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lol...Hugs A 
im looking at Centenial (sp?) or Vanderbilt now. I have been trying to have this surgery for 6 years, first in Pennsylvania and now here, there is no getting me down. I moved back here because in the middle of trying to get the surgery up there they cut it out of the insurance and sooooo here I am and I am gonna make it happen this go around!! Thanks for your reply!! Hugs A
April, hi, I am using Centennial and there is no "program fee" and the staff and docs are wonderful. The surgery includes a lifetime of nutritionist services, surgeons visits, and aftercare support groups...yes, a lifetime of these services without having to pay another penny. Maybe you should check them out! Go to www.cmcwls.com to check them out and also go to the Women's Hospital site to see the special bariatric floor of the hospital. Good luck!
With your BMI you might also want to contact Dr. Spaw at Baptist. He has dealt with several patients with a very high BMI with wonderful results. And, there is no program fee. The Metabolic Surgery Center at Baptist also has lifetime follow up, nutritionist, etc. They are also a Center of Excellence and Dr. Spaw is a member of ASBS.
Dr. Spaw is also the only surgeon in Nashville that does the DS for people with a BMI of 50 or more.
Good luck! I hope you find the surgeon that you feel is right for you.
Susan
April....Dr. Colquitt in Maryville has a program fee also but his is only 500.00. I too had inquired with Dr. Boyce but could not see the justification for a 3000.00 program fee. It's CRAZY! I chose Dr. Colquitt and feel I made the right choice. He has been wonderful as has his staff. I live closer to Knoxville but I'm driving the extra mile to Dr.Colquitt. I dont quite understand the reasoning for the program fees. I have read these posts and a lot of docs dont even charge them.
Hi April. I'm going to tell you a little story. I went to Dr. Boyce for the seminar. I would have to have saved up my social security check for 6 months just to pay for that fee. I then checked out Dr. Colquitt in Maryville. He first started doing the surgery's April 03. But he was also charging that fee, it's a life time maintance fee, withing 2 months of doing the surgery he would no longer take medicare or medicade. Well, that shot me to pieces. My lung Dr. referred me to him. My BMI was 54 and I was dependent of a motorized wheelchair just shortly after that from a broken hip and pelvic. That doesn't heal for about 2 years. The first surgeon I saw was Dr. Hodge and he refused me saying I had to many health issues. I had arthritis, hiatal hernia, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. So for 2 years I went from one surgeon to another, even went to Huntington, West Virginia where I'm from. The pysch said I was unstable for surgery. I'll run that man down if I ever see him on the streets. I found the VA hospital in Nashville was doing the surgeries, great, I'm a veteran, but they have trouble holding onto Vanderbilt Dr.'s, and by the time I had everything in order, they no longer had a surgeon.
But Huntington, WV did only they were only taking patients who lived in the Lexington, KY area, not even Huntington. I had 11 denials from 11 surgeons. I was about to give up when I learned Dr. Colquitt was now accepting new patients with medicare and Medicade. He's never lost a patient yet, but the draw back was in July 05 I discovered I have Leukemia. The one oncologist I saw, refused to write me a letter of referral, he did my Bone Marrow Biopsy (bmb) and let me tell you, if the nurses hadn't held me down, I would probably be facing criminal charges. They can't numb the bone or the marrow just the outside. He was drilling into the very hip bone that I had broken and drawing out the marrow to find out what type of Leukemia I had. Once I found that out I switched Dr.'s. I approached Dr. Colquitt again, he said he does not do the DS as it is more out dated, but if my oncologist faxed him a copy of my blood work showing my blood was back into normal ranges, he would do my surgery. That was in Sept. 05, I had my surgery in Jan 06. I have done great so far. I have lost 128 lbs since January, and a total of 150 lbs since I started all this 3 years ago in the researching department. There are currently over 88 surgeons in TN alone that do the gastic/lapband surgery.
The $500 that Dr. Colquitt's office charges is $200 for online registration, then when you get your first consult you pay the balance of $300 for administrative fees. That's it. The unit at Blount Memorial is fantastic with over sized twin/3/4 beds plus addiquitt (sp) bedding for those that stay over with you. You can't go wrong with him, if you can get the financing or get health insurance. But plan on staying in Maryville after you are discharged until he takes out the remaining tube, you're over the 50 radious. Mom and I stayed at the Family Inn. It was cheaper, but very nice. Has a two burner stove, microwave, and a refridgerator. It was quiet and peaceful. Plus near several restaurants for mom if she wanted anything and a grocery store. It's less then 10 minutes from the hospital incase of an emergency. His office referred us to Johnson Inn, but we weren't that impressed.
I wish you much success and May God travel with you. Kathy
April,
I encourage you to check Centennial out. I used Dr. David Dyer and couldn't have asked for a more personable, knowledgable, caring doctor. His staff is equally as well rounded. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Dyer's office, and the hospital staff. I had a beautiful room and was taken care of like i was a queen. I drive two hours to see him....and i don't regret it. Good luck! And please feel free to add me to your friends list and if i can be of any help at all let me know.
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