Hi I live in Beaver Creek Minnesota and was wondering if anyone knew of a good surgeon in my area. I have dr perry at from surgical associates in sioux falls SD but I keep getting the run around there. The insurance specialist doesn't return my calls and i have no idea where i am in the process. I have repeatedly called but not with much success so I am looking for another doctor in the area. Does anyone have any ideas? It could me a minnesota or south dakota doctor,,,it doesnt matter really so long as they are good. Give me a shout out please!!!

 I don't know of any. It may be worth your while to make the big trip to the Twin Cities as there are several wonderful programs up here; Park Nicollette, Abbott, Unity.

Thank you!!! At this point I am willing to do anything,,,do you have an address and a phone number. I will give them a call..besides roadtrips can be fun. Again, thanks for the advice.  christi

If you're willing to do the road-trip thing, here's a good place to start -

http://www.parknicollet.com/bariatrics/

Everyone here who has had a good experience will probably want to promote the program they went through, and that's a good thing.  I know that with PN, I didn't have any run-around - once they agreed I was a good candidate, they took the reins and navigated all the steps I needed to take to make it happen for me. 

If you have records of all the hoops you've already jumped through, i would think they would be able to use that information to streamline your approval.  It depends a great deal on your insurance, of course, but it helps to have a pro-active bariatric program on your side!  My approval took only 2 weeks once it was submitted - it would have been faster, but some cog in the insurance wheel went on vacation for a week, leaving my file sitting on her des****il she got back.

Good luck to you - do your research as much as possible online, then when you choose a program that clicks with you, you can probably consolidate any appointments needed into a one or two day trip!

 How far are you from Sioux Falls?  I would say the best bet is to find a surgeon in sioux falls as even though the cities have a whole bunch of great surgeons...to be driving 4 hours to the cities several times would just be a pain in the butt...imho.  At Park Nicolett your first appt. is 5 days (or so) after your surgery.  Then every month after that to the Nutrition (30 minute appt.)  and doctor.  
I would try avera mckennan:  http://www.avera.org/mckennan/services/weight-loss-surgery/i ndex.aspx#Patient-Testimonials  and i have heard this Doc. Graham is a nice dude at Sandford Health and it is a center of excellence so i would check this place out first.  http://www.sanfordhealth.org/MedicalServices/Specialties/WeightLossSurgery/SiouxFalls

Just my two cents:
I work in the healthcare field, in your area the best around would be Mckenna and Sanford. I have never been a patient there but I would- lean towards Sanford.
I think that traveling to the cities would be a mistake unless you and unemployed with a chauffer.  There are many follow up visits that take up a great deal of time, winter is coming and the roads down your way get closed in storms. 

I am kind of puzzled though, how can you "have no idea" where you are in the process? You need to take responsiblity- your clinic does not own that.  Do you know what your insurance company requires?  Call them and find out, every company is different.  If you are pretty far along in the process, then maybe call the clinic you are with and ask to speak to one of the nurses, explain your frustration.  If it were me and I liked the surgeon- I wouldn't switch because of one person didn't call me back.
Good Luck!

Thank you for the good advice. Your right,,,it is my responsibility to stay on top of things. I called my insurance company and got a copy of their requirements. I also called the doctors office back and found out that the insurance specialist that I had been dealing with is no longer employed by them. I did get to talk to the (new) insurance specialist and she did say she was still going thru my chart. You could tell that she was somewhat confused by my questions but at least now I have a better idea of whats going on. Once again,,thanks for your advice.  christi

Good for you-  I hope I didn't sound mean but the process is daunting so I just think you have to
always know what's going down.  Best wishes to you-  I hope that the new staff member makes your journey easier!