LAP-BAND^® Cost for self pay ??

I am just starting to inquire about LAP-BAND^® and was wondering what my approx. cost for the surgery (self pay) in the Dallas area might be ?

I copied this posting from Soonergirl (hope she doesn't mind) I found it by using the search engine located on the top blue bar.

HERE IS SOONERGIRL'S POSTING:
I paid cash in Dallas - 15k with fills for a year.

I highly considered Mexico, but after much math and condieration, we decided to spend the money to have it here. When we started running the math, there wasn't as much $$ difference as you would think.

So, most of the places in Mexico that I would consider were about 10k + flight (about $300) and about at least another 50-75$ in misc. expenses for the trip. If my husband would have gone, add another 400$ or so.

Then, when you take into consideration the fills - with mine in TX, they are included for one year.

If I would have had to go back - $250-300/flight at about 4-5x = another 1-1.5k
If I would have had to pay for fills here - they were about $150 at the least with no floroscopy - mine here includes it.

I have had two fills already and I still am feeling little to no restriction ( I know that most people say that Mexican Dr.s are more aggressive with their fills, but I have 2.8ccs in a band that holds 4ccs, that is not at all conservative), so I would have been recking up fill expenses already.

My biggest concern was aftercare if something were to happen. i am only in my 30s and I am going to have this thing for a long time - long after the Dr.s in Mexico, or here are still practicing. I know that because of liablilty issues and malpractice, it is only going to get harder to find Dr.s that will take a serious complication for a patient that is theirs, much less for a surgery performed out of the country.

SO - as i mentioned, I don't doubt the competency of most of the Dr.s in Mexico - this was just my personal line of reasoning when making my decision.

Good luck!!
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Banded 6/30/05
Dr. Powell
Richardson Surgery Center
196/186.5 day of surgery/174.5/125

After exhausting the insurance route (they said no), I chose self-pay with Dr. Benevides in Richardson. $15K, fills for a year. Worth every penny...my surgery is tomorrow (10/27)

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makena2

48 yo, female, BMI 35, 205, 5'4"

Banded 10/27/05, Dr. Richard Benevides, Richardson
First fill 12/1/05
Second fill 12/14/05

I went to Dr. Sanchez in Monterrey. I took a bus from McAllen to Monterrey, $36 round trip. I paid $7,999 for everything including pretests. Actually as the band gets more and more and common it will be EASIER to locate doctors for fills and adjustments. But I still figure the cost of needing approximatley 3 fills at some later date didnt justify spending an extra $7,000 to $8,000 to have it done in Texas, for me anyway.

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banded
10/27/05
Dr. Sanchez

I was self pay w/Spivak and the 15K did *not* include pre-op testing.
:-(

~Pamela.

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Pamela Moore
Grand Prairie TX
Banded 10/19/05- Dr. Spivak
1st Fill 11/21/05- 2.2cc

Thank you! It's very exciting!

Dr. Spivak only had me do blood work (I had been through the process before) and I went through my PCP so insurance covered it... although, I wonder if it may come back to me? Fingers crossed!

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Pamela Moore
Grand Prairie TX
Banded 10/19/05- Dr. Spivak
1st Fill 11/21/05- 2.2cc

I recommend asking for the names and phone numbers of patients that the patient coordinator took for surgery --- and ONLY patients who were done a year or more earlier. And I recommend taking a companion. If you have a spouse, friend or relative travel with you, they can fly for half-fare with a statement from the doctor. Same with bus and train fares.

Most surgeons have a yahoo group of ther patients and they all can all easily communicate and thus get together to share the company, as well as car, driving & travel expenses to get their fills done.

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Theresa - Orange Grove, Texas
SouthTXLapBand @ aol.com
Reborn (banded) - November 8, 2005
Starting BMI 48
Current BMI 42
1st Mini-Goal BMI 40 ("only" obese)
2nd Mini-Goal BMI 36 (198 pounds)
Goal BMI 26

My journey to goal

tickercentral.com

I am very close to McAllen and there is a doctor that is in Reynosa that my surgeon recommended for fills. I am so familiar with all the bordertowns around here... Matamoros, Progresso, Reynosa, that I think I will just make the 1 hour drive to Reynosa when fill time rolls around. However, if I feel nervous about that Dr. Sanchez goes to Reynosa periodically and said he could arrange a meeting for a fill. I really dont think the fill part is that big of a deal if done under flouroscopy. They had to do a "negative pressure" on me the day after my surgery, which entailed going to x-ray and swallowing barium and having a needle injected into my port to suck out some air. I had some excessive swelling. The doctor gives a tiny shot of deadener first and it was totally painless even while "fresh and raw" from surgery, lol. It was pretty intimidating and a little uncomfortable but in no way painful, so I have no fear of fills at all now (which will be a good thing). I am 6 days out now and sitting here sipping pureed, strained, and very thin cream of mushroom soup. I did come out of surgery HEAVIER by 2 pounds than I went in. I guess your body hangs on to those i.v. fluids for a while. But as of today I am down 4 lbs from my surgery day weight. 4 lbs in 5 days!!!!!!!! I am sure that is due to the liquid part.

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banded
10/27/05
Dr. Sanchez

I'm going self pay in San Antonio through the Wish Center. They have a cash price of 10,950 which includes most of your preop, they just want you to have a recent physical, yearly woman exam, chest xray and a letter from your PCm clearing you health wise for an elective surgery. My surgery date is Dec. 26th!!!

Angie
242/

I HAVE BEEN INQUIRING ALSO, AND IT'S GOING TO BE $15,000 IN THE DFW AREA. IF YOU DO FIND IT ANY LESS, PLEASE EMAIL ME! GODLEY_GAL@YAHOO.COM!