I'm looking into getting banded, however, I'm self-employed and due to my weight I've been unable to find any health insurance that would accept me.  My father was recently killed and as a result I will be receiving an inheritance that would be enough to cover the full amount of self-payment with the surgeon I'd selected.  My surgeon also provides 1 year of fills in the price of the surgery, but I still am very worried about proceeding.  I'm concerned, however, of the possibility of not having a backup plan if there were complications. 

I was hoping some of the self-payers here could offer some guidence for me!

Hi Mags!

I am not a self-payer, but will have some out-of-pocket expenses my insurance will not cover. They will cover 80% of the surgery, but I have to meet my deductible as well as pay the 20%...I am looking anywhere between $3500 and $5000 for myself. As a result, I have been looking at financing this remaining amount. There are many options out there. Just google medical credit. You'll find one site called CareCredit. You would probably have to see if your surgeon accepts it though. If they don't, you can definitely find more medical creditors out there. Google has been great in my quest for information on this!

Hope this helps some!

Hi Mags!

Give SurgeryLoans.com a call they will be able to assist you with your needs. 888-502-8020 or apply at www.surgeryloans.com .......

Hope this helps
Marc Morgan

Good luck with your weight loss journey!  The best thing you can do is make sure that you are having surgery with a surgeon and practice that you feel comfortable with.  Discuss your concerns with them and see if they have any solutions that they could recommend for you.  An open line of communication with your surgeon is very important.  If you haven't already, you might also want to check out a company called BLIS that provides surgical complication protection, should a complication occur.  Having BLIS coverage takes away the "unknown" of a complication, which is great for your own personal peace of mind.  To learn more, you can visit www.bliscompany.com or you are welcome to email me!
However you decide to move forward, I'm sending you best wishes and much success!!  Take care!
Warm Regards,
Kim
BLIS, Inc.
[email protected]

I could never suggest self pay for banding.  The aftercare is very expensive.  I'm not referring to fills and such, I'm referring to very high stats for re-operation within the first five years.

I had a band and I spent many thousands of dollars in problems and issues before I finally opted for a sleeve.  With a sleeve the long term risks and complications are drastically less than that of a band.  There is no aftercare, no maintenance, better and faster weight loss, and cheaper in the end.

www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/14954

Might want to read the above.

Midwestern:  Awesome article!  How do you find these types of articles?

Not to be a sleeve-snob, but you owe it to yourself to investigate the band vs. the sleeve.  Espeically if you are a self-pay.  I think many folks do well with the band, but there can be complications - went to a support group recently and two Banders there were having issues with ports not working, leaks, etc.

Mags,

I haven't had my procedure yet, but everything I've read about the band tells me to run - not walk - away from it.  If you haven't looked into VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy or sleeve gastrectomy or gastric sleeve), you really should. Less chance of complications, far less long-term cost. Certainly less surgery, too, cuz sooner or later that band will have to come out - and you'll gain weight.

Join the VSG forum here:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/a,messageboard/board_i d,5463/

and here's an article that's worth a read:

http://bariatrictimes.com/2009/06/18/laparoscopic-sleeve-gas trectomy/

There are many other articles, as well.  The gastric sleeve procedure is still considered "investigational" by US insurance companies, but this is expected to change in 2010.  Since you're self-pay, this doesn't matter, of course!

Good luck!

Sheri

It took me a long time to even accept a band option because my mother had severe issues with gastric bypass (doctor error) and still 10 years later is having issues stemming from the surgery.  So in short, yes, I've looked into other options, but no, I'm not considering them.

Have you looked at how much fills, unfills will cost you AFTER the first year?  Are you financially prepared to pay for surgery to have your band removed if is slips or erodes?

When I was researching LapBand, these are things that scared the crap out of me.  I was self pay as well b/c I didn't qualify through my insurance.  Fill around here average $250 each!  I didn't even want to know what another surgery would cost me.  And the many stories of slips, etc. scared me away from the band.

I know you've said you won't consider another surgery & I respect that.  But please know that even the band has complications.  I know it's touted as the least invasive, but I couldn't live every day of my life scared that my band would slip or erode or that I would get something stuck. 

Good luck with your surgery.  I hope you do not have any complications & are able to achieve the success you desire!

The Band does have a number of complications that can occur, but so can all of the surgeries.  Band slips, erosions, or port-site problems can happen, but the percentages are similar to other types of surgeries.  The good news with a Band is that if you do have a complication, more often than not, it is an easy surgical fix and you are back on your way.  With some of the other procedures, a complication can be more devastating.  It is important to weigh all of your options, talk to you surgeon and talk to other patients who have been there and done it.  Don't be afraid to ask questions and make sure that you are prepared for the lifestyle changes that you will need to make after surgery.  You have to do what is right for YOU!
I wish you much luck with your weight loss journey and your decision. 
Warm Wishes,
Kim
[email protected]
www.bliscompany.com