Brand new to boards - Just saying hello!

Hello all! I'm new to the boards. I haven't had surgery yet but am planning to have the sleeve done either late June or mid-July. I am a self pay so no insurance hoops to jump through. I'm in the Houston area and my BMI is around 34. I'm nervous as heck for this massive lifestyle change but so ready to start seeing (and feeling like) a new me. 

I had initially chosen a surgeon close to my home but am now wondering if I should check out some other ones just to be sure. I have to have a hiatal hernia repair at the same time as my surgery. My doc asked me to pay out of pocket for this as well, bringing my total to over $13k. I've read some other folks posts in an FB group that said their doc filed under insurance for the hernia repair and a good chunk of the hospital stay, making the sleeve much less expensive. Would be nice not to pay so much out of pocket. Anyone have any experience with this?

Also, I've read that most people have 5 or 6 incisions, but a few had one only, often done through the belly button. Again this is something that interests me as I'd like to keep abdominal scarring to a minimum. I am hopeful that one day I can put on a bikini and wear it proudly. Does anyone have info on what determines how many incisions a patient needs to have?

Last, why do some patients have a drain and others don't? 

It seems like the more I read, the more questions I have and my surgeon didn't talk to me about most of this and at the time of the consultation, I didn't know enough to ask about it.

Any info you all can provide would be awesome and also might help me decide whether I need to look for an alternate Doctor.

Thanks so much!!

You shouldn't need drains for laparoscopic surgery. It's common to have a half dozen or so incisions which look like hell for a while but will be almost let completely gone after about a year.

Sadly, I can't wear a bikini, but since I'm a guy it's probably for the best.

Hi and welcome. 

I was RNY with lap surgery and had maybe 5 little incisions which are basically gone now.  Not that it mattered because with other surgeries I have been cut from pillar to post so there are no bikinis in my future.  I did have a drain that came out after about a week I think.  Some Drs do, some don't.  Just like the pre and post surgeries differ greatly from one office to another. 

I would look for a Center of Excellence for surgery self pay or no.  They will make sure you get the education you need to succeed.  Surgery is just a small part of your new life.  You need to learn to eat right or you will be right back where you started.

I had hernias repaired at the same time and it did mean that my surgery was a little longer but since my insurance was picking up the RNY, I didn't need to see if it could be separated out.  I would definitely check on that.  They should cover some.

Feel free to ask any time a question comes up.  The only silly questions are the ones never ask.

Thanks for the response. How do I know if my doc is a "Center of Excellence"? And if he isn't where can I find a list of local docs who are? Is there a website specifically for this?

they usually brag about it but you can call and ask.  My insurance required it and because of that, I had to go 1.5hr away to find one.  But I am very glad I did because I know folks who used the local Drs and they didn't get anywhere near the education I did.  I would think it would be on the Dr's website.

Thanks for the info! I'll double check my doc's website but don't recall seeing it before.

Welcome to our LW Board!!!

If your hernia is bad and causes you heartburn and risks esoph cancer, you might get it covered. Mine was fixed at surgery, but I found out the surgery is not usually performed to correct a hiatal hernia - people are supossed to live with  it, I guess.  I had bad heartburn that I thought was just stress - it is totally gone with the hernia repair - the 2nd best thing about WLS.

I would check it out with another doctor.  TX insursers are not req to cover bariatric surgery but the hernia might get covered.

Yes, I have terrible acid reflux to the point of it making me puke  on a fairly regular basis. :-/ So I am hoping mine disappears like yours did, after surgery.