Private recommendations?

[Anon1986]

Hi,

I'm wondering if you can help me find some recomendations for a revision surgery.
I'm not bothered about travelling, I had my wrap done in Brno,Czech republic with CosmeticBliss. I've been looking into PragueBeauty but there surgeon has been ill for 2 months and unable to answer any of my questions.

I'm wanting to pay as little as possible, but I'd rather spend extra for peace of mind on the quality etc. PragueBeauty quoted would cost me around £7k but I figured I'd like to find some other decent providers both within and outside of the UK.

I've read a few people here contacted surgeons directly to get better deals? Is this viable / if so how would I go about proceeding on this path.

 

[clare-revised]

try Gastric Band France - thats who I am doing it with... obv you need to add costs to the quote that you would see advertised as you will need longer in surgery as the are unwrapping wrap - my figure as £6.3 from wrap to sleeve...there's not much diff financially from sleeve to wrap...

you can also google my surgeon

 

[Anon1986]

£6.3k to convert and then the bypass cost on top?

 

[Anon1986]

-edit

Random note: Do have to wonder how much custom these websites lose from there hideous websites?
I mean a smooth attractive website builds up so much confidence in a company it's insane. I'd never consider "Professional Beauty" from there websites but a few people on this forum say they're outstanding :/

 

[clare-revised]

£6.3k to convert and then the bypass cost on top?

No £6.5 inc revision sorry TYPO ERROR... plus obv another endoscopy which I asked for full sedation for. The contact Tulia, has been brilliant - I have asked that many questions, poor woman prob thinks I am nuts!

The websites are all poor - but the surgeons credentials are great and he has got previous revision experience

 

[Anon1986]

try Gastric Band France - thats who I am doing it with... obv you need to add costs to the quote that you would see advertised as you will need longer in surgery as the are unwrapping wrap - my figure as £6.3 from wrap to sleeve...there's not much diff financially from sleeve to wrap...

you can also google my surgeon

No £6.5 inc revision sorry TYPO ERROR... plus obv another endoscopy which I asked for full sedation for. The contact Tulia, has been brilliant - I have asked that many questions, poor woman prob thinks I am nuts!

The websites are all poor - but the surgeons credentials are great and he has got previous revision experience

Yea I'm addicted to research and found a large number of people on this forum have used the surgeon, the little consultant info box on profiles makes search queries rather nice.

I've sent them an email enquiry to the French company, but I'm also looking at the hospital group who just quoted me (estimate) £9950 with revision, they're having a consultant phone me tomorrow.
Do the French company have UK free consultants?

Just have to weigh up both options & decide which I prefer. I'm not sure if I'm all that bothered about saving £2-3k, I'm not well off and my business is failing, but moneys designed to be spent. Although a large factor is I'd planned and got myself into the mindset of having this done in February, and built a nice excuse about it for work/family commitments to vanish for 3 weeks. I know keeping things like this secret isn't exactly a great idea, but I'm not a very open person.

If anyone else has some recommendations feel free to throw them at me

 

[clare-revised]

Yea I'm addicted to research and found a large number of people on this forum have used the surgeon, the little consultant info box on profiles makes search queries rather nice.

I've sent them an email enquiry to the French company, but I'm also looking at the hospital group who just quoted me (estimate) £9950 with revision, they're having a consultant phone me tomorrow.
Do the French company have UK free consultants?

Just have to weigh up both options & decide which I prefer. I'm not sure if I'm all that bothered about saving £2-3k, I'm not well off and my business is failing, but moneys designed to be spent. Although a large factor is I'd planned and got myself into the mindset of having this done in February, and built a nice excuse about it for work/family commitments to vanish for 3 weeks. I know keeping things like this secret isn't exactly a great idea, but I'm not a very open person.

If anyone else has some recommendations feel free to throw them at me

I am not sure about the UK consultants...its really quite straightforward when its explained by the professionals, more straighforward than band revision as there are no foreign bodies present just unpick stiches and cut ... ok perhaps not quite so simple!

As for the dates, again completely understandable - I have had to do something similar and although 'bent' the truth at work slightly I have merely been 'economical' with the truth.

