Back again... questions for self payers.

Don't forget the discount available if you'll perform in the donkey show the night before...

Red Crystal Light, snarfed through the nose, all over my monitor. THAAAAANNNNKS! 

Thank you! Chad would wipe that up for you, but his hand is busy at the moment.  

Oh there are several drs who do DS just within a few miles of me. All in Dayton Ohio. And I know they are great surgeons as well. My issue is being able to afford it. Our insurance just will not cover WLS. After talking with my husband, we're looking down the self-pay route. If we can afford locally, that would be ideal! But I know the average here is around $35k. I just don't think we'd be able to get that kind of money.

I am going to Brazil next month for surgery with Dr. Marchesini. He has an outstanding reputation.  I have met a number of his patients in person and have been in touch with many more by email who think he's among the best.  Thus far, based upon my contacts with him and all I've learned over time, I have to agree.  He charges based upon whether it's open or lap--the cost is around $20,000.  If interested email him at [email protected] and he will get back to you in a day or two. (Brazilian law prohibits  doctors from having a website.)
Lisa

All weight loss surgeon's offices are going to have self-pay "packages".  There will be two basic fees you'll be paying, one is the hospital and the other is the surgeon (which usually includes the anesthesiologist).  Sometimes these two are combined.  One thing that ended up not being covered with my costs were the pathologist's reading of the liver and stomach biopsies, which was in the $400 range.  Make sure you ask (as mentioned above) about hospital charges should there be extended stays, etc.

I self paid for my DS and it came to around 28k when all was said and done.

I would stay in USA if I were you.  Although I'm doing fine I did not end up with a DS as Ungson had told me I would.  Long story short I am a revision and he thought I'd be under too long with all the adhesions.  Soooo,  he nicked my spleen which had to be removed and no ds.  I've lost about 100#s which puts me at a bmi of around 23. 

I hate, HATE,  that if I have a problem no surgeon in the USA will touch me so back to Mexico I'd have to go and pay out of pocket again.

The hospital was clean and everyone was nice but if I had to do  it over again I'd use a US Doc.

Just sayin....................

Your posting mini-profile lists you as a DS, but from what you just posted, you aren't even a revision to the DS.

What exactly was Dr. Ungson able to revise? It sounds like ALL he was able to do was try to fix some of the complications (adhesions) from your previous US surgery.

If so, then why don't/can't you go back to the original US surgeon who caused your problems/adhesions in the first place for additional care?

I had stomach stapling over 20 years ago and doc  has since retired.  Not every doc does revisions so I went to one of the best.  Dr. Ungson has a great reputation but he gave me the scorpinaro part and not the full ds because he did not want to have me under for more than 4 hrs.  If everything works out for me down the road then I have no complaints but what I'm saying is if there is complications it is very hard if not impossible to get US docs to touch you.

Stay in the US,  this surgery can have complications down the road.  Ms. Understood (Hailey) is a prime example.  She is almost 2 yrs. out and and has had major problems lately.  Thank God Dr. Roslin was available to be her surgeon for her complications.

I do understand where you are coming from, and totally respect that. However, my cir****tances are much different than yours... I wouldnt be a revision and I have no major medical concerns right now.  I have to pay out of pocket for my surgery because my insurance said they "do not cover weight loss surgery under any cir****tance"... so whether I have it done here in the US or out of the country, either way I have to pay out of pocket now.. and if complications arise in the future I will probably have to pay most (if not all) out of pocket then as well... not matter the location of the surgery. I live in Dayton Ohio, and if you don't know much about that area, it is FULL of doctors who do the DS sugery and understand it compared to other areas in the US.. I think there are at least 4 surgeons I can think of who do the DS just within 10 miles of me... but without my insurance covering it there is no way I can stay local. That would be the ideal situation, to stay, but its costly and I'm not rich and shouldn't have to be rich to have a high quality of life.

 I am leaning towards Dr. U based on the research I have been doing and even my husband is impressed by the information I have found. If, for some reason, a complication comes up a few years down the road, I know there are doctors here who would know and understand the situation. I wouldn't have to leave my home town for the care I would need.

Either way, both will probably end up being money out of my pocket because my insurance doesn't cover it.