HELP!!! I need to find a DS surgeon. I have Cigna.

I have Cigna SHBP in GA. I want the DS laproscopic, but none of the surgeons on the list do DS.  It has to be a preferred surgeon at a "Center of Excellence". I would travel to another state if I need to. Would prefer to stay in the southeast, but at this point would consider all options.


The more research I do, the DS, seems like the right procedure for me. I just can't find a surgeon.

I have not had surgery yet -- will hopefully have the sleeve in the spring -- but have been doing research for quite a while.  My doc of choice is Dr. Dennis Smith, who operates out of Marietta.
Both he and WellStar Kennestone, where he operates, are Centers of Excellence.
(I believe he may also operate out of Cobb WellStar, in Austell, but I'm not sure.)

I've been to several of Dr. Smith's support group sessions and find them very informative, including the info from other patients.  Everybody is so supportive there and seems to be more than willing to talk to "newbies."  There are three sessions per month, and I believe they are all next week!  Check out his Web site at www.advancedobestirysurgery.com for times and locations....as well as great info about the procedures themselves.
 
Also click on "Find a Surgeon" on this Web site (OH) and check out more about Dr. Smith and what his patients have to say. For some reason the number of surgeries he's performed is very outdated (from 2004, I think), but the rest of the info is great.  I know nothing about Cigna.
My insurance won't cover WLS, so I'll be self pay.       I think there's a section on this Web site and possibly his Web site that talks specifically about insurance too.

Good luck!

-- Laura

LaShelle is a State employee.  Not only does it have to be a "center of excellence", but it HAS to be one on the "special Cigna list".  Dr. Dennis Smith is not a Cigna provider at all, and he's not practicing out of one of the 3 hospitals available to SHBP employees. 

Good suggestion, but that's a no-go.

LaShelle, have you tried the surgeons in Alabama?  Tennessee? 

-Elli

hey lashelle, I can't believe "MS I WANT LAP BAND" IS CONSIDERING HAVE DS...LOL! ANYWAY I'LL BE WITH YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!! FOR REAL!! WHEN I CALLED THE SHBP EARLIER (A MONTH AND A HALF AGO) THEY STATED THAT THEY WILL ONLY COVER TWO TYPE OF WLS WHICH WERE (LAP BAND AND RNY). TELL WHAT INFO YOU HAVE LEARNED OVER THE PAST MONTH? AND TELL ME HOW YOU COME TO A CONCLUSION TO HAVE DS. (TELL ME EVERYTHING) LOL
YOUR FRIEND

Izzy,
If you are with UHC, I think you can only do LapBand or RNY.  With Cigna, we can do LapBand, RNY, biliopancreatic diversion with DS (with BMI >50), or vertical banded gastroplasty.  Now, VBG isn't used as much anymore since there are better surgeries.

LaShelle - I haven't investigated DS because I am not allowed to have it per my nephrologist.  So, I don't know much about it.  BUT when people say they are having the DS, I don't know if that always includes the BPD part of it.  Cigna's policy specifically states BPD with DS.  Assuming that is 2 different things, it looks like Cigna won't pay for DS alone.  You may need to investigate the BPD with DS differently.  You may already know this, but I thought I'd throw it out to you just in case.

-Elli

I want the BPD with DS, not the Ds alone. Guess I should be more specific.

The BPD w/ DS is actually the 1st surgery I ever considered. Maybe that's why I want it because something in human psyche makes us go back to the 1st one we see, like on those wedding shows they try on 50 dresses and always go back to the 1st one they tried?? I always did prefer it over lap band Izzy, but kinda put it in the back of my mind, since it seemed far fetched without anybody on Cigna's plan in GA doing the surgery.

These are the reasons I would like it:

*No dumping!!!
*No fills (do I really want to have to get fills rest of my life?)
*Recently heard you are supposed to have the band replaced every so  many years??
*No band slippage
*No band erosion
*You can eat normal sized meals. I can't get over idea of only eating a cup of food. 
*Less vitamin deficiencies than RNY (keep hearing different versions of whether this is true)
*More weight loss (I'm 316lbs. i need to lose at least 117-125.
*Highest success rate in keeping the weight off
* People on the DS board seem to have less complaints of side effects.
    
                          cut and pasted from DS website

Since our pyloric valve and duodenum are left functioning as before, we DS patients don't have dumping syndrome, nor a risk of staple line problems, clogging of the anastamosis, ulcers at the stoma, etc. (remember, we don't have pouches or stomas). So, we don't have the problems with "stretching" the pouch or getting something stuck in the stoma -- because what we have is our real stomach, connected the same way it was before surgery to the duodenum.

I have found a Dr. in Charlotte NC, David Voellinger who does the DS/BPD laproscopically and is on our plan. Everyone else is up north and not driving distance. I don't want to fly after surgery. Wearing an airplane seatbelt w/ stitches doesn't sound fun. Plus what if I get sick on the plane?

Am I insane for considering traveling to another state for surgery? Is that a little extreme? What if I have a weird complication and I'm 4 hrs away from my surgeon???

I wish Dr. Dennis Smith were on our plan. He is the only surgeon in GA doing the DS Laproscopically.

I know from the bottom of my heart the DS is what I need to do. The lapband would be just taking the easy way out (not to say it would be easy) maybe I should say more convenient and less risky. I really just need to be a big girl and do what I need to do to get the DS don't I?

LASHELLE, WHATEVER YOU THINK IS BEST FOR "YOU" IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!! BOTTOM LINE AND YOU STATED THAT YOU DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE DS. IT DOES NOT SOUND CRAZY TO ME. THE REASON BEING IS YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP WITH THE WRONG SURGERY! HAVING TO HAVE A REVISION! SO LASHELLE, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK ON DS. I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FOR IT.. ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE IS STATED ARE CERTAINLY THINGS YOU SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION!!!!! IN MY OPINION I THINK THAT DS OR RNY IS CERTAINLY BETTER FOR SOMEONE OUR SIZE, NOT LAP BAND (AS YOU KNOW I HAVE DECIDED ON RNY) I BEEN READING ON (OH) ABOUT PEOPLE AND HOW MUCH WEIGHT THEY HAVE LOST WITH THE BAND AND THAT SAID IT ALL FOR ME.... NOT FOR ME. I'M TO DAMN BIG(*325) FOR THE BAND..LOL I WILL EAT MY WAY RIGHT THUR THE BAND...LOL!!! AGAIN WHATEVER YOU DECIDE FRIEND I'LL BE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. "I FREAKIN PROMISE MAN"

LaShelle?.. U leaving me , Well Lady I am glad you have been able to decide on a surgery unlike ME. Quewstion about DS... Isn't that the surgery where they remove 80% of your stomach along with your Appendix and gallbladder than remove like 27 feet(maybe wrong amount) of your intestines and connect the remaining to your new 20% stomach? If so I met a woman on here that has done it and she is extremely HAPPYand as I say This is such a personal choice and it has to be something that YOU can live with not what works for someone else so congrats

I dont know about the appendix and gall bladder removal? I just know the long term results are supposed to be better. 

By the Way I got god news today!!!  I got a response from Dr. Dennis Smith's office. They are scheduled to be in network for Cigna starting late spring 2008!!! I am praying this goes through, and he will be able to do my surgery.  This will give us SHBP members another option.

LaShelle,
Back up that wagon.  Yes, Dr. Smith getting on Cigna's preferred providers would be good, but he still has to do the surgery at 1 of the 3 hospitals.  I don't think he uses any of them...

Sorry to burst your bubble...
-Elli