DS with AvMed

Id like to know if anyone out there had a DS as a revision for Gastric bypass in the Miami or Ft Lauderdale area?  I have Av Med pos. Please let me know.

There are no DS surgeons in Florida.  Both me and my husband went to Omaha to have DS surgery.  The surgeon list on OH is useless.  There are surgeon listed as doing the DS that we know for a fact do not do the DS.  You can find a list of vetted DS surgeons at http://www.dsfacts.com/index.html

You might also want to post a message on the DS forum.

Red

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my question. I do believe when u say there are no DS surgeons in Florida....isnt that something?

Yes, it is something.  Dr. Kim at Celebration used to do the DS but stopped several years ago.  I have never really known the reason he stopped.  We had Dr. Gagner in Miami last year.  He is really quite famous and moved his practice from NYC to Miami, but he only stayed about a year.  He has spent probably the last year or so traveling the world doing the DS.  Last I heard he was going to set up shop in Montreal this summer.

But traveling to have DS surgery is really not so bad.  It is so worth it.

Red

One more question: Did u do it out of pocket or had insurance ? How much if out of pocket? I was trying to find out about Dr Gagner but yeah found out he is not in Miami anymore....

Insurance covered both mine and my husbands.  If you have to self pay I think Dr. Peters in Pa and Dr. Stewart in Texas have pretty good self pay rates.  And a lot of people go to Dr. Marchisini in Brazil or Dr. Ungston in Mexico.  As I said in my earlier post there is a list of vetted DS surgeons on DSfacts.com .

Red

Thanks!

Dr. Kim said he stopped doing the DS, coz people were not following their post op instructions.

LMAO, like people follow instructions with post op RNY with no exceptions.

I got the feeling he just does not want to do them anymore.

I am supposed to get an RNY with him, he has a GREAT reputation. I did not even know about the DS, till i went to his seminar, now i am having second thoughts as to which surgery to get..

I think i'll pray  to the Baby Jesus for guidance.

Way back when he stopped doing it I had not yet had my surgery and I was disappointed to find I would have to travel to have the DS.  But I could not be happier with my choice of surgery or surgeon.  It worked out well.  Next month I will be four years out and my DH will be one year out!

We have a saying on the DS forum -- think twice, cut once!  If you have questions about the DS let me know or you can post them on the DS forum.  You might also want to go to DSfacts.com .  There are some DS surgeons who have great info on their websites as well.  Let me know if you would like the links.

Red

Teresara, to the best of my knowledge, no surgeon in the entire state of Florida does the DS any more.  Dr. Barry Haiken in Largo was one of the last before he retired five years ago.