Tulia is excellent at returning calls so let me know how you get on either way, you will prob only be a matter of weeks behind me if you opt for surgery in Feb.

Good luck

 

[Anon1986]

I am not sure about the UK consultants...its really quite straightforward when its explained by the professionals, more straighforward than band revision as there are no foreign bodies present just unpick stiches and cut ... ok perhaps not quite so simple!

As for the dates, again completely understandable - I have had to do something similar and although 'bent' the truth at work slightly I have merely been 'economical' with the truth.

Tulia is excellent at returning calls so let me know how you get on either way, you will prob only be a matter of weeks behind me if you opt for surgery in Feb.

Good luck

Tulia has just phoned me, while I was eating a scone and drinking lucozade (Wonder why I'm putting weight on:break_diet, had a 20 minute call. God I hate phones, so nervous on them for no apparent reason. Sounds like a nice person, loves to explain things 5 times though. She's very keen to point me towards people I can contact who've had surgery with them. However I'd rather contact them via forums such as these.

Anyway she explained prices & dates to me. £6450 (no travel included), so at the most £7k if I don't' get good travel deals as I'm a 4 hours from Portsmouth (Though 4hours train vs 3hours at airport waiting?).

£7k France vs £10k UK, both giving me dates for mid Feb. Choices suck

I however was cautioned that I may have to have the Mini Gastric Bypass depending on how my plication was done. So I need to do some research into this as today was the first time I'd seen this phrase. And I'm hardly in the mood to try something experimental after the wrap (Not saying it is experimental / just saying I want to check).

 

[clare-revised]

Tulia has just phoned me, while I was eating a scone and drinking lucozade (Wonder why I'm putting weight on:break_diet, had a 20 minute call. God I hate phones, so nervous on them for no apparent reason. Sounds like a nice person, loves to explain things 5 times though. She's very keen to point me towards people I can contact who've had surgery with them. However I'd rather contact them via forums such as these.

Anyway she explained prices & dates to me. £6450 (no travel included), so at the most £7k if I don't' get good travel deals as I'm a 4 hours from Portsmouth (Though 4hours train vs 3hours at airport waiting?).

£7k France vs £10k UK, both giving me dates for mid Feb. Choices suck

I however was cautioned that I may have to have the Mini Gastric Bypass depending on how my plication was done. So I need to do some research into this as today was the first time I'd seen this phrase. And I'm hardly in the mood to try something experimental after the wrap (Not saying it is experimental / just saying I want to check).

The travel is 'reasonable' peanuts.. the ferry from Portsmouth is £56 return. obv if you wish to lay yourself out in a cabin more! The medical travel insurance is £186 for the period. Remember that your UK surgery will only be a quote and so you need to be prepared for 'hidden' extras so the 10 may go to 11 quickly!

PS - she's probably so used to dealing with me she thinks that x5 is normal!

PPS - I can eat a whole sandwich, crisps and a drink with my wrap

 

[Anon1986]

The travel is 'reasonable' peanuts.. the ferry from Portsmouth is £56 return. obv if you wish to lay yourself out in a cabin more! The medical travel insurance is £186 for the period. Remember that your UK surgery will only be a quote and so you need to be prepared for 'hidden' extras so the 10 may go to 11 quickly!

PS - she's probably so used to dealing with me she thinks that x5 is normal!

PPS - I can eat a whole sandwich, crisps and a drink with my wrap

Train will be £107, then return ferry is to late for the train so a hotel until morning in Portsmouth so £50(travel lodge) with that, £56 ferry, 200-250 total depending on hotel cost. Trains 6 hours as well, only a 4 hour drive but the trains travel annoying routes.
Flight to Paris £108, train £28 return, Tilia didn't say the price for there ride from Paris airport but I doubt it's going to be over £100. Via Airfrance as well, nice airline. Damn that's a cheap flight, not sure if I'd make it to the airport for 6am day after surgery though.

I'm not sure about the medical travel insurance, is it needed? I have yearly travel insurance and the usual EHIC card. I never bothered with the insurance or thought about it when I went to Prague for the wrap.

