Dr. Esquerra pricing?

[Stacy McCloud]

Hello all! I am new here and have been referred by several to Dr. Esquerra in Mexico for the DS. I am one that likes to see numbers before I get overly excited about this because I have been let down SO many times. I am self pay and will be financing my procedure. I have also heard that he is more expensive than most because of his skill level. I am absolutely okay with paying more for a quality surgeon but I would just like an estimate on pricing and what all may be included. Could anyone help with these numbers?

Thanks so much
Stacy

 

[galaxygrrl]

I paid $11,000 and it was worth every penny. I did not get my gallbadder removed which is another 2K. I've seen the price bounce up a little and down a little by 1K.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

Same for me, $11,000.00 two years ago. My gall bladder had been removed years before. I had not had any previous Bariatric surgery.
Everything is included in this cost except your travel cost getting to San Diego where their driver meets you! I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.

A quick email to his office will be answered if you inquire about current cost.

 

[Marquis Mark]

Why is the gall bladder removed during DS?

I know that rapid weight loss increases risk of gallstones... but is there something about DS that makes the gall bladder not needed?

Here is a study from 2007 that says gallbladder removal is not recommended

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17903779

May not always be necessary, but due to the reconfigured intestines after the DS the gallbladder doesn't really serve a purpose anymore.

Mine was removed two years after DS surgery when they had to go in for a hernia anyway. The ultrasound showed several gallstones although it was not inflamed. I just figured why not get it while they're in there.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Here is the scoop. People who lose weight fast sometimes get gall stones. Once you have the DS you don't need your gall bladder. People on this board air on the side of caution and feel strongly the gall bladder should be removed.

I actually disagree. I did not have my gall bladder removed. If you take Actigal, you should be able to mitigate the problem. Here is a study

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7818005

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented a high incidence of gallstone formation following gastric-bypass (GBP)-induced rapid weight loss in morbidly obese patients. ... CONCLUSION: A daily dose of 600 mg ursodiol is effective prophylaxis for gallstone formation following GBP-induced rapid weight loss.​

 

[DianaCox]

The gall bladder has no purpose after a DS. Our bile doesn’t need to be released into the duodenum simultaneously with a bolus of chyme from the stomach after a high fat meal in order to digest the fat. It can just trickle down the BP limb and meet up with the food in the common channel.

I personally prefer to part with organs that are serving no purpose other than to cause problems or get cancer.

Ursidiol is from what I have read expensive, nasty tasting and only effective to reduce the incidence of gallstones, not prevent them.

Gall bladder surgery after bariatric surgery is often more difficult due to adhesions.

Gallstones are really really PAINFUL!! And the incidence after bariatric surgery is fairly high - 30-50%.

I’d get it out.

 

[galaxygrrl]

See I told ya people here feel strongly about it and air on the side of caution. ;-) My reaction was different than @DianaCox. I did not any more of my body cut out. Different strokes....

Actigal is expensive. My health insurence paid for it. $500 a month for about 16 months. But would not pay for my surgery and would not pay for my gall bladder to be removed too.

 

[DianaCox]

$500 x 16 mo = $8000. Your insurance company would have been money ahead to pay your surgeon $1200 to remove it while he was in there.

I know - your surgery wasn’t covered anyway, but still.

 

[Munchkin]

Every doctor knows the 3 F's. Fat, female, and over 40. If you are in abdominal distress it's probably the gall bladder. I insisted they remove mine because I did not want another surgery 6m or a year down the road.

 

[hilary1617]

My DS surgeon had a policy of only removing gallbladders if gallstones or other trouble prior to or at time of inspection during surgery. He left mine intact as he noticed no problems.

I underwent another abdominal surgery less than a year later due to cancer that was detected after DS. The cancer surgeon removed my gallbadder as by then it was significantly enlarged (8 cm!). I had bile acid diarrhea for probably eighteen months after its removal, which is a well known effect of cholecystectomy. It was well managed with Welchol and eventually went away.

 

[southernlady]

DS was 24 Jan 2011. In July, they had to remove my gallbladder. IF my surgeon had removed it during my DS, I would avoided a second surgery.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Just before you decide look at the data and not the one off stories. Data says if you take Actigal, you will be fine.