Question About Travelling for Surgery

I'm seriously considering getting banded. It's going to be a self-pay, since my insurance does not cover it. I checked locally, and there's no way I'm having it done at the clinic here in town at the price they charge ($19,800 ). There are obviously other options both across the country and abroad. Here's my question: One of my options is a doctor that is about 3 hours from me. Would it be reasonable to expect to do follow-up with this doctor, or would I need to find one locally (not likely, I'm in southern Oregon)? I've read suggestions that you have a local doctor for fills/emergencies/etc. but I guess I wonder how local is local. I'd rather not have to make a major trip (as in, get on a plane, or drive 15 hours, or the like) to have the surgery done if I can get it done nearby, all things being equal ($).

On the other hand, if I do decide to travel for the surgery, how do I find a local doc for after-care? I've already checked several forums here and I've come up pretty dry.

Any input would be helpful. Thanks!

-Dana

Hi Crazy Mama. I'm like you,I am actually going to mx to have my surgery by Dr.Ortiz in August. I have found Fill centers USA about 1.5 hrs from my house. I live just outside st.louis,mo and there are a lot of drs that don't want to see a patient from mx. I guess they don't want to take the risk or something. So look into Fillcentersusa.com. I find their prices are average compareed to a lot of other drs. Hope this helped!

Thanks for responding.

Unfortunately, Fillcenter's nearest doctor to me is 326 miles away. I'm just in a terrible location: relatively near a bunch of small cities, but nowhere near a real city. At this point I think the doctor three hours from me is my best bet.

Still interested in how other people are dealing with this though.

I would find a doctor in your area as a back up in case of emergency. Dr. Ortiz was my doctor and it takes a day for me to get to TJ and another day back. So far this has worked for me, but I've gotten alternate names/numbers of doctors in my area that will see me if I can't wait a day. The closest of these doctors is 2 hours and that's fine with me :)

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206/200//148/162/115
highest/banded/got to w.band/current/goal

March 5, 2007, Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, MX
Lost 40 pounds then had to have removal - band was 100% fine, but had other complications.

How much does it cost if you go to Mexico for the LAP-BAND^® and surgery? I have heard alot about Dr. Ortiz. How long does it take to get surgery, do you have to go for consultation? Just curious in case insurance doesn't cover it.

My surgery was $8K but I think it's normally $8500 and he was running a special that month. That includes 3 nights at the hotel (2 if you're going alone), 24 hours at the clinic with the best care you can imagine (private room, 2 nurses for at the most, 6 patients), rides to/from the airport, rides to/from the hotel, a full medical workup including EKG which I'd never had, a meeting with a nutritional doctor as well as ongoing access to her and access to the doctors.

Fills are $100 with Fluro, if you use their shuttle to/from the SD airport for a fill that's an additional $135 but you can share rides/cost.

Plane tickets to San Diego will, of course, vary. The nearest airport to me is ATL and Delta really doesn't have much (any?) competition on direct flights there. I usually pay a boatload for plane ticket. :(

TBH, I figured it out based on 3 fills in TJ (and I'll go over that since I've already been there 3 times after surgery: 1 fill, 1 unfill, 1 fill), that I would actually be paying the same if not more than having someone in the US do it. But I read up A LOT on this and Dr. Ortiz has done more lapbands than any surgeon in the US. If it cost me a little extra, it's worth it, IMO. BUT if you live in a city with cheap plane fares to SD, you can probably go there for less than what you'd pay someone in the US.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide!! :)

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206/200//148/162/115
highest/banded/got to w.band/current/goal

March 5, 2007, Dr. Ortiz, Tijuana, MX
Lost 40 pounds then had to have removal - band was 100% fine, but had other complications.

Thank you so much for the information. I am just thinking ahead in case my insurance decides after all of these tests that they will not cover it. I live in NJ so I am sure that airfair would be a lot more. However the cost of the surgery in Mexico sounds like it is so much cheaper than if I had to pay out of pocket here. As far as the fills there are some centers that will do it that aren't that far for me.
Again thank you for all the information!
Valerie

i have always traveled. I live in Minnesota.. I traveled to Dr. Ortiz/Martinez for surgery and all fills for the first 3 years. Now I've been driving to Dr. C in Ohio ... its about a 12 hour drive. I have never found anyone local. Its not easy or fun to do that kind of traveling, but I do what I need to in order to get the best there is... at a reasonable price.

If you are in Southern Oregon, you are where I am. Dr. Tersigni in Coos Bay charges $10,000.00 That's almost as cheap as Mexico, and he is a fabulous dr. Where do you live?

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banded 12-29-06 by Dr. Steven Tersigni Coos Bay , OR
goal in just under 16 months.

Got to goal but maintenance is a work in progress!

I'm traveling 3 1/2 hours to Indianapolis - Dr. Steven Clark. Surgery in about a month. I met him Monday and LOVE him. I definitely could be seeing a dr closer - about 35 mins., but for some weird reason I'm drawn to this guy! My mom went with me to the seminar and my first visit aapt. and she thought he was great too. He told me insurance ( I am very lucky) will allow me 23 hours in the hospital. I may get a hotel room for the next night just in case.