Re: Choosing a surgeon>

[Guest guest]

Hiya

It's worthwhile calling the surgeons in the area and asking when they have their info nights. You can get a sense at least of what type of surgeon you are dealing with, their bedside manner, after care – even down to the other assorted staff that you might have to come in contact. We all know what it is like to have a doctor with a bitch troll of a receptionist that you absolutely hate and wouldn't even give a snotty tissue to.

Having said all that, LOL, I went with Dr Brancatisano on the basis that he was young (but not too young) listened to me has a great reputation and the price at the time was about what everyone else was paying. He has since demonstrated to me that if I were able to canonise anyone, he would be top of my list. My being able to sit here today and type this is solely down to this man. For that I will sing his praises from the highest rooftops.

Something else to take into consideration is the ongoing cost of fills etc. Some Dr's don't charge, others require you to have it done under x-ray etc. This can be costly. I think the cost of a fill with fluoroscopy is about $200 out of pocket – far too much when you think that you will need at least 3 fills to get yourself to a decent level of restriction and then there is the tweaking that might follow.

Nx

[Guest guest]

Hello

Thanks for that - funny, my other appointment, apart from a castle

Hill 'independent' surgeon, is with Dr Brancatisano, tomorrow

afternoon. Here is another question for you, if you don't mind. I am

seeing this doctor in the Weight Loss clinic tomorrow, but because the

whole package is within that clinic, it would put me back a whole lot,

with out of pocket expenses being 4,800. that's too much for me. So I

wonder if you saw Dr Brancatisano out of the clinic or within? Is he

available on his own, as in without the rest of the package so it's a

bit more affordable?

Trouble is if I do this, and spend so much on it, my husband will buy

himself a motorbike, and that would make him a temporary Australian,

and so you see I would like to avoid that happening. :-) :-)

So I have price considerations, as well.

On the other hand, your praises sound pretty good to me. Thank you!

J

[Guest guest]

Hiya J

The first time I had my band done, there was no `circle of care' it was just you and Dr Roy and a flighty dietician. Now it is a rather slick operation, the whole package. I think in hindsight – that marvellous thing that it is – I would have opted for the package because of the ongoing support, only because I am a bit less inclined to follow procedure unless I have someone breathing down my neck.

You can go with Dr B minus the package, I can't say how much that is. You would still be seeing Dr Tony Brancatisano (Dr Roy's brother) first – he is a lovely empathetic man. Just like Dr Roy, very knowledgeable and understanding.

What is it with boys and their toys (motorbikes) – its something I will never understand. I hope it doesn't come to that with you!

Nx

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for the info - 15 minutes and I'll be leaving for the clinic.

I just found your 'boys and toys' reference funny so I'll share what

was printed on the card that I bought for my husband's recent birthday

in August.

Woman's midlife crisis:

Swanky new shoes - $150.00

Man's midlife crisis:

A big Harley with matching leathers and helmet, plus a four-month

leave of absence to take a road trip around Australia - $56,000.00

I found this very funny, and, er, fitting. :-)

J

[Guest guest]

Ha ha, J - that is a classic! And so true. We can be soothed with new shoes, jewellery or clothes but the boys always need gadgets. They usually cost a bomb and include set up time, maintenance etc. Now a new pair of shoes, easy...

Best of luck, let us know how you get on this arvo.

Nx

[Guest guest]

Hi J

You will be gone by the time this comes thru, but just thought I'd

add to ask about after care costs " once the package " runs out. I

also went to Circle of Care before I saw Dr and for many

reasons decided to go with the latter. Actually Dr trained Dr

B so that is a little bit of history for you. I saw Dr this

morning. Have had about 15 fills and 5 unfills since Feb and they

are all free (bulk billed). He's easy to get into and if I've ever

had a prob, he always returns my calls promptly. You have chosen 2

very capable surgeons to make a finally choice with. Hope all went

well. I found Petra (WLS poster girl for CoC) very helpful there.

She was able to answer tons of questions as she had the surgery and

had answers not even the surgeons do.

Cheers

Cherie

>

> Hi ,

>

> Thanks for the info - 15 minutes and I'll be leaving for the clinic.

> I just found your 'boys and toys' reference funny so I'll share

what

> was printed on the card that I bought for my husband's recent

birthday

> in August.

