going for my first consultation

 I finally found a job with insurance (Cigna) and NOW  I have an appointment to see Dr. Patel for bariatric surgery...My insurance kicks in July 1, and appointment on July 16...any advice?  has anyone else used Cigna and if so, how much out of pocket did you have to pay?

That's great you have insurance. A few things I thought of in terms of your doctor. Make sure he/she is board certified and has lots of experience. Also there should be a psychologist and nutritionist as part of the team. Good luck!

 My advice would be, if you can try to find a surgeon that has done at least 500 bands, and if you can ideally a surgeon THAT ONLY DOES LAP BANDS, center of excellence is a plus but not critical.

Also ask about aftercare and the cost of fills, also you want a practice that will perform pre op  testing to ensure you are a great candidate for the band, nutritional counseling/psych testing, etc. and you want to get a surgeon that have a good aftercare program that will follow your progress for at least a few years, regarding paying out of pocket, each insurance company is different, some people pay as little as nothing up to 3-5 thousand dollars so it depends greatly on your own insurance. Good luck.

First, congrats on your insurance and appointment. Second and etc..ask about how long your insurance wants from first apt to the surgery date.  Also, fills at my doc are $100 and eek that adds up.  Plan your appointments so that you aren't hit with a ton of co pays all at once.  I agree with the poster about after care because after a while out (trusssst me) the emotions can get in the way of your focus.  Best of luckl!

I can't answer your money questions --- I had to be self-pay.

I did have several questions for my surgeon at the first appointment.

Here are some things that were important to me

1.  pre op diet requirements (some people have strict diets to follow, I didn't have to do that, but I chose to cut out between-meal eating, drinking with meals and lost 18 pounds in the 6 weeks pre op)

2.  pre op medical requirements (do you need additional testing, procedures, bloodwork, etc)

3.  Out-Patient or In-Patient ---- I had surgery and was home within 4 hours, out of work for a week after that

4.  Post Op protocol (eating plan, follow up plan -- fills, who does them? how often? how flexible are they with scheduling --- some surgeons are very regimented and will only see you every 6 weeks ---- I chose a doctor who is flexible -- sometimes I needed fills every 3 weeks, sometimes every 6 or 9 weeks --- I have always had a easy time re-scheduling)

5.  Emergency issues --- who do you call, where do you go?  My doctor never wants me to seek emergency care UNLESS I call him first.  Even if I am out of state --- he will direct me, and if I have to go to an ER, he would get on the phone with the ER doc to guide my care.

6.  Costs -- of fills and follow up -- what if you lose your insurance in the future, will they convert you to a 'self-pay' price (I pay my doctor 50.00 per appointment and 100.00 if I have a fill -- that is the self-pay fee ---- people with insurace are billed much higher, and then the insurance company negotiates a lower fee.  If you lose your insurance what fee will you have to pay??)
You would be surprised by how many people post here saying that they can not afford to maintain their bands because their insurance coverage changed.


Give it a good 'gut check' -- make sure you like and trust the surgeon and his staff.
If you are going to have a Band, you are going to have a LONG relationship with your team in order to be successful.

It is important that you have a good feeling about this -- and them, and that you feel as though they are your partner.  The Band requires more follow up than any other surgery ---- and you want to be successful --- so you need to have a plan for every possible contingency.

 Thank you ladies for your support and advice..I am still undecided on which procedure I want done..I have thought alot about the cost of fills and after care and having a foreign object in my body, so like I said, I am still undecided between band and sleeve.  I will discuss with physician and let him guide me to a choice.