Re: Re: DENIED AFTER SURGERY

[Guest guest]

:

You can go to the Duodenal Switch web page and find a list of all the surgeons in the US who do the DS. There are a few others who are either new to the surgery or who will only do an occasional one but that is a pretty comprehensive list. Go to www.duodenalswitch.com, click on the Surgeons tab and you can find that information. Understand that both the probability of long term success and quality of life after surgery is MUCH better with the DS. If the surgeon you are consulting with does the RNY he will call it the "gold standard" of weight loss surgery. This is simply not true. Don't buy into it. There are lots of successful RNYs and not all that many successful vertical banded gastroplastys but the DS has far and away the best success rate. Don't take second best if you can possibly avoid it.

Yes, your insurance company will probably give you a hard time. Many (not all) do but it is definitely worth the fight. Good luck.

Regards.

Joe Frost, old gentleman, not old fartSan , TX, 60 years oldSurgery 11/29/00 by Dr. Welker Lateral Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch340 starting weight, currently 244http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joe/joe.html

Re: Re: DENIED AFTER SURGERY

> I am scheduled to have a consult with my surgeon tomorrow, at which time we> will discuss the possibility of my having weight loss surgery. I would> prefer to have the duodenal switch procedure, but I believe he does not> perform that operation (I think he does vertical banded gastroplasty or the> rny). > > I too am a federal employee, and am covered by MVP insurance. According to> my benefit guide, weight loss surgery is covered. However, the referral> specialist at my primary care physician's office said that MVP will> probably give me a hard time about obtaining approval for the surgery. I> am prepared to fight if need be.> > Please keep us posted. I hope everything works out for you.> > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------->