Surgery @ Hershey PA, anyone?

Hi,
I am actually meeting Dr Rogers this Thursday. From all of the research I have done and all of the physicians I have spoken with Hershey is the standard for Bariatric surgery. It's 2 hours from my house, but I am willing to travel. I think I am having the band. I am interested in VSG too, but there's just so little info about it. What insurance do you have? Did you get a procedure code for the VSG? I can't seem to get one.

Hello! Yeah the hosp. is about a lil over an hour from me, but it's worth the drive to me....Best place to get info in on the VSG forum message board page (that's normally where I call home) I've gotten a **** ton (excuse the french) of info on the surgery.  Since Hershey itself didn't have the set book to give me on it. They have the Band/RNY book. So i'll be following the pre/post op meal plan for the RNY until my staple line heals. 

 As for my ins. I have BCBS, it's through the court house, im a county employee.  They didn't give me a set "ins. code" for the VSG, so I just called (twice infact) to get the okay over the phone from my ins. company. They cover all 3 surgeries, because the girl explained to me that "they all fall under the Bariatric surgery catagory".   Hey whatever works, just so it's covered!! 


Like I said, pop on the VSG board, you'll get every answer you could possibly want to know answered there :0)


Best of luck to you!
----kristina

Hi I've been over there. What code did you give the insurance company for the VSG. I have BCBS too but people are telling me they are approving the procedure code via the phone, but actually denying the claims once submitted because they don't cover VSG>

I know everyone is different and I will just tell you my opinion.  When I hear Hershey and Dr. Shope,  I want to literally throw up!!!  My daughter had gastric bypass in Aug 07 by Shope and he made a mistake.  We were waiting in the waiting room a very very long time.  He finally came out and said there was a problem.  He "made a mistake" while stapling.............. long story!  Anyway, her surgery was at like 8am and she never got in her room until 10pm.  Her blood pressure went way up and her oxygen level was way down.  She was in the hospital about 6 days.  She could not even keep water down because the opening kept closing.  She was in the hospital 8 times on IV's and between that she was going to try to get scoped to try to get the opening to where it should be. Dr Shope did not show his face at all!!!  It kept closing.  Her feet and legs went numb.  She was in a local hospital. They did not know what to do for her so they sent her home in a wheel chair, potty chair and a hospital bed.  She could not walk.  I did some research.  It all came back to the mistake.  I called Dr shope and he denied telling us that and did not want to see her again. I went on line and found a doctor in NYC who specializes in complications after GB and he wanted to see her ASAP. He had a pretty good idea what was wrong.  Her insurance would not cover it but he insisted.  We took her to NY and she was there for 5 1/2 weeks.  She missed Thanksgiving, both her kids birthdays, they were 7 and 2.   He ran all sorts of test as to why she could not use her legs and why it felt like needles were sticking in them. She was constantly screaming in pain.  They had her so doped up so she could not feel pain.  He was right, it was due to the surgery.  She was starving to death.  She was severely dehydrated and was suffering from severe malnutrition.  She did not eat in 3 months. He revised her surgery on December 4, 2007.  Transported her back to a local rehab hospital in time for Christmas.  She was there for 3 1/2 weeks.  She did come home January 12 in a wheelchair.  She still could not walk.  She did intense TP at home.  Once she started to use her feet and legs again, she did outpatient TP for a long time.  Today, A year and 4 months after her surgery, thanks to the doctor in NYC, she is able to eat and is back to work but is still not normal and never will be.  She is on meds for her legs and feet for the rest of her life.  She has neuoropothy.  Check about that with whatever surgeon you choose.  It is not he only case that I heard of that he messed up.  I know someone who knows someone that works on an office there and there was about 5 cases in all that they know of.  
 Once when she was in Hershey she did see Dr Rogers and she did seem nice but not nice enough to ever go there again.   That is my story.