PS, I also can eat around the same 2 years on from a Wrap. It depends, some days I can eat 4 slices of bread with filling, some days 1 :/. :sigh:

 

[clare-revised]

The only time since about 5 months post op that I have felt decent restriction was after a recent trip on aeroplane...I hardly ate a thing and TBH have lost just short of 1.5st on an all inc holiday and pre-op. Its the 'stretch' facility that has been an issue for me, it happens and with the limited 'post-surgery' for long-term had I known now I would have opted for the sleeve...though I have also had contact from someone advising her sleeve is large who was sleeved over in Czech as well.
Out of interest have you tried to speak with your surgeon....???
Mine has not answered calls or emails from Oct 2013 - following CB going into administration??
You may have more luck

 

[Anon1986]

The only time since about 5 months post op that I have felt decent restriction was after a recent trip on aeroplane...I hardly ate a thing and TBH have lost just short of 1.5st on an all inc holiday and pre-op. Its the 'stretch' facility that has been an issue for me, it happens and with the limited 'post-surgery' for long-term had I known now I would have opted for the sleeve...though I have also had contact from someone advising her sleeve is large who was sleeved over in Czech as well.
Out of interest have you tried to speak with your surgeon....???
Mine has not answered calls or emails from Oct 2013 - following CB going into administration??
You may have more luck

I do not have his contact details, it was December when I finally decided to end the endless debate in my head and go for a revision. After which I found out CB went into administration. Which actually has me VERY worried about paying for surgery abroad again.
Have you read how many people have lost money? Entire operations paid upfront lost with no chance of return.

 

[Anon1986]

Should surgery not be covered by some form of insurance in case of problems after surgery?

 

[clare-revised]

Should surgery not be covered by some form of insurance in case of problems after surgery?

I am not entirely sure....but you almost 'enter at your own risk' I guess....Dr Bobalobaka...wonderful....really intuitive,forthcoming & reassuring! I'm having an endoscopy 1st thing tomorrow but has advised, depending on the leesions from wrap he may not be able to do sleeve & will revert to bypass....watch this space

Also guy I am here with has done an abundance of research work on surgeon who also demonstrates & teaches in Dubai

 

[Anon1986]

Also guy I am here with has done an abundance of research work on surgeon who also demonstrates & teaches in Dubai

If the research I have found on Dr Bobalobaka is true then he is an outstanding surgeon, I've no worries there.

 

[clare-revised]

If the research I have found on Dr Bobalobaka is true then he is an outstanding surgeon, I've no worries there.

He was really thorough & said to me he would sort it for me! feeling much better that either way I'll get a revision & think I've already accepted in the morning I will tell him that I will b happy 4 bypass if that's his recommendation rather than sleeve

 

[Anon1986]

He was really thorough & said to me he would sort it for me! feeling much better that either way I'll get a revision & think I've already accepted in the morning I will tell him that I will b happy 4 bypass if that's his recommendation rather than sleeve

Yea I'd be happy to know, if possible by tonight, what he recommends. From what I've read the surgeon sounds like a major fan of the mini gastric bypass, and I'm just not sure if that's good or bad yet.

I told Tulia I'd let her know my decision by this evening. I'm not really keen on the company, and the traveling will be a nightmare and cost me 300-400£ either way.

But the surgeon seems the best experienced for revisions out of the choices I have.

 

[clare-revised]

Bypass or mini bypass ..... the 5yr post results from the mini are more encouraging & it only relates basically to length of stomach left but it's up to me to tell him tomorrow. Most important is there is solution

 

[Anon1986]

Bypass or mini bypass ..... the 5yr post results from the mini are more encouraging & it only relates basically to length of stomach left but it's up to me to tell him tomorrow. Most important is there is solution

Are the nutrient/fat/calories absorption rates the same along with dumping situations?

 

[clare-revised]

Are the nutrient/fat/calories absorption rates the same along with dumping situations?

Yes re nutrient requirements & dumping is individual so difficult to say, sleevers can also dump?
His worry with sleeve is post 5yr issues of weight can meaning I'll b 47 & need in another revision.
This will end requirement & leave me to get on with my life ... his words