California lapband surgeons?

I am looking for a surgeon in California that has reasonable self-pay rates.  Of course, that they are skilled and awesome is my priority, but I need to be able to afford it, if you know what I mean.  If you have had great exepeerinces with a California or California border surgeon with reasonable rates, can you please post your experiences?  Thanks.

I have not had the lapband, so I have no personal elxperience with it, but please go read the "regrets" board or the "failed weight loss surgery" board and you will see so many looking for a revision to somethiing else because their band did not work or eroded into their stomach. There are many cases such as that and you should be aware of them. I definitely would check out the DS and there is a forum on OH about the duodenal switch. You owe it to yourself to check out all the surgeries so you can make an informed decision which way to go. Also, go check out www,duodenalswitch.com and a fairly new site that one of our DSers started called www.dsfacts.com. Also be aware of doctors who use the "bait and don't switch" method. They lure you into their office and tell lies and half truths about the DS, because they only do the RnY or the lapband. Please note: the DS does not cause uncontrollable gas and it is definitely not a bad surgery. It gets its bad rap from the old BPD that is no longer done because that one was bad. The newer one, now done for over 20 years, is called the BPD with DS, and that is why so many are confused. Again, choose wisely. You have to live with your choice for the rest of your life.
Good Luck.

The DS really works and I LOVE IT!

So Karen, are you getting to eat the donuts now?

Well Darlene, for one thing I can very well have a donut if I so want it, and guess what, I would still lose weight. I wanted a donut to kick start my weight loss, that was the only reason. That is the difference between the GB and the DS, DSers can eat m ore variety of foods and yes still lose weight. Your surgeon does not do the DS and that is why he bad-mouths it I am sure. I think it would be wise for you to read up on the DS so you can inform other newbies about it so others are in the clear about it. That is the problem with so many RnY docs and lapband docs, they know nothing about the current DS being done now for over 20 years; they are thinking of the old BPD  done previously that did cause a lot of problems. This current DS is the da bomb and more people should look into it if they want to be well informed about all weight loss surgery options.  Hope you are still doing well.

#1 My doctor does not bad mouth anything.
#2. These are good rationales for you.
#3. You need to do lots of research before you come spouting to me. I've done all the research...I know all about all of them. I don't bad mouth the surgery.....

Darlene, I remember quite clearly that when I was on the Cali board and mentioned that I was considering aDS, you were one of the first to diss me and tell me I was crazy and I needed to see a shrink, and how bad the DS was, and etc, etc, etc. Okay, maybe not in all those words, but you definitely put me down for even considering the DS. I did assume that you were given wrong information about the DS and you or your docs were thinking of the old BPD done in the early 80's. I know many RnY docs do bad mouth the DS because 1) they don't do it,, or 2) they are confusing it with another one with almost the same name as the current one is called the BPD with DS, and I can see where the confusion comes from. So if you doc knows about the current DS, they there should be no problem whatsoever with you confusing it and know that it works and it works miracles. Have you ever been on the DS forum and read about all the happy people?  Have you read duodenalswitch.com or dsfacts.com? Nuff said.

All I said to you Karen is that I hope when you go thru the steps for it that your psych evaluation is better than the one you had for the RNY. I did not say you were crazy.

I think being in the nutrition business and a group leader for almost 9 years I know about the surgeries.

You come back in 3 years and tell me how your doing. Show me your labs then we will talk.

I will tell you one thing that my surgeon said about the Lap Band.  He said that many doctor do not want to do fills or handle complications from Lap Bands done by other doctors...Esp. ones in Mexico or other countries.  Just be aware of this issue.  In some ways I understand his point.  Why would a doctor want to take on the possible liability created by another doctor.  Just talking out loud.

What part of CA are you looking in? LapSF charges around 14000, for a lapband, I think. (It might be higher now; I haven't checked in a while.) Their complication rate is very low, their success rate is high and the price includes two years of follow-up -- which is very important for a lapband.

my doc does them, he is in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard....his name is Dr Billy, he is awesome!!. Why do you want the lapband?