> Woman's midlife crisis:

> Swanky new shoes - $150.00

> Man's midlife crisis:

> A big Harley with matching leathers and helmet, plus a four-month

> leave of absence to take a road trip around Australia - $56,000.00

>

> I found this very funny, and, er, fitting. :-)

> J

>

[Guest guest]

Hi J - with Dr you are OOP about $1,200 plus about $400 for

the asst surgeon and anethetist. The dietician they recommended cost

me about $85 first visit then $55 after that I think and I went about

6-8 times all up. I saw a psychologist 12-15 times and that was $20

a pop, so my OOP for much more services than CoC was less than 1/2

the cost and my ongoing costs are $0. I have seen Dr about 20-

25 times for fills and unfills and only bulk billing takes place.

Aside from the fact that I like the man, money definitely played a

factor for me. I also extracted the money from my superannuation -

not sure if you know that you can do that in this instance. We

qualify under the terms and conditions.

Cheers

Cherie

>

> Hi there,

>

> Thanks for the advice - I did ask that question and I was told that

> it's on a paid service basis, in other words, they have their rates

> for the individual service I want (psychologist, dietician,

whatever)

> and they didn't mention Medicare.

> I think I did see Petra and she was indeed helpful. But when I

asked

> whether I can pick and choose of the services to bring the overall

> cost down, I was given a firm no. You either take the whole package

> (4,800 out of pocket) or you don't get anything. So now I'm waiting

> for Dr to see how he goes about it.

>

> One thing, as well: I didn't get to see either of the surgeons at

the

> weight loss clinic, but a young lady who talked to me during this

> initial visit. It would have been better to see the surgeon in

whose

> hands i'll put my life :-). Never mind... thanks again,

>

> J

>

[Guest guest]

Hiya

I can only suggest and that you keep going until you have a surgeon that you are comfortable with - it's your life and your money so you can spend it how you wish.

I know that there is a sense urgency, naturally you want to get this under way and start your new life – that is great. However a thorough and exhaustive approach is the best, just to put the noggin at ease if nothing else. I mean - this is for life. And I mean that! I had my band out, was still sick as a dog and my only thoughts were - when can I get another one. LOL, the things we do!

Nx

[Guest guest]

Hi Cherie

Thanks for all the advice - it's great to hear all the advice! I

guess it's the money that weighs heavily (naturally), but also the

fact that I'd like to be 'duped' into believing that someone wants

to help me for that money. I hope nobody reads this from the Weight

Loss Clinic but I had the feeling that it may have become a bit

automatic and less individual care. Apologies to all that this

doesn't apply to. (And Petra was very nice.)

I also didn't know about the superannuation thing. So if you are not

tired of my questions, here are a few - only when you have the time

and can respond, no hurry.

- how do you get the money out of super?

- why do you really need a psychologist while on the band?

- is it for the beginning or do you need on ongoing and do they help?

- if you know what to eat, and what the rules are, why do you need a

dietician?

That'll do for now :-). Many thanks for the attention.. i

appreciate it.

J

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I need all the encouragement that I can get .. so thanks!

If it's not too personal, why did you have the band out? I don't

have any of the history but if it's something that wasn't published,

then it's OK to ignore the question.

thanks again

J

>

>

> Hiya

>

> I can only suggest and that you keep going until you have a

surgeon that

> you are comfortable with - it's your life and your money so you can

> spend it how you wish.

>

> I know that there is a sense urgency, naturally you want to get

this

> under way and start your new life – that is great. However a

> thorough and exhaustive approach is the best, just to put the

noggin at

> ease if nothing else. I mean - this is for life. And I mean

that! I

> had my band out, was still sick as a dog and my only thoughts

were -

> when can I get another one. LOL, the things we do!

>

> Nx

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

It is not a too personal question why I had my band out. Basically I like to share any info so that it might help others. My band had slipped slightly, I had a varicose vein removed and that might have aggravated the situation. I had an anaesthetic on that occasion that resulted in me being sick for close on a week. Then things just became worse, gradually I had problems and then I was in a position where the band had to come out. It was removed in November last year, had a new one again in February this year.

I know that its easy to say `don't worry about the money' but in all honesty, you have to go with the surgeon that suits you – your life and continued care is in their hands, so go with what suits you best.

