:HELP: Has anyone paid for the lapband with cash?

I have no insurance and a relative has offered to pay for my lapband surgery if I have it. Has anybody out there paid with cash in the Omaha, Nebraska area, and if so, would you mind sharing the approximate costs from pre-op testing to the first year of post-op clinic visits? Also, I need to find a surgeon that is not going to take months and months to get into in Omaha, Nebraska. Any suggestions?

Dr. White in Omaha does it. He did my lap ryn and I love him and hist staff! I don't know how much a band would be. I just got my bill from the hospital and it was $32,000. Now that doesn't include anything from Dr. White or the other Dr's involved. Definately NOT a cheap thing. I know Dr. White said at his seminar if you were a cash paying patient he required $15,000 up front for lap bands and $23,000 up front for the ryn's. So you may be able to figure something out from that. lol, but maybe not.

I might be a month late on this..but I got the LapBand with Dr. Sudan at Creighton --- less than $14,000 and that's including the psych consult and everything-- actual surgery was $13,360ish. jayme