Fill Centers USA

 

I have a lap band, not RNY.

It sounds like the majority of folks on here have insurance or self paid a US surgeon, and gotten their fills from their surgeon.  HAS ANYONE HERE USED Fill Centers USA?  What does it cost you? I had surgery in MX and need a fill place in NC.  My surgeon, Dr. Ortiz, is affiliated with the Fill Centers USA, and that is why I chose them. I have to drive 275 miles one way to get there (although their web site said it was only 199 miles from my town).  I also can't find a closer Dr.  that takes patients other than their own.  I knew when I went to MX I would need to get my fills somewhere else.  Well, maybe once a year I can make the trip back to Dr. Ortiz.

I just saw a post on another board about the cost of a fill at the Fill Center USA.  The price I saw on their official site was considerably LESS than what this person says she has to pay.

I am starting to sweat this!  I have carefully budgeted for this fill and I hope there are not going to be any surprises.  I also hope they give me a good fill, cause I can't afford (in either time or money), to go back 10 times before I find my sweet spot!

Hi -- I'm a very rare poster, but wanted to let you know that I've going to the Denver, NC (Dr. Ahigian) FIll Center USA location on Monday 10/29.  This is my first fill after being banded 9/19 in Denver, CO by Dr. Kirshenbaum at Parker Adventist Hospital --  I was a self-pay patient  and am also a nurse; I had an excellent expereince, but really wanted to have my fills locally  My extended family doesn't know I'm banded, so it might seem suspicious for me to have more trips to CO.  I am paying extra for fluroscopy.  Dr. Fernandez at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem will accept patients who were banded elsewhere.  Super nice guy with excellent credentials. My surgeon sent him a letter of referral and my operative notes and he accepted me; however, we had to part ways when he asked that I have a EGD before he saw me the first time.  My insurance doesn't cover anything related to the Lap Band and I priced that test at  WFUBMC for $3k.  So, I'm off to the  FIll Center! I'll let you nkow how it goes on Monday!

Hello Bandster. :) Please be careful with the fill center doc......I know someone who used Fill Center in FL and is having to having her tubing and port replaced becuase there were so many small holes in her tubing. She too was self pay. So just be carefull I know the fluro is pricey but it's really good t have it done the first time becuase it shows were your port is so the first hit they hit the port....it shows that the band has settled correctly. Fluro will never really show the type of restricition because you are drinking liquid and that will always go through unless they have you filled too tightly.  One other thing is that it should really take you a couple of fills to get to that "sweet spot" because you will have restriction when you first get filled then the more weight you loss you will be able to eat a little more becuase you stomach has gotten a little smaller so you will need another one. Does that make sense? I have probably had a total of 10 - 15 fills/unfills (from being too tight) in 2 1/2 years.  Oh yeah Carolina Wieght Loss in Concord and Southeast Bariatrics take patients banded elsewhere. Not sure what the policy on taking them is but they both take patients.  Good Luck!!!!!