VSG vs DS for me?

[galaxygrrl]

That is a whole other story. My insurance had a an exclusionary clause and wouldn't cover any WLS. I had to have surgery privately and totally out of pocket. I went to Dr Esquerra in Mexicali.

Depending how much your insurance will pay, Dr. Esquerra is not a bad option. (I know it sounds crazy at first), but my insurance would pay 8k out of the 35K and make me wait 6 months, so I said screw it, I'm getting this done now in Mexico for 11K. I know Mexico sounds crazy at first, but if you really look at it as a option it's not. If my insurance was going to cover most of the costs, I would have waited. And I know Mexico sounds crazy, but their are lots of Dr. Esquerra grads on this board.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Depending how much your insurance will pay, Dr. Esquerra is not a bad option. (I know it sounds crazy at first), but my insurance would pay 8k out of the 35K and make me wait 6 months, so I said screw it, I'm getting this done now in Mexico for 11K. I know Mexico sounds crazy at first, but if you really look at it as a option it's not. If my insurance was going to cover most of the costs, I would have waited. But their are lots of Dr. Esqerra grads on this board.

Holy shit. Your surgery was going to be $35k and then only pay $8k? That is ridiculous and frankly highway robbery. You saved $16k net by going to Esquerra.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Holy shit. Your surgery was going to be $35k and then only pay $8k? That is ridiculous and frankly highway robbery. You saved $16k net by going to Esquerra.

Oh, it gets even more absurd. Dr. Rabkin is a leading expert and an awesome surgeon, but he was not in network and they would only approve Dr. Cirangle. I had a horrible conversation with him and multiple Drs. I work with said do not let him near you. I played the insurance game for about a week and then, I was like screw it, I'm going to Mexico. Dr. Esquerra and his team took great care of me. It was a good experience. So, all is well that ends well.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Oh, it gets even more absurd. Dr. Rabkin is a leading expert and an awesome surgeon, but he was not in network and they would only approve Dr. Cirangle. I had a horrible conversation with him and multiple Drs. I work with said do not let him near you. I played the insurance game for about a week and then, I was like screw it, I'm going to Mexico. Dr. Esquerra and his team took great care of me. It was a good experience. So, all is well that ends well.

It amazes me that some these hacks who kill people through their negligence are allowed to practice. One of Dr Marshall's partners has nearly killed two friends of mine. The first was 10 years ago and the poor lady lost her spleen and was in ICU 6 weeks! My other friend just last year has a simple gallbladder removal and the effing idiot forgot to clamp him off. A week later when my friend ended up in the ER the hack came in his room and sai, "now Don you know that wasn't my fault". The attending ER Doc told him to get the hell out of his ER before he called security. It pisses me off that guy is allowed to practice. Unfortunately Peoria is so conservative you only win a malpractice suit I'd somebody dies and then it is a 50/50 shot at best.

BTW Dr Marshall whom I will never forgive for what he did to me with my DS is a great trauma surgeon and Director of Trauma for that 600 plus bed hospital. He simply was taught the improper DS technique and won't change. When I told him Dr K was talking about revising me by extending my Alimentary limb (to fix the malnutrition Marshall created) he looked at me like I was crazy. It sucks that I can't make him pay for what he did to me and make him change his methodology so he doesn't do this to anybody else. I am currently unable to work due to my health and that wouldn't be the case if he hadn't done that to me.......anyway...sotry for the rant and glad esqerra worked out for you.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Scott,

So sorry that happened and sorry you have had such a rough time! There are clearly bad Drs out there.

Just to clarify, I don't think Dr. Cirangle is a butcher, but I don't know. I think what all the Drs were telling me is that he had a horrible bedside manor which is what my experience was with him.

Don't mean to high-jack this thread, I just don't want a what I wrote to be misunderstood.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Thsnks Hon and I understand.

I love Dr K so much because not only is he at the top of his field from a technical surgical. perspective but his bed side manner and follow up are even better. He is just such a super guy who I consider a friend.

And to the OP please make sure your surgeon dies the Hess DS so your DS is optimized for you. I don't mean to scare people when o discuss my situation but I want people to learn from what happened to me.

 

[southernlady]

Just to clarify, I don't think Dr. Cirangle is a butcher, but I don't know. I think what all the Drs were telling me is that he had a horrible bedside manor which is what my experience was with him.

He use to be a decent DS surgeon but does mostly sleeves these days.