Nx

[Guest guest]

Hi Guys

I would just like to say, that I saw Dr B last week for the first

time, I asked him about Dr training him and I felt like a

right fool! He was trained by a the person who brought Bariatrics to

Australia, Professor O'Brien in Melbourne. Please before we post

these things can make sure the information is correct, for those of

us who are new . I felt really STUPID!

On a good note, I too found Petra full of information that was

helpful. I would guess that it is hard for surgeons to answer all

those other questions we have unless they have been through it

themselves.

Thanks

J

> >

> > Hi ,

> >

> > Thanks for the info - 15 minutes and I'll be leaving for the

clinic.

> > I just found your 'boys and toys' reference funny so I'll share

> what

> > was printed on the card that I bought for my husband's recent

> birthday

> > in August.

> > Woman's midlife crisis:

> > Swanky new shoes - $150.00

> > Man's midlife crisis:

> > A big Harley with matching leathers and helmet, plus a four-month

> > leave of absence to take a road trip around Australia - $56,000.00

> >

> > I found this very funny, and, er, fitting. :-)

> > J

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Janey, It is hard to know who trains who, and I can imagine how you felt. There are so many surgeons now and I guess we don't really know who is training. Generally what happens with this surgery is that the training is provided by the company supplying the band and a surgeon who is proficient already will go and assist the new surgeon. As I said, there are so many surgeons now that it is impossible to know. Many of the surgeons, though not all are specialists in laparoscopic surgery primarily and this is the most important aspect of choosing a surgeon. Some say "any surgeon can fit a band" and this is true, but the one to choose is the expert in lap surgery. Dr B is one of those who is a lap surgeon first and a band surgeon second and this makes him an ideal surgeon for the band. Beverlee

On Yahoo!7 Fuel Price Watch: Find the cheapest petrol in your area

[Guest guest]

Hiya

I am sorry that this happened; I guess that sometimes a story might be misinterpreted and eventfully it is put forward as fact. I had been told that Dr B had been trained by Dr Talbot – so I would have been quite wrong if I had passed on that info. In any case, I am sure that Dr B took it in his stride. I am just sorry that you felt stupid.

How are you going with your research? Have you come to any conclusions or looking a booking in a date as yet?

Nx> >> > Hi J> > You will be gone by the time this comes thru, but just thought I'd > > add to ask about after care costs "once the package" runs out. I > > also went to Circle of Care before I saw Dr and for many > > reasons decided to go with the latter. Actually Dr trained > Dr > > B so that is a little bit of history for you. I saw Dr this > > morning. Have had about 15 fills and 5 unfills since Feb and they > > are all free (bulk billed). He's easy to get into and if I've ever > > had a prob, he always returns my calls promptly. You have chosen 2 > > very capable surgeons to make a finally choice with. Hope all went > > well. I found Petra (WLS poster girl for CoC) very helpful there. > > She was able to answer tons of questions as she had the surgery and > > had answers not even the surgeons do.> > Cheers> > Cherie> >

[Guest guest]

Hi N

I am sorry but Dr B did not take it in his stride he was really

upset. He wanted to know where I got this false information and I

told him.I was so concerned that I really crossed the line, I was

almost in tears. This why I felt it was necessary to post this, as

false information can be detrimental.

The best thing about it is that Dr B made me feel very comfortable

and I am reassured that he is the best surgeon. I am planning to have

my surgery before Christmas. I am very please with team, they are all

very attentive and helpful and make you feel reassured.

Janey

> > >

> > > Hi J

> > > You will be gone by the time this comes thru, but just thought

I'd

> > > add to ask about after care costs " once the package " runs out. I

> > > also went to Circle of Care before I saw Dr and for many

> > > reasons decided to go with the latter. Actually Dr

trained

> > Dr

> > > B so that is a little bit of history for you. I saw Dr

this

> > > morning. Have had about 15 fills and 5 unfills since Feb and

they

> > > are all free (bulk billed). He's easy to get into and if I've

ever

> > > had a prob, he always returns my calls promptly. You have

chosen 2

> > > very capable surgeons to make a finally choice with. Hope all

went

> > > well. I found Petra (WLS poster girl for CoC) very helpful

there.

> > > She was able to answer tons of questions as she had the surgery

and

> > > had answers not even the surgeons do.

> > > Cheers

> > > Cherie

> > >

>

[Guest guest]

Hang on guys, there is some confusion here. There are two people

including me to sign their names as J. I did not post the previous

note and I have not asked anyone about who trained who.

I often feel stupid even without doctors :-).

