Newbie

[Svetlana Leigh]

Hello everyone!!

I currently have a Lap-Band that I want to have removed and revised to the DS. I've had it since Dec. 2007. I have insurance but unfortunately it's an exclusion. I was self-pay in 2007 so I'll be self-pay again. I live in Knoxville and though I'd love to have Dr. Boyce or even Dr. Williams , I don't want to completely deplete my savings and I don't want to take out any loans. I'm leaning towards Dr. Esquerra but there is a little voice in the back of my head that keeps holding me back. I keep reading stories where people are having a hard time getting their physician to do all of the required labs to check for vitamin deficiencies.

I lost very little wight with the band. My starting weight was 230lbs and I got down to 200lbs. I currently weigh 240 and I'm 5'7. My old physician was Dr. Colquitt which I'd last seen about 2 years ago when he suggested that I get a sleeve. I smiled and politely told him that I preferred the RNY. He told me that he would not revise me to the RNY because I didn't weigh enough at that time which I was at my starting weight of 230lbs. I've not seen him since....

 

[harrietvane]

Hi there!

I was revised from my lapband to DS just over a month ago. I was self-pay and had to travel, as no-one in my part of the world does the DS. I can't speak for insurance and US surgeons, but plenty of people here can share their experiences and costs.

I made sure before I went ahead that my physician here (an internal medicine specialist for my blood pressure, edema etc - Singapore loves to farm people to specialists fairly routinely!) was on board with the plan, including what I would need from him. So, I'd encourage you to find someone you can work with. My internal medicine specialist's words: 'Tell me whatever you need me to order, and we'll make it happen.' He did so for the bloods, x-ray and scope I needed to have before the surgery, and is very impressed with my progress just a month out (edema gone, blood pressure meds now halved and likely to stop completely in a month or two).

In all health interactions we need to be our own advocates, whether for DS or otherwise. Find a doctor who enjoys working with empowered patients, not one who wants you to look to them as a godlike source of truth

 

[southernlady]

Welcome @Svetlana Leigh

 

[Larra]

Welcome!
Check for posts from the people here who have gone to Dr. Esquerra. I'm not one of them so I can't relate any personal experience with him, but everything I've seen from others has been favorable. And I suspect you will have exactly as much, or little, trouble getting labs ordered whether you spend your money on him or more money on someone local. If your pcp isn't supportive, I would suggest finding a new and improved pcp rather than compromising on your surgery or surgeon.

 

[Svetlana Leigh]

Welcome!
Check for posts from the people here who have gone to Dr. Esquerra. I'm not one of them so I can't relate any personal experience with him, but everything I've seen from others has been favorable. And I suspect you will have exactly as much, or little, trouble getting labs ordered whether you spend your money on him or more money on someone local. If your pcp isn't supportive, I would suggest finding a new and improved pcp rather than compromising on your surgery or surgeon.

Absolutely I agree.

 

[Clematis]

I had Esquerra and have only good things to say. You need a PCP who is on board with your surgery. I had to get a new one. My former PCP was very negative about WLS (and everything -- she was a real pill). She would have ordered the labs (I think) but I just didn;t want her negativity so found another doctor.

 

[hilary1617]

Hello and welcome @Svetlana Leigh! While it is best to find a local PCP/GP who follows up on nutritional status, worst case scenario, there are services where you can order your own labs online and then have the blood drawn at Quest. Wishing you all the best and sorry that the band failed you as it has failed so many others.

 

[DSRIGGS]

A good PCP will order your labs, so where you have your surgery should have no bearing on that what so ever. The key is getting them to code it properly to be covered by insurance. Nutritional deficiency is what my PCP codes and it is true. I get monthly labs.

Your most important decision as to the DS is finding a surgeon who will do it correctly so you don't suffer the unnecessary issues I dealt with...all because my surgeon didn't take an extra 15 minutes to measure my small bowel length and optimize my channel lengths. As a result I suffered significant malnutrition and have struggled to be healthy becuasue my AL was way too short, consequently; I was not absorbing properly (food, minerals or vitamins) until Dr Keshishian revised my channel lengths to increase absorption. Getting labs will be no issue for you.

Esquerra will do a proper DS so no worries. Several of his patients can attest to that fact. Get a good PCP lined up before you get your surgery and start educating the PCP on your needs.

Good luck

 

[CaraOC]

I'm an Esquerra grad. Was also a revision from crapband. I am 5 weeks post. No complaints, no regrets. I'm an ICU nurse and can assure you he's a highly skilled and experienced surgeon. Pack your sombrero and head for the border. Cost for crapband to DS $12,500.

 

[BebeZed]

Welcome @Svetlana Leigh I was revised from crap band to DS in October, 2015 by Dr Esquerra and I am truly thrilled with the results thus far. I can't say enough nice things about Dr Esquerra and his crew - they are not only very competent, but the care you receive is top notch and they made me feel like one of the family. I liked that they kept me in the hospital longer than I would have been in the states - I was in 6 days because it was a revision. That made me much more confident about the trip home, which was surprisingly easy.

You might also check out Dr Greenbaum in New Jersey - he is very experienced and is reasonably priced. He was my second choice; he does an open procedure instead of laparoscopically and that was the deciding factor for me. I had a very bad experience with a non-WLS open procedure - the open DS is not really that bad I'm told - but the memory of the complications I had with that other surgery made me unduly afraid of an open procedure.

 

[aaa]

Hi.

 

[Melanie0574]

hello

 

[Svetlana Leigh]

That you guys for the valuable information. I'm definately going to take the advice of finding a good PCP before having the procedure. Im going to continue to do more research as well.