 

[DianaCox]

Cirangle made a whole bunch of people really miserable for a number of years - talked them into SUPER tight sleeves and ridiculously restrictive diets, fat-shaming them when they complained they couldn't eat (LOTS of strictures, IIRC) and still didn't lose weight (starvation mode, anyone?), and the sleeves stretched out anyway. He was trying to make a big name for himself, touted some short-term stats at 2 years out (people were MISERABLE) in 2007, and then NEVER published the longer-term follow-up. He's an arrogant blowhard, according to those who worshipped him like a cult leader, but soured on him over time.

 

[galaxygrrl]

I actually found talking to Drs and learning about surgery to be very depressing. Dr. Criangle told me NOT to get the DS because my insurance was so weak and I was in tears when I talked to Dr. Jossart about keeping the weight off, I said I've yoyoed my whole life and I don't need surgery to lose weight. I know how to do that. I just need it to help keep weight off 5 years from now or 10 years from now. He never mentioned the DS. The last Dr I talked to was Dr. Rabkin - thank goodness - and he made sense.

It makes me really angry that Drs will not tell you about the surgery that is right for you because they don't want to perform it for whatever reason.

Then, the whole Mexico thing was even more overwhelming. Thank goodness, I bumped into Larra and she pointed me over here and it's pretty clear what DR to use on this board.

@OP, sorry to highjack your thread a bit.

 

[DianaCox]

I had consults with Jossart (who was in practice with Cirangle at the time) and Rabkin on the same day in January 2003. Rabkin told me what I already knew - the DS was best for me, but I would have to be willing to fight for insurance approval. Jossart told me my insurance wouldn't cover the DS, but the RNY was "good enough" for me. My BMI was 49. I walked out of the Jossart appointment utterly livid. Although I believe Jossart and Cirangle - BOTH OF WHOM USED TO DO THE DS - had a falling out a number of years ago, they are both rarely if ever doing it now. I wouldn't let either one of them touch me with a 10 foot laparoscope.

 

[galaxygrrl]

Well you were livid and I was in tears. So much for the Hippocratic Oath

 

[trace]

My theory is that the hippocratic oath has been replaced with the malpractice oath. I've never felt a greater lack of sympathy than when I've recently consulted with orthopedists regarding my hip. The fact that I can barely navigate well enough to make my children lunch is met with blank stares, no empathy. I resorted to using one of the scooters at Target yesterday. Do you know how ashamed I was? I was there with my three children, so they thought it was hilarious, and they are too young to comprehend any social stigma attached to it. So I laughed it off with them, and we had fun with it. But inside, I was cringing. I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone in that store. Other children stared. And yet, it was by far the most pleasurable shopping experience I've had in months, simply because I wasn't wincing in pain with every step I took. It was the first time in recent memory I have arrived at my car without beads of sweat on my brow from the sheer effort of balancing myself in such a way that I minimize the pain.

Meanwhile, I ended up calling this morning to find out when I can been seen by Dr. Srikanth. I submitted my insurance info online a week ago. Did it take this long for them to get you set up, @Kate? Time is so critical for me right now.

 

[trace]

OMG, OMG, OMG. The doctor's office I initially met with, the guy who only does band, sleeve, or RNY, just called and said my insurance approved surgery for me. The business person there thought the 6-month waiting period was odd because she has worked with people from my husband's company before, and they never had a waiting period at all. So she submitted a "case" for me. And she just got the approval!

Soooooooooooooooo, now what??????

Holy crap, I'm in a panic. I could get VSG as soon as 10/25. I have no idea if DS would be approved as quickly or as easily because I still haven't heard from Dr. Srikanth's office. Help!

 

[galaxygrrl]

I resorted to using one of the scooters at Target yesterday. Do you know how ashamed I was? I was there with my three children, so they thought it was hilarious, and they are too young to comprehend any social stigma attached to it. So I laughed it off with them, and we had fun with it. But inside, I was cringing. I didn't want to make eye contact with anyone in that store. Other children stared. And yet, it was by far the most pleasurable shopping experience I've had in months, simply because I wasn't wincing in pain with every step I took. It was the first time in recent memory I have arrived at my car without beads of sweat on my brow from the sheer effort of balancing myself in such a way that I minimize the pain.

Might take a different perspective, you are sick, your body is not working right, so you need a little help which is why target has those scooters. It's not forever and you are solving the problem, so it's just a little extra help.

 

[Clematis]

Think twice, cut once.

Find out about the DS approval. Don't just settle for the VSG only because you were approved.