No worries - I have not decided yet as I have not seen either Dr B

or Dr H, i have two more weeks before that happens.

Continuing to enjoy the conversation and feel free to write down

anything you think is true - I will not pass it on so I don't get in

trouble.

Also from now on I'll sign my name as so we don't get mixed up

with (Jane?).

Thanks guys

(the s variety)

> > >

> > > Hi J

> > > You will be gone by the time this comes thru, but just thought

I'd

> > > add to ask about after care costs " once the package " runs out.

I

> > > also went to Circle of Care before I saw Dr and for many

> > > reasons decided to go with the latter. Actually Dr

trained

> > Dr

> > > B so that is a little bit of history for you. I saw Dr

this

> > > morning. Have had about 15 fills and 5 unfills since Feb and

they

> > > are all free (bulk billed). He's easy to get into and if I've

ever

> > > had a prob, he always returns my calls promptly. You have

chosen 2

> > > very capable surgeons to make a finally choice with. Hope all

went

> > > well. I found Petra (WLS poster girl for CoC) very helpful

there.

> > > She was able to answer tons of questions as she had the

surgery and

> > > had answers not even the surgeons do.

> > > Cheers

> > > Cherie

> > >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi J - I've been offline for a few days so just catching up. To

apply to release money from your superannuation, you need to apply to

APRA - do a google search - I think they are a government agency out

of Canberra - their website will have all the forms. I think I needed

a letter from my GP and my surgeon to say this was life threatening

or something like that. It takes a little while so you should start

the process as soon as you can. I took into account the op costs

plus dietician and psychologist and got the lot out to cover my

costs. A dietician is good to help you with the guidelines in the

initial stages although you probably don't need to go as much as I

did. The psych side is a personal issue. I didn't get fat in the

first place from not having head issues and it helped me to work

through all this and recognise what triggers my eating. I can no

longer binge because of the level of restriction I have, but I still

miss it - after a few mouthfuls, my tum is saying full, but my head

is saying not done yet and I think this partially comes from bad

habits but it helps that I can recognise what is going on. I needed

to learn to get over sabotaging my weight loss which I was

unconsciously doing because " fat " has been so safe for me for so long

that I had a real fear of being thin and becoming vulnerable to other

things.

I chose Dr over CoC for many reasons including what you say.

Money is an issue for most of us, and whilst I would never take this

into factor for my own health or safety, I felt that it was not

necessary to invest twice as much for the same job elsewhere being

done by a much more experienced surgeon. CoC is a business, they

advertise a huge amount and have expenses that Dr does not

incur and I wasn't interested in contributing to their profits but

that is not to say that CoC don't do wonders for their patient. I

understand the surgeon is fantastic.

I hope this helps some of your queries. when do you see Dr -

must be soon?

Cherie

>

> Hi Cherie

>

> Thanks for all the advice - it's great to hear all the advice! I

> guess it's the money that weighs heavily (naturally), but also the

> fact that I'd like to be 'duped' into believing that someone wants

> to help me for that money. I hope nobody reads this from the Weight

> Loss Clinic but I had the feeling that it may have become a bit

> automatic and less individual care. Apologies to all that this

> doesn't apply to. (And Petra was very nice.)

> I also didn't know about the superannuation thing. So if you are

not

> tired of my questions, here are a few - only when you have the time

> and can respond, no hurry.

> - how do you get the money out of super?

> - why do you really need a psychologist while on the band?

> - is it for the beginning or do you need on ongoing and do they

help?

> - if you know what to eat, and what the rules are, why do you need

a

> dietician?

>

> That'll do for now :-). Many thanks for the attention.. i

> appreciate it.

>

> J

>

[Guest guest]

Hang on a minute, I was born with the name JANE ...... maybe people

need to look carefully before they reply to a post (although this has

now made me feel uneasy about this site that people get so thingy!).

I have found COC very helpful and the cost is quite reasonable if you

really compare it. You get great individual care and get to meet

others that are going through the same thing you are at the same

time. COC has done over 600 bands and (as I saw in the waiting room)

have the papers to back up what they do and believe. I have found

them all extremely helpful.

> > > >

> > > > Hi J

> > > > You will be gone by the time this comes thru, but just

thought

> I'd

> > > > add to ask about after care costs " once the package " runs

out.

