Stomaphyx New York

I met with Dr. Shawn Garber in New York yesterday for the Stomaphyx procedure.  It sounded really good.  The procedure done completely endoscopically with no incisions and no recovery.  The device shrinks the stomach pouch to ehlp you feel full quicker again.  I scheduled the procedure in a few weeks and my insurance company approved.  Anyone else have this procedure yet?  Dr. Garber is the only surgeon in the entire Northeast of the US doing this procedure and he was really nice.

So insurance will pay for the whole thing? Someone else said they had to pay $8,000 I thought they said and that insurance does not cover it?

I was told that some insurances have covered it completely and some have not

Stacy,  Thanks for sharing with us and please keep us updated.  Can you provide more information on Dr. Garber (contact info).  Also, I thought there was a Dr. Thomas in Boston, MA who was doing a similiar procedure

It is Dr. Shawn Garber at 516-616-5500 and his email is [email protected] and website is www.stopobesityforlife.com  The guy in Boston does a different procedure that doesn't shrink the pouch only the connection.  I checked with Stomaphyx and Dr. Garber is only surgeon on Northeast doing this.

Stacy: May I ask who your insurance company is in NY?  I'm with Oxford and they told me today my request for revision/Stomaphyx  with Dr. Garber would have to go before their Medical Review Board.  This would not seem out of line to me.  Oxford paid for my original surgery 5 yrs. ago with no problem. Kelley

Dr. Garber said that has had about 50-75% of the insurance compnaies cover the procedure.

Does it shrink the stomach and the stoma? Or just the pouch? If your stoma is stretched, then shrinking the pouch will not help at all... It will still empty very quickly and you will get hungry...

It shrinks both the stomach pouch and the stoma and slows down the passatge fo food through the stomach.  The initial studies have shown weight loss after the procedure.

I have been researching this new procedure, in s. florida. There is one surgeon performing it in the Ocala area. His office told me that the first several procedures he did, were completely convered by Aetna and a few other insurance companies. After those however, every case he has submittied for insurance coverage, has been denied. This sadly does not surpirse me since it is in its inception, and there are no codes to present. I'm sure it will be a matter of time and it will be covered, at least that is what i am hoping for.