Searching for a surgeon - Recommendations requested

Hi. I am new to this forum (though I have been lurking for some time), and truly appreciate the information available here. You all are so generous with your time and knowledge! I am strongly inclined towards lap-band surgery, and am seeking a surgeon (and/or hospital) in the metro-Detroit region (though I would go anywhere for the best care). Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I would also like information about how the insurance authorization process is handled in the offices of any surgeon that you might recommend -- do I need to handle the pre-approval, or is it masterminded by someone in the doctor's office? I have a letter from my PCP and believe that I meet the criteria of my BCBS MI PPO. I am, nonetheless, nervous about the process. Please advise! Thanks so much!

What city are you in? My insurance (HAP at the time) mandated that I go thru the Henry Ford System, and I went with Dr. Genaw.

Hi! I'm not sure how to do so (one at a time, or by some sort of group reply), but I'd like to thank everyone *****plied! In answer to your question, I live in Ferndale. It would be very convenient for me to see Dr. Kevin Krause or one of the other Beaumont doctors. I'm willing to go most anywhere, however, to get the best possible care.

My surgeon is Dr. Schuknecht with Real Weight Loss Solutions. Phone 586-276-8130. He is absolutely wonderful. Fran

I also had Dr. Genaw and I can't say enough about him or the staff at Henry Ford. It was a great experience! Kristy

HI there, Well I would highly recommend my Dr. which is Dr. Foote out of Grand Rapids at MMPC. He is soooo awesome...I can't say enough great about him. Very kind caring and friendly. I have the same insurance as you do, and MMPC did everything for me, I didn't have to do one thing. BCBS MI PPO recognizes MMPC, so there was no pre-approval for me, I just had to meet very few criteria. If you want, you can e-mail me at anytime, or go to my profile and see the great things I have to say about MMPC, Dr. Foote and Blodgette Hospital. I would recommend each and every one, they are the best. You can also call Valerie at MMPC, she is the great insurance lady there, she will be able to answer all your questions. 1-616-974-4400 Please contact me if you have any further questions. I wish you the best of luck on your new journey. Hugs... Cheryl

I forgot to mention, that I went to my orientation on May 22nd. By August 16th I had my surgery. They move very fast there, which is great. Not even 2 months and I was out of surgery. A great thing for me, as I am very impatient. haha

I went through the Bariatric Surgery Center at U of M. They don't do the Lap procedure, only RNY, but if you wanted to look into it, it's a great program. The Doctors are Dr. Birkmeier and Dr. Finks. The Admin. Assistant for the program (now it's Shannon, it was someone else when I went) takes care of a lot of the insurance hoops. I was kept informed of where I was in the approval process and what exactly I needed to do. I also have BCBS PPO. Best of luck to you! Brenda

Welcome to the michigan board! I highly recommend Dr. John Webber. He did my rny, but also does lap band too. he is truely awesome and goes way out of his way to do the best. his office takes care of everything 100%, you do nothing in the insurance process. I hope this helps you. Hugs Linda

My recommendation is Steven Hendrick who is head of the Bariatric program at Henry Ford Wyandotte. His number is 734-285-7420. His office staff is wonderful and his nutrionist is very informational. He is a pleasure to work with. He is very caring and will motivate you to do well. He is very big on personal care and will call you back himself in some cases because he wants to talk to you one on one. Suzanne