> I

> > > > also went to Circle of Care before I saw Dr and for

many

> > > > reasons decided to go with the latter. Actually Dr

> trained

> > > Dr

> > > > B so that is a little bit of history for you. I saw Dr

> this

> > > > morning. Have had about 15 fills and 5 unfills since Feb and

> they

> > > > are all free (bulk billed). He's easy to get into and if I've

> ever

> > > > had a prob, he always returns my calls promptly. You have

> chosen 2

> > > > very capable surgeons to make a finally choice with. Hope all

> went

> > > > well. I found Petra (WLS poster girl for CoC) very helpful

> there.

> > > > She was able to answer tons of questions as she had the

> surgery and

> > > > had answers not even the surgeons do.

> > > > Cheers

> > > > Cherie

> > > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sabine

COC is a surgeon, who has a team that works with him. They have

dietitian, psychologist,exercise consultant and obesity physcians.

They do a package for you, so you have no further out of pocket costs

except hospital costs. They charge out of pocket cost of $4700 if you

have health insurance. Which is great! Offices in City and Baulkham

Hills. On their website they also talk about opening at Central Coast.

They also have done over 600 cases. Dr B is a great surgeon and has a

great team. They also have a lady called Petra who works there and has

the band, she is a great source for information.I am going ahead

before Christmas. I am so excited and cant wait to get started on my

new life.

Good luck with your choice!

Janey

-- In SydBand , " S.Chymyn " wrote:

>

> Hi

> What is COC ???

> Where? And by any chance how much???

> Thanks Sabine

>

> -- Re: Choosing a surgeon>

>

> Hang on a minute, I was born with the name JANE ...... maybe people

> need to look carefully before they reply to a post (although this has

> now made me feel uneasy about this site that people get so thingy!).

> I have found COC very helpful and the cost is quite reasonable if you

> really compare it. You get great individual care and get to meet

> others that are going through the same thing you are at the same

> time. COC has done over 600 bands and (as I saw in the waiting room)

> have the papers to back up what they do and believe. I have found

> them all extremely helpful.

>

> Recent Activity

> 1New Members

> 3New Files

> Visit Your Group

>

[Guest guest]

yeah its at Centrepoint Medical Centre at Centrepoint towers, not

sure how often they go there, you might need to call the office for

that. I go out to Baulkham Hills as it is closer for me.

>

> > They charge out of pocket cost of $4700 if you

> > have health insurance. Which is great! Offices in City and

Baulkham

> > Hills. On their website they also talk about opening at Central

Coast.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Janey,

Where abouts in Sydney are you? I'm in Schofields if you ever want to catch up for a coffee etc.

Love,

Libby

yeah its at Centrepoint Medical Centre at Centrepoint towers, not sure how often they go there, you might need to call the office for that. I go out to Baulkham Hills as it is closer for me.> > > They charge out of pocket cost of $4700 if you> > have health insurance. Which is great! Offices in City and Baulkham

> > Hills. On their website they also talk about opening at Central Coast.>

[Guest guest]

Hi

What is COC ???

Where? And by any chance how much???

Thanks Sabine

-- Re: Choosing a surgeon>

Hang on a minute, I was born with the name JANE ...... maybe people need to look carefully before they reply to a post (although this has now made me feel uneasy about this site that people get so thingy!). I have found COC very helpful and the cost is quite reasonable if you really compare it. You get great individual care and get to meet others that are going through the same thing you are at the same time. COC has done over 600 bands and (as I saw in the waiting room) have the papers to back up what they do and believe. I have found them all extremely helpful.

..

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply.

How exiting, getting done before Christmas. Wow. You are so lucky.

Keep in touch....I am always reading your mails.

Look after yourself Sabine

-------Original Message-------

[Guest guest]

Hi Libby

Thanks for the offer, its very kind of you however I live near Mudgee

and only come down when I need to. Thanks again, maybe we might bump

into each other at the Baulkham Hills fills or rooms one day.

Janey

> > >

> > > > They charge out of pocket cost of $4700 if you

> > > > have health insurance. Which is great! Offices in City and

> > Baulkham

> > > > Hills. On their website they also talk about opening at

Central

> > Coast.

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Janey,I didn't know that Dr B had offices in the city, do you know where by any chance,Thanks,Elaine They charge out of pocket cost of $4700 if youhave health insurance. Which is great! Offices in City and BaulkhamHills. On their website they also talk about opening at Central Coast.