Anyone going to Banner Mesa?

Hi everyone! I'm new to OH, signed up last week or so. Been in the valley for 22 1/2 yrs (born in NJ, raised in MA), married same amount of time, 7 children ages 21 - 6, was SAHM for 20 years & then it became necessary for me to work full time to help support the family. It's been a good thing -- I am finding myself for the first time. Long story. At my weight I was so sure I would never find a job nor be able to 'handle' it, but I have found out I have a LOT to offer in my preferred field, and I really enjoy my job. I am happy with myself for the first time in my life. This along with health factors of morbid obesity (315 lbs, 47 BMI, pre-diabetic, bp 160/80 and climbing, hypothyroidism, & more suspected but undiagnosed so far) made me finally say enough is enough with the dieting failures. I'm truly ready for surgery to help me become on the outside how I feel on the inside. With the newly diagnosed pre-diabetes/insulin resistance, and crossing that 300 lb mark with a vengeance this year, I'm hitting the wall -- this is the beginning of a slow and miserable death, or it can instead be the beginning of a new lease on life. I'm taking the new lease and giving up the old one! I have checked out several programs in the valley, and think they are all outstanding -- we sure have wonderful doctors to choose from here!!!! -- but today I have found the surgeon that is best suited to my wants and needs, and I'll be making an appointment with him or whoever I see first in the program next week. Has anyone gone to the Banner Mesa program? In September they will be the Banner Gateway program, and Banner Mesa (the old Mesa Lutheran H) is being shut down. I will get to have my surgery in the newest state of the art facility, and the surgeons are good. I feel safe with them--I went to the Medical Board website and checked the team out, and also checked out state boards where they did their residencies and fellowships as well, just to be sure! Both of them are in good standing. I was wondering if anyone else has been to this facility and what are your thoughts about it? My hope is to get approved by my insurance for the vertical sleeve. At first I wanted the duodenal switch too, but at the seminar Dr. Podkameni mentioned that those on time-release medication benefit from the vertical sleeve with no bypass. Light bulb moment! Duh, I've been on thyroid medication for 20 years, and take NSAIDS regularly due to a moderate auto immune arthritis. These two factors may or may not be issues with a full-fledged bypass! I will know more when I meet with the surgeon, but it something I need to bring up. If it is a problem, it may make it more likely to get the VSG approved. Time will tell. Thanks for listening. I'm excited to be moving forward with hope about my life for the first time in a long time, and thankful there are others like me to learn from here at OH!! Looking forward to meeting all of you on the boards :-)

Welcome Kathy                                                                                                            Much like you I had looked in to a few different programs in the valley, I actually found in Tempe an went to their seminar on WLS I then scheduled a consult with the doctor and gave them my insurance information. I asked detailed questions before my appointment so I would know how much money I would be responsible for. I was one of the lucky ones when it came to insurance my insurance company pays at 100%. Well when I went in for the consult they were really pushing me to make a desision to go with them and give them 4000.00  and 2000 that day for the consult and other stuff. I told them I did not have that kind of money and they were pushing me to finance it. I was upset I feel like these people were price gouging me. They waited until I was in there office to tell me that they wanted 2K from me, I told them that my insurance was suppose to cover everything and they brought up all these extra things that "needed" that my insurance would not cover and then they toped it off my saying they would get me in and out with in a month I could have my surgery. I left that office feeling discouraged and depressed I didnt have that kind of money and I didnt was to finance it. I also didnt understand why they said my insurance would cover it and then came back and said I needed 4k.                                                 So I went home and thought I am going to check in to a different place. That is when I called the Banner Clinic. I spoke to Ilene who was a wealth of knowledge and everyone in the office is so nice from Debra to Diane and the doctors. It took me about 4 1/2 months to get through the insurance processed and get a date. They helped me every step of the way. I was originally going to go with Dr. Villares but mid way through the process he decided he was not going to take on any more patients from that hospital because it was too far of a commute for him. That is when the brought on Dr. Podkameni, I had my first consult with him and I had many questions, so were embarrassing to ask but I felt like I had to he took  his time answering and describing in detail the answers to my questions he even drew pictures for me. He is a comforting and friendly guy he also practiced in the same fellowship as Dr. Villares who is a well known WLS in AZ I even asked him if he had ever had any patient deaths from the surgery. I was happy with there whole program they really prepare you for what is going to happen post op and they really focus on education and the whole office is very supportive, I am so glad I found them and I think you will be too. Let me know if you have any other questions about their clinic. I cant wait until they move to the new location it is much closer to my house and it is going to be much nicer

I had my surgerry 3 1/2 years ago at Barix.  They are no longer in AZ.  The surgeon that I used was Dr. Eric Schlesinger www.azwls.com and he was excellent. I am not familiar with the surgeon that you have chosen, but I am also not in the field protessionally and there are several new doctors doing the surgery since I had mine.  The most important thing that I can say about surgeon choice is that you get a doctor who has done a LOT of surgeries of the type that you wish to have done.  Experience is the best teacher, but I preferred to not be part of the gaining of experince.  Good luck with your upcoming surgery and subsequent losing time.

