his office. He offers the same banding for the same exact price. I was a self pay as well. I wish I would have known that at first. I got stuck with all this liquid shakes from TLC that I did not even need $$$. Dr. Castro is the way to go NewBeginings.com

Good Luck and if you stay with TLC ask for Dr. Castro!!!!

V-----

Hello, I went through TLC Edge, and was banded by Dr Castro. I agree with V-Dallas. My experience was great with Dr Castro and TLC Edge, but if i had to do it over again, I would leave TLC Edge out of the picture and go strictly through Dr Castro.

I called TLC Edge on 11-6-08, and was banded on 11-21-08. I was also self pay. It all happened very fast. The first thing I did was call and tell them (TLC Edge) I wanted to "fast track". That same afternoon I met with Mary Bell from TLC Edge for the consult. While there for the consult I also met with the dietician, ordered my shakes, set the date for surgery, set up appointment for lab's and pre-op visit. Then I looked in my local phone book for a licensed counselor, made an appointment for that. Then I was on my way. I was banded 15 days later. Now i'm 6 weeks post-op (20 pounds lighter) and have NO regrets! Any ?'s, don't hesitate to ask. or PM me.

Thanks so much for sharing this information with me. Do any of you know Dr. Castro's website or office phone number? I called TLC yesterday and they sent me paperwork for me to fax back to them, they said after that they wanted to schedule an appointment with the registered dietician. How expensive is there pre-op diet? I know there cash price is $9,990 is that everything including tax?

Pink-

liquid diet through cost me $281.00 through TLC and only used a 1/4 of the shakes. The pre-op liquid diet they gave me is totally different from the pre-op instructions Dr. Castro gave me. He allows a very low calorie meals with the shakes but TLC did not tell me this. So I got stuck with alot of shakes that I still have. $9990 is what I paid total to TLC tax included for the surgery and the extras were $281 for the shakes and $135 for the Psych evaluation (Dr. Castro refferal) TLC 's Dr. wanted $375.00. My banding was done on 12/12/08. Total lost 18 lbs. in 4 weeks from pre-op until now. Dr. Castro (214) 948-0475 WWW.nbsurgical.com Dr. Castro charges the same price. His office people are GREAT!!!!

Good Luck!!!!

V-----

The $9990 includes everything except the shakes and psych.

The optifast drinks are $81 a case. I was encouraged to get 3 for a total of $243. That was too many shakes. Two cases would have been plenty.

You can call around to licensed counselors to get the best deal. In Kaufman, the best price I found was $125.

Hello!!

I went toTLC for my banding. They are nice but I only saw them once at the first visit and never heard from them since. It is like they booked the surgery appt only and I did all the appts and everthing else myself. The only good thing that came out of it was the Dr. Dr. Manuel Castro is great!!!!. I guess he gets the refferals from TLC and then you become his patient. I deal solely now with his office. He offers the same banding for the same exact price. I was a self pay as well. I wish I would have known that at first. I got stuck with all this liquid shakes from TLC that I did not even need $$$. Dr. Castro is the way to go NewBeginings.com

Good Luck and if you stay with TLC ask for Dr. Castro!!!!

V-----

Yes, this is exactly my same situation. TLCEdge did nothing for me other than book the initial appointment. They seemed very disorganized and made me some false promises about when my surgery would be in the day.

Dr. Castro is WONDERFUL. He has the same pricing as TLCEdge and you don't have to go through a middle man. His office is great and his demeanor is wonderful. I was banded 11/21/2008 and deal exclusively with Dr. Castro's office now. He does all my fills and I doubt I will be back at TLCEdge again. In fact, I have my second fill this afternoon down at Dr. Castro's office. After I have exhausted my six fills that came with my surgery price, Dr. Castro will only charge me for an office visit to do any further fills I need.

The TLCEdge pricing included everything but the pre-op diet and the psych eval, which was $250. Dr. Castro did not require an all liquid pre-op diet, just low calorie, low carb. He gives out a wonderful booklet that answers every question you could possibly have about the pre-op, surgery and postop time period.

Edited January 6, 200917 yr by gentylwind

By the sound of it, it's better to just go directly through Dr. Castro. So his price is the same ($9,990) does that include the same as TLC offers (fills, etc)? What is TLCEdge there for? Like some of you guys said there just the middle man? I wonder why he goes threw them as well? Does any one know? Thanks for sharing all this information with me, i really want to have as much knowledge as i can before making my life change:smile:.

Since I went through TLCEdge, I don't know if Dr. Castro differs...you can call and ask, they are very helpful. When TLCEdge first began offering their pricing, it was the lowest around...brought in patients for the doctors, took away the risk of doing the financing themselves...they make slightly less $$ but see more patients. But the docs are wising up. People would rather have their own surgeon rather than some middle company organizing and acting as a go between, but they also don't have 15K floating around. At $9990 a lot of people can afford to pay for it and the surgeon makes the full amount, not a reduced amount.

Good luck with your surgery.

You all sound so encouraging and happy with your experiences. I'm so amazed when I hear about people paying cash price. Did you have this money saved up or did you get loans/advances?

I would love to go directly to Dr. Castro, but I am about $5000 short of financing this myself.

The only thing that concerns me about dr castro is where his office is located. The only thing that concerns me about tlc is the optifast, do they require you to buy it?

They do not require you to buy the optifast, only suggest it.

Reply to Koinoi- I don't know where you are located but if you can get to Dr. Castro office it will be well worth it. On the shakes they don't make you buy them but you will need some now or later. I now after 10 weeks post op still can not eat very much in the mornings and do an opti fast in the morning and I will need to buy more soon. Good Luck V---

Hey Shaun,

How have you been? I met your mother in law at Dr. Castro's office. How has your weight loss been? Have you been for more fills?

Hope to hear from you soon.

V--

hey V-Dallas, Ive had a hard week. I went in for my 4th fill last Tues .5cc for a total of 7.1cc in my 10cc band. I was SOOOOOO tight, it was miserable, vomiting every day. Then finally yesterday some relief. I feel so much better, no more vomiting. I am still very restricted, but can eat now, thank god! Its been 3.5 months & I've lost 34 pounds. Sometimes it just seems like it is so slow, that i dont think i'm losing, till i look at the big picture. How are you?

I went through TLC Edge as well. I went in on 10/21/08 on the "fast track" as mentioned before. My surgery was on 11/06/08. I liked the fact that they took care of all the details and appointment scheduling since I don't live in Dallas and would be driving 2 1/2 hours to get there.

They set me up with Dr. Gonzalez, and I just loved him. However, the wait in his office was extremely long.

I had my surgery at Prestonwood Surgery Center (in the same building with TLC). All the people at the surgery center were extremely nice and helpful. And, they took great care of my daughter who freaks out anytime I have surgery.

TLCEdge doesn't require you to buy the Opti-fast. I wanted something I could buy locally, but I later wished I'd gotten some of the soup. In the packet there is a list of alternatives. I tried a few of them and really like the Atkins Advantage RTD shakes. I had up to 6 shakes a day for my pre-op and felt pretty good after about day 3!!

I go to TLCE for my fills as well. They use ultrasound to pinpoint the port and mark it before they start. They numb the area before they do a fill. And, they have me drink BEFORE they take the needle out to make sure I'm not overfilled. I have never had to wait more than 4-5 minutes for my appt. I'm in and out in around 15 minutes.

I would recommend them to any of my friends and family. :biggrin: