VBG to DS Revision ?'s (Surgeon Decisions)

[Larra]

Hey Jill! Glad to see you found your way here and that you are getting more info now. The consensus seems to be for Dr. M. Actually it seems unanimous, but the decision has to be your - not ours, and not your family's, either. I'm sure they mean well and just want you to be safe, and not have to travel so very far, and the USA sounds safer than Brazil, but for what you need that just isn't the case.
Hang in there, you will find your way to your decision and the care you need.

 

[jillc]

Hey Jill! Glad to see you found your way here and that you are getting more info now. The consensus seems to be for Dr. M. Actually it seems unanimous, but the decision has to be your - not ours, and not your family's, either. I'm sure they mean well and just want you to be safe, and not have to travel so very far, and the USA sounds safer than Brazil, but for what you need that just isn't the case.
Hang in there, you will find your way to your decision and the care you need.

Thanks Larra for showing me the way here. I've looked into other options, but since I'm self-pay they are limited. Marchesini is one of the best in the world, so I'm pretty sure I'm going with him. He's $12,000 for open, $15,000 for lap. Including travel and everything else it's about $20,000.


The following self-pay prices are not including travel:

• I've talked to Keshishian, but I just can't afford him $28,500 plus an endoscopy he performs for approx $1000. Going to him would be ideal as my parents winter in Palm Springs so I could recover there. But it's another $10-15,000 USD, which is another $12,-18,000 approx in Canadian dollars.
• I checked with Rabkin and self-pay for a VBG to DS surgery was approx $30-40,000.
• Dr Roslin is $35,000.
• Dr. Boyce won't quote without seeing tests, but his base DS price is over $25,000 and the guy who emailed me back signed off his (form) reply "Have a prize winning day!"

 

[Elizabeth N.]

I'm trying to remember who's semi-local to Dr. L. who has seen significant numbers of people with bad results and am having a brain fart. I'll ask around on FB.

 

[jillc]

Thanks Elizabeth, greatly appreciated.

 

[Larra]

Have a prize winning day?? That's...weird.

It sounds like Dr. Marchesini is your best choice. It's a shame you can't have your surgery here in CA for several reasons, but that's a big difference in cost. And fortunately, you will be in the hands of an excellent surgeon, so it's not as though you were compromising your quality of care for $$.

Good luck with all the pre-op tests, and keep us posted as you continue going forwards.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Have a prize winning day?? That's...weird.

It sounds like Dr. Marchesini is your best choice. It's a shame you can't have your surgery here in CA for several reasons, but that's a big difference in cost. And fortunately, you will be in the hands of an excellent surgeon, so it's not as though you were compromising your quality of care for $$.

Good luck with all the pre-op tests, and keep us posted as you continue going forwards.

Does that mean you're not going?

But I VOLUNTEERED you!

 

[Larra]

Uh...the person potentially going to Brazil has not invited me along, Spiky! And my father, who was career military, always taught me, never volunteer. Though of course after serving in WWII, that might have had an affect on his point of view.

I don't think she deputized you to invite me on her behalf. But hey, I've never been to Brazil, so it might be nice

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Uh...the person potentially going to Brazil has not invited me along, Spiky! And my father, who was career military, always taught me, never volunteer. Though of course after serving in WWII, that might have had an affect on his point of view.

I don't think she deputized you to invite me on her behalf. But hey, I've never been to Brazil, so it might be nice

Must you dwell on the technicalities? I was so liking how this was all working out!

Love,

Your Travel Agent

 

[jillc]

If I decide to go to Brazil, you're more than welcome to come @Larra. Although it won't be very exciting watch me moan and complain.

I have one other possibility to check out and that is Baltasaar. I used to live in the UK. Benidorm and Alicante (cheap and nice vacation spots that many Brits frequent) are where Baltasaar's patients seem to convalesce. One of my best friend's in the UK might be able to come with me if I bribe her with wine....

That's the last surgeon I'm checking out, also dependent on availability and price.

 

[JulieR]

I am eight years post op and a native Detroiter and have followed patients of Dr. L. On multiple forums over the years. I would not use him for a virgin DS, let alone a revision. I independently noticed a disturbing amount of his patients having serious (like in the hospital for months at a time) amount of complications, and deaths. When I discussed my hunches with other DS'ers, they had noticed the same. There was a reason OHIP dropped him like a hot potato as a provider years back. I would imagine that some research of people on OH that were patients of his might provide you with some insight. I do know three people personally who have had tremendous post op difficulties in the area of malnutrition. One just had to have her DS revised after developing an issue named "brown bowel syndrome" which is caused by chronic malnutrition. When doctors got in there to take a look at the mess Dr. L had made of her common channel, they found out that it was of an ungodly short length (I want to say maybe 15 or 30 cm). She has suffered terribly because of this, and was at one point told by several gastro docs that she was beyond fixing. Dr. L. had performed several surgeries on her to the point that they were afraid another operation would kill her. Fortunately, a surgeon from Detroit was willing to take the risk and she is doing better....she suffered extensive damage due to protein malnutrition and iron deficiency. His post op requirements nutritionally are downright dangerous. If I only had seen one or two people with issues, I would not be writing this with such candor. I am not one to criticize a surgeon without having a very good reason to do so. Please proceed wisely.

 

[jillc]

Thanks for the advice @JulieR, much appreciated.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

If I decide to go to Brazil, you're more than welcome to come @Larra. Although it won't be very exciting watch me moan and complain.

I have one other possibility to check out and that is Baltasaar. I used to live in the UK. Benidorm and Alicante (cheap and nice vacation spots that many Brits frequent) are where Baltasaar's patients seem to convalesce. One of my best friend's in the UK might be able to come with me if I bribe her with wine....

That's the last surgeon I'm checking out, also dependent on availability and price.

Baltasar has a phenomenal reputation both as a surgeon and as a researcher.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Thanks for the advice @JulieR, much appreciated.

please be advised that you may be contacted via backchannels by one or more persons who will claim this is fiction.

 

[Larra]

Spain! Now we're talking! And you won't even need to bribe me with wine.

 

[jillc]

Thanks Elizabeth. He's apparently taking it easier nowadays, and hopefully hasn't scaled back his surgical schedule too much. I emailed a few days ago and have not received a reply as yet. I might try calling if I don't hear in a few days. It's hard to find much current information on him though....

@Larra - I know, right? Benidorm is supposed to be lovely. I think my ex-sister-in-law went there on a holiday. We had made fun of her at the time as we were all in our 20's and Benidorm is for middle agers. Perfect for a middle ager like me now!

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g...nte_Province_Valencian_Country-Vacations.html

Me and my ex usually spent our vacations in Greece.