Dr. Kelly Fitzpatrick fOR fills?

anyone know about this, I need to self pay so Im going, yes, to TJ to have my surgery, but because its so far, I asked for affiliates providing fills in the area, I tried to look on an engine for more info, but got lost, and im kind of freaking out about it because i know having someone close by for my fills and adjustments or whatever else, is important. but with the original surgeon only charging $100; yes, even more with airfare; but could that still possibly be cheaper than trying to be a walk-in into someones Portland office? keighty

Congratulations to you on your decision to have surgery. I also had surgery in Mexico and have concerns rgarding fills. I found Dr. Ogle in Olympia, WA at www.pacsurgical.com does fills for $300 (hospital fee and doctor fee). I have been able to find a doctor in Portland who will see me. Someone else mentioned Dr. Fitzpatrick for fills. It may be wise to meet with her before surgery, or at least contact her office. I have had several issues come up and have been unable to get a local doctor to address them. I guess with airfare at around $200 it would cost the same. I just don't enjoy TJ enough to go their too many times! Good luck to you! Melissa

Hi Keighty, I too am going to TJ to be banded (on 5/14 with Dr. Ortiz--YEA!!!). Before I made the decision to go south of the border, it was very important to my family (and to me) to make sure I had adequate post-op support available in the Portland area. I found Dr. Fitzpatrick's name on these boards (or on one of the Yahoo! groups) and I scheduled a free consult with her a few weeks ago. She is an extremely nice woman and very supportive of and informed about the band. She charges about $150 for a fill and $25 for unfills. She does not use fluorscopy, but because she has a background as an RN and in chemo treatment, she is very experienced with accessing ports. I am very confident about having her as my local fill doctor. I have also arranged to have a bariatric physician oversee my post-op care in the event I need to have antibotics or other non-emergent treatment. FTR, I plan to return to my surgeon's office 6-8 weeks after surgery for a check up and my first fill. That way any problems will be detected and if necessary I can see Dr. Fitzpatrick for further fills. I think that this is probably the best way to approach my post-op care. Feel free to contact me for more info. I wish you the best of luck. Regards, Marcie TBB 5/14/04 Dr. Ortiz 272/155