Question:
Calling all Southern CA Kaiser, Pacific Bariatric patients!!

If you have Kaiser Southern CA insurance and are having, or have had, LAPAROSCOPIC RNY with Pacific Bariatric in San Diego, I need your HELP! I am Northern CA Kaiser patient who has been approved for surgery at Pacific, however Kaiser North will only approve "Open" and not "Lap". I am appealing this decision because both Dr. Tanaka and I feel Lap RNY is the right surgery for me! I am looking for So. CA Kaiser patients who can verify that Kaiser Permanente, regardless of region, supports and has approved Lap RNY. PLEASE POST OR EMAIL ME!    — ERICK B. (posted on June 12, 2002)

June 12, 2002
good luck inyour endeavor- Kaiser(so. cal) has only recently approved LAP procedures and on a very limited basis- FYI- Of the close friends of mine that have had LAP surgery recently they have all had MORE difficult recoveries than I did (open RNY 3/20/02 Dr. Murphy at PB) I am not only a kaiser patient but employee too. Sorry I couldn't give you better help
   — ~~Stacie~~

June 25, 2002
good luck getting any doctor including dr. tanaka to do the 'lap'. they say they do, but always-always have an excuse (or reason?) why they cannot.i.e. previous surgeries,,,hysterectomy,,,gallbladder needs to be removed,,insurance won't cover..etc..etc... please before you opt for pacific bariatric...please please ask them how many "lap" surgeries they have done. according to the information they provide in their seminars..they have only done 120 laproscopic surgeries.. this is for the whole group, not just dr. tanaka. boy, gotta tell ya..that's just not enough experience for me. there are other surgery centers that have much more experience doing the 'lap'. i have asked numerous times in this posting if anyone has had the lap procedure at pacific bariatrics and i have not received one response from one person that has actually had the 'lap' procedure done..good luck with your venture...i do wish you the best of luck.double d
   — double D.