Getting my DS!!

After a lot of research, soul searching, and for some reason explaining to others why I'm doing it (even though it's really none of their business) I have decided to have my lapband to ds revision.

My dad (who I love soooo much) is loaning me the money because, as he told me today, I'm beautiful and I deserve a wonderful happy life and he would do anything for me to have that...what's a girl to do without her dad?

The only little glitch is that the price they quoted me is going to be $700 higher because they want me to have an endoscopy to make sure there's no band erosion.  My insurance won't cover it here so it's cheaper to have it done in Mexico so I'll have it done when I get there and hope for the best that there's no erosion.

I was really shocked today buy a coordinator for one of the doctors who called me twice to discourage me from having the ds.  She gave me tons of reasons why I shouldn't have it, including that nobody does that surgery anymore.  When I gave her some statistics that I had printed out she was at a loss for words.  Her negativity actually brought me to tears but then I recovered and thanked her but told her that she didn't understand my situation and since I wasn't going with one of her doctors she didn't need to understand it.  LOL...she actually told me that my poop would stink and I told her that it already did so I wasn't too worried about it.

Why would someone be so negative to someone that they don't know?  The doctor she coordinates for agreed to do the surgery for me (though I'm not going with him) so she really had nothing to gain by doing so.

Oh well, I'm super excited and my surgery will be the last week of August or first week of September.  Please wish me luck, keep me in your thoughts, and don't get frustrated with all the questions I may have.

You all are such a blessing,

Dawn

I'm glad for you!  Maybe that coordinator really believes the worst about the DS, +/or has some fatty dislike or wants patients to have to work harder at dieting, like they have to with the alternatives to the DS.  Also, the non-DS surgeries could be more lucrative to their practice.

Who is your surgeon for your revision? If your answer to that is anything other than Ungson, and you're going to Mexico for surgery, you MUST read this thread: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4431946/surgery-in-me xico/

In fact, you need to read this thread anyway. Please do your research before you commit to a surgeon, especially as a revision patient... your risks are so much more because you will not be a virgin DS. You can not protect yourself without doing research. And I mean REAL research, not just looking at surgeon reviews here on OH. Go to www.dsfacts.com and look at the list there of VETTED DS and revision-to-DS surgeons. Check their medical licenses. Google them along with phrases like "malpractice", "complications", "complaints", etc. The vets on here are amazing, and can help you through a lot when it comes to your DS, but NO ONE can help you if your surgeon f*#$s up your surgery, and consequently, your life. I'm honestly not trying to be alarmist, but for goodness sake, read the thread! See what happens when people don't do their research and choose a vetted DS surgeon?

I am planning on getting my surgery with Dr. Alejandro Lopez who performs surgeries in both TJ and Guadalahra.  I am chosing TJ and will either be having it done in the new Mi Doctor Hospital or the INT Hospital.  I have done quite a bit of research and have not found anything bad.  If someone knows something that I do not please feel free to let me know.  I have search here on OH, Google, and the only vetted surgeon in Mexico is Ungson.  I'm sure he's a great surgeon but it seem unrealistic that he's the only surgeon that anyone should use.  But, like I said, I welcome any and all advice, which is why I come here.

Dawn

I was sort of assuming you were going with Dr. Ungson.  Why would you decide against the only vetted DS surgeon in Mexico?  The fact that you will be a revision makes it extra important to use a well-experienced DS surgeon.  I know of lots of DSers on the message board who used Ungson, but I have not known any to get even a virgin DS from Lopez..

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUN FAST AND FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may not have found anything bad. I don't know if there is anything to be found. But have you found anything good? Even having the surgery done in this country, I would not have been satisfied with simply being able to say that I didn't find anything bad about a surgeon. I wanted to know how many DS surgeries they had done, what the outcomes and complication rates had been like, and it was important to me to be able to talk to other patients of the same surgeon. Having the surgery done outside the country, you need to be that much more dilligent.

Do you know anyone who has had a DS done with this surgeon? I don't.

Okay...these statements right here re the ones you will (hopefully) live to regret:


(Re Lopez)  I have done quite a bit of research and have not found anything bad.

(re Ungson)  I'm sure he's a great surgeon but it seem unrealistic that he's the only surgeon that anyone should use.


The reason you have't seen negative comments about Lopez is that he hasn't done enough DSs to even show up on the radar.   Those who are telling you to use the dsfacts.com list are sending you to surgeons who have proven themselves by doing hundreds--or even thousands--of DSs.  Lopez hasn't done fifty.  He's barely done a quarter of what reasonable people consider "the minimum."

As far as the revision part--it could be a real problem or it coud be nothing.  My band was placed by a real pro--who had done THOUSANDS--and it was very easy to remove.  If a band is placed by a beginner, removal could be complicated.  Verboonen is highly experienced with the band, so if he did your band, you my squeak through on that part.

The DS is a difficult surgery.  You, and your dad if he is financing this, need to know that you will have NO coverage stateside for ANY post-op complication.  And you will have NO DOCTORS near you who will want to handle any complication with anything other than revising it all to the RnY.  When they see a stricture--and many people get a stricture for no reason other than that's what their bodies decided to do--your local doctors will try to revise you to an RnY.  Anything more complicated than that, they will immediately go for taking down the DS and doing what looks familiar to them...and you will have a hospital bill for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

Ungson doesn't guarantee no complications, but the more experienced your surgeon has, the less likely you are to have problems that are costly and complicated to resolve.

So maybe Lopez will be a GREAT DS surgeon...someday.  And maybe not.  But you are offering yourself up on the altar of guinea pigs with nothing to go by but a low price and a suitcase full of hope.  This is NOT a good choice.

Sue

No Dawn.  No.

The only Mexican surgeon you can use is Ungson.  PLEASE please PLEASE listen to this advice that you will hear from a lot of people.

Here's another Mexico horror story:www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4431946/DO-NOT-USE-JERASLUEM -HOSPITAL/.

The DS is a very complicated, technical procedure that can only be learned by proctoring under another qualified and experienced surgeon. 

WE would know if your surgeon had that experience.  He DOES NOT.

The surgical coordinator probably has first hand knowledge that they are trying to impart to you without losing their job.

All of this means you absolutely MUST drop your plans with this surgeon and contact Ungson or one of the US surgeons who have good self-pay rates.

Please respond.  I'm very very very very worried for you.

~Becky

PLEASE reconsider your surgeon choice.  GO with a VETTED surgeon. 

This surgery is complicated.  Even vetted surgeons admit is not simple. 
I am having mine in August, around the same time as you are planning and I would hate to read that you were sick, or did not get the full DS.  (Which BTW happens all the time.) 
Please read as many back posts as you are able.

Did you check into the special deal that Diana Cox was talking about recently? 

You have time to make a wonderful and healthy choice, and I just want the best for you.
Your father sounds like a great man.  Please use this opportunity to the best of your ability.
JJ