First of all I'm thinking okay she moved here 22 years ago, how could she "grow up" anyplace else and then to read you have a 21 year old?  OKay I thought you were like 24!!!  You need to keep that avatar for ever!!!!!!!!!!!   Man!   I wanted to welcome you to the board and this family.  This is the place to be.  I am a self pay and getting a Lap Band.  I have a wnderful surgeon whom I am trusting my life with.  Not an easy choice.  I too searched the board websites.  This is no small matter for me.  This is a great site and a great place for support and information.   Good Luck in your Journey!!

LOL!    I guess I should have said that I'm 42??? ;-)   And, so, ummm, are you saying my pic makes me look young or old????  Trying to decide if I should be INSULTED or not!!!  I cropped it from a family pic we took in January of this year, so it's pretty much how I look -- except my hair is lighter.  For clarification:  I grew up in MA, moved out west when I was 18, married at (almost) 20 & came to AZ, first child at 21 1/2, etc. etc. First child is NOW 21.  My kids are from first to last: g/21, b/19, b/18, g/16 3/4, g/8, g/6, g/6.  Yup, twins. Fraternal. Lesson learned: If you're on the pill, don't miss a day and then have 'marital relations'. Thanks for the welcome! :D and all the input. This is a very hard decision for me.  Every few days I keep rethinking what I want to do, what's going to be best. I'm still keeping my options open and want to attend the Mayo Clinic's information seminar as well, just to see exactly how long it will take to get through their program. I don't really have enough information about them.  So -- don't hold me to anything I say about who I'm going with for a surgeon yet!!!  I may still change my mind!!!! :-)  It's such a big decision. The only thing I'm sure of is I want the surgery. If by some miracle in the process of faithfully working on changing my habits prior to surgery I have real weight loss -- ha ha ha -- maybe --- lol ---- I may not need the surgery. You can see how much I believe THAT'S going to happen, but....  I won't close any door that provides even the slightest hope. My appt with an endocrinologist is Monday. I hope it goes well. I just want a physician to do more than look at blood work and say all's well. Blood work only starts to show problems when the situation has become serious -- the body works really hard on its own to keep itself balanced! We only fall apart after years of abuse. At least, that is my opinion anyway!!  Again, thanks for the welcome and the helpful advice!!! I will consider it all in my decision making.  It means a lot to have help and others' experience to factor in.

YOUNGER!!  Man am I that bad at expressing myself?  no!  You look in your twenties in the picture!  Really!

::: Gosh! :::  Thanks!  I don't FEEL that young!!! 

ASBS Center of Excellence Program

There are 3 of these centers here in AZ.  You might want to REALLY look into them. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) program was established in 2004 to ensure consistency and safety in bariatric surgery. The program is administered by Surgical Review Corporation, an independent not-for-profit corporation that is governed by industry stakeholders in bariatric surgery. To receive the designation of an ASBS BSCOE, a Center must participate in a rigorous application process including a thorough site inspection. Both the hospital and surgeon must satisfactorily meet the 10 requirements of the program. Among these requirements are volume criteria that must be met (125 surgeries per year for hospitals and 50 per year for surgeons with a minimum lifetime experience of 125 cases) to prove a successful experience in bariatric surgery. Published data has shown that hospitals and surgeons performing these volumes have the most successful outcomes, with the lowest number of reoperations, complications and mortalities. Those Centers that satisfactorily complete this arduous process find themselves among the top-tier institutions for bariatric surgery in the country; they have better outcomes, excellent facilities and the most experienced surgeons. The ASBS BSCOE program has been recognized for its pioneering efforts by such industry leaders as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and many other prominent healthcare companies. An ASBS BSCOE offers the consumer reassurance that both the hospital and surgeon have been rigorously evaluated. Exceptional care is available from BSCOE Centers that dedicate their facilities, equipment and trained staff to the care of those who suffer from the crippling disease of morbid obesity.

Cool! I'll go to their website and check out the programs that have this valuation. Thanks!!! --- update --- well, I looked at which ones have this distinction in AZ, and only 1 out of the 3 are covered by my insurance, and that one doesn't do the BPD/DS.  Well, it was worth a try!! I'm surprised Mayo Clinic isn't on that list.  Also, Dr. Podkameni as a surgeon would qualify. It's just that Banner Mesa's facilities are pretty old. I'm only happy to have them at the top of my list because by the time I'm through their program and setting a date for surgery they will be in their brand new state of the art facilities. With the excellent surgeons and a tailor made bariatric surgery center, I feel I'd be in very good hands, even without the formal seal of approval from the ASBS.  (Although I wish they had it!)  I wonder why more centers in AZ don't?