I chose a doctor, I think!

I believe I have chosen a doctor. I think I will go with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico. I can have laparascopic RNY with him and discovered that there really won't be much difference in price from the open RNY with Dr. Aguirre. Aguirre has apparently raised his prices again. The first time I looked into this, he was charging something like US$5,500, lately it was US$8,500, and today I was quoted US$9,400. That includes 2 days in the hospital and does *not* include any hotel time. Nor does it include transportation from the airport to the hospital, which I understand is US$350 (apparently it has gone up from $300!!) if you use his driver. I intend to stay in Mexico for 10 days, so as I add it up, with Dr. Aguirre I have a giant scar and spend: $ 9400 surgery & 2 nights in hospital $ 375 apt for 3 days with nurse at $125/night $ 395 apt for 5 additional days at $79/night) $ 350 transportation ________ $10520 total With Dr. Aceves, I will have lap RNY and spend: $12500 surgery including 5 days in hospital & 2 in a hotel $ 240 hotel for 3 days at $80/day $ 0 transportation (Nina says she picks me up as part of the fee) _________ $12740 total That's a difference of only US$2,220, which is well worth it to me to avoid that scar! I spoke extensively with Nina today, and she sent me a couple of forms to fill out, which I did and sent back within an hour! I'm very excited. I can get a date for January (she said they need a lead time of about 3-4 weeks). I am still working on the refinancing of my condo in Florida, so I told her I don't want a firm date yet. I need to find out when I'll get the money from the condo first. Suddenly I am full of questions...

Hi jennifer, I am so happy for you esp. since you choose Dr. Aceves. I have heard such wonderful things about him and Nina. I will be there on Dec 19th - Dec. 30 for Lap RNY so I will keep you posted. Karen

Hi Karen - sorry I haven't emailed you back yet.... my phone line works only intermittantly, so I don't have email access all the time. I'm so excited for you! You'll be on the losing side in less than a week!! Since you will be going through the same process as I, I will be really anxious to follow your progress!

Hi Jennifer! Congratulations on making your decision. I hope everything goes smoothly and you will be able to get the refinancing you need in order to schedule your surgery. I don't know anything about Dr. Aceves other than reading his name occassionally on the message board. I was wondering why you would need 5 days in the hospital though. That sure seems like a long time. I felt so good after my surgery that I'd have gone nuts if I'd been in the hospital any longer than I was. My surgery was on Thursday, May 6 and I got out of the hospital at noon on Saturday, May 8. It's good we can choose doctors based on what we see as the most important to us. The scar seems to be important to you, where it wasn't to me. I already have lap scars from gall bladder surgery and you can barely see them. My RNY scar is fading very quickly and really looks ok. I chose Dr. Aguirre because he does the open RNY. I didn't want lap RNY. I wanted to know my surgeon could see everything clearly and I also wanted my pouch to be completely seperate from the old stomach. I also wanted to have the intestine connect at the bottom of the pouch instead of the top or side like some surgeons do. Dr. Aguirre does the surgery the way I felt was best for me. I'm glad you have found the surgeon that does surgery the way you are the most comfortable. I wish you the best as you travel the weight loss road! Keep us posted! Cheri

Thanks for the support The scar issue *is* very important to me. No matter my weight, I've always been very concious about the way I look, and put a lot of effort into looking polished, pretty, and sexy. I never stopped wearing a two-piece bathing suit. I figured that a one-piece didn't hide my fat, so what difference did it make? LOL! I don't wear a string bikini, but I have a good shape despite my weight, and like to flatter it with my clothing and so forth. What I look like naked in front of my partner is also very important to me. My partner would not reject me because of a scar, but I want to continue to feel as sexy as possible and one of the things my partner really adores about me is my smooth, nearly unblemished skin. Since the lap RNY is a viable option for me, I prefer to go that route. As for the open vs. lap debate... I'll post about that separately. As for staying in the hospital 5 days.... I am comfortable with that. More comfortable, in fact, than leaving after only 2 days. In the hospital I will have around the clock care, which I won't have in a hotel room unless I hire a nurse. Dr. Aceves requires 2 days in-hospital for the lap-band and 5 days for lap RNY. I'm totally ok with that

Hi Jennifer! I think you definately need to go with the Lap RNY. It is obvious you have put a lot of thought into what is best for you. I support you 100% on your decision. If you did have the open you would probably always wish you had done the other. You have very valid reasoning behind your decision. As I explained in my earlier post, I chose a doctor based on what I felt was the most important. If we all thought alike this old world sure would get boring! You know what you want, so I say "Go for it!" You won't be disappointed. WLS is the best decision I've ever made about my weight situation! Please keep me posted, I would love to know how everything works out for you. Also, let me know how you like Dr. Aceves. If I know of someone that wants lap RNY I can tell them about him. Cheri

I am glad I saw you post! I was decided on Dr.Aguirre, but I was concerned about the scar and I thought I was a little too conciended. I want LAP but I read somewhere there were fewer complications with open RNY. Have you read or seen any information on this subject??? Thanks so Much... Christina

Hi Christina. I just had my surgery with Dr. Aguirre last Friday. I purposely chose to have open RNY. In my opinion it is better because the doctor can really get a good look around inside you first, and it is much easier for him to really see what he is doing and do it right the first time. I think there is less chance for mistakes and he can see with his own eyes how well it is all coming together. I had lap gall bladder surgery a few years ago, and the scars are little white lines that you would have to look for if you did not know they were there. Of course, I am fair skinned and that makes a difference. People with more melanin pigment tend to have more noticeable scars, so keep that in mind. All in all, the scar might bother you at first, but it will most likely fade into nothing and Dr. Aguirre has a reputation for making very "good" scars! Hope this helps with your decision. Be sure to do your research and do what is right for you. Sue F.

This is such a controversial subject... doctors debate this all the time. Some feel that open provides a better view (if you pry someone open you can really see inside), while others believe that the videoscope used in the laparoscopic procedures offers a better access and view of the internal structures, and also reduces healing time. I'm not qualified to argue that from a medical point of view. The doctor working with Dr. Aceves during lap RNY (yes, he will be there during the surgery) has done in excess of 1000 laparoscopic RNY procedures, so I feel very comfortable with that. My issue about the scar is personal and important to me, so I don't think that you worrying about it is conceited at all! I completely understand. Every person needs to do what they feel most comfortable with.

Dear Jennifer I and so happy to hear about your upcoming surgery. It has been a year and a half since I was looking for a Doctor. I too wanted lap RNY and I checked out both Doctors too, I was interested in Dr Aceves, only at that time he only did band surgeries, and I wanted RNY, I choose Dr Aguirre and went with the open, because he had done so many, over 400 at that time. It was a real hard decision because I so wanted Lap surgery, I had never been cut before. Now you barely can even see it. Had I had insurance I would have found a good Doctor that did lap and that would have been it, but I didn't and thankfully I found a great surgeon, which is the most important part of all. I have a friend in Phoenix who had her surgery last month, insurance paid for everything,she got to pick who she went with. She chose a Dr who only does open surgery, because of all His experience, that was the most important thing to her. Please make sure you are content with the number of Lap RNY surgeries that Dr Aceves has done. God Bless you, I will be praying for you and your upcoming surgery!