Dr. Aceves - Leaks

 Actually, I may be the confused one.. I can't find any of the posts I thought I read here.. the one above is also from the Verticle sleeve talk place.. I just wanted to add to the story because the other details seemed pertinent to the OP's question.

Hope you had fun last night!

Haven't had VSG yet. Awaiting ins. approval. I went to a support group nearby and was told Dr. Macik's leak rate is 1 in 10, he is in Atlanta, GA. That sounded scary to me. To me that isn't very good odds.
My surgeon, Dr. Kevin McGill hasn't been doing VSG very long but has never had a patient have a leak. So that makes me feel better. Life is going to happen wherever you are. It just sounds like it is more ideal if you have surgery here just in case. But, saying that, if I couldn't get ins. approval and had the cash I may do what others do and go that route. We do desperate things sometimes.

1 in 10 is 10%.  That is horrific.  Hard to believe that's an accurate number from a trained bariatric surgeon.  Maybe re-check that?  If it's true... run like hell from that doctor.

I hope that is not an accurate statistic. I am having my surgery with Macik and I recall when I asked about leaks he said something like they are very rare in his patients.

I will call the office tomorrow and get a more up to date statistic, but I actually have never heard one bad thing about Macik, and TRUST me, I looked high and low for anything wrong with the surgeons I researched and especially the one I chose. Where did you hear that from, a doctor or patient and did they mention where they got that info from?

I will post the answer when I get it from the office.

Thanks, C

I'm in GA also. Never heard that about Macik before. Good to know!

 
I heard about this from Tiffany a few weeks ago that's why I clarified in another thread that Aceves has indeed had a leak.   I doubt the antibiotics had anything to do with it, the leak happened three months after surgery and even though this person was going to ERs and such, it went undiagnosed in the US for a month.  I don't doubt s/he was indeed quite ill.   I know Aceves sends our stomachs to pathology and the only thing I know for sure they test for is H Pylorie, I don't know what else they are looking for, not a clue.   Only point I will bring up that I disagree with is about Ins not paying because the surgery was done in MX.  If they don't pay for sleeves they might not pay for complications relating to the sleeve regardless of where the surgery was done.  An Ins Co cannot decline to pay because you went to MX, that's insane.  However, I think getting the state ins commissioner involved is in order.     I mean, think about it... ins paid for all of Almanza's many many leaks and he's in Mexico.  The only people I am aware of that their ins did not pay is when they had no ins at all.  

@cindyls06
I was at a support group and someone have WLS told us that about Macik. Hoping it is wrong. I started with Macik but changed to Dr. Kevin McGill.

As other people have said, *any* doctor can have a leak, but it's hard to say if a leak that develops 3 months after surgery can be totally attributed to the surgeon.

That said, when I had my VSG with Dr. Aceves, I discovered he actually does *three* leak tests: one during surgery with air, and two after surgery: the blue apple juice drain test and then the x-ray test.

For some months after surgery, I was unfortunate enough to not be able to tolerate drinking WATER.  The first time I took a tiny sip, I retched.  This was like two days after surgery and of course I was horrified that I had somehow screwed up my stomach and the stitches.  Dr. Aceves said his oversew along the staple line was stronger than that and the water intolerance was a common reaction and to just give the stomach time to settle down.

I would stil recommend Dr. Aceves without hesitation or reservation.

I second that!
No reservations what-so-ever.  Excellent Dr with an excellent reputation.