Regena22

No,, he charges you $150 cash.. The hospital is separate,, they will charge you $125 for the fluoro if you have insurance,, but if you don't have insurance coverage,, you want to tell the hospital up front during registration that you don't have insurance, they will send you a separate bill for $85.. They give non insured patients a break on their bill. So,, the fill will cost you around $235,, plus your gas for your car to get to Downers Grove IL and back to where ever you live. The key is to know if your insurance will cover the fluoro part before you go there. The doctor is not going to be covered,, he does the fill on the side for cash.

The hospital is easy to find, The hospitals name is Advocate Good Samaratan, at 3815 Highland Ave, Downers Grove IL. The usual proceedure is that you email Dr. Vitello and he'll email you back with when he'll meet you at the hospital to do your fill. I think he does most of them like on Friday nights. You'll be there with other lapbanders, I think he does 4 to 6 patients when he does fills. He's a bariatric surgeon at the Illinois University Hospital in Chicago and does fills on the side for patients that have been banded in Mexico. I know,, he's got a nice little cash thing going. LOL. But your other option is to find someone near your home or fly back to Tijuana. He does a good job and a nice guy,, he's kind of doing a service for us that went south of the border to be lapbanded.

I got the lapband on November 12, 2010 and I am wondering if the above doctor is still available for us who traveled to Mexico for the lapband. I live in Aurora, IL so this is extremely close and would be wonderful if possible. Any assistance would be wonderful thanks!!

What is a "Soft Stop"?

Will you have this on Wednesday nov 17th if so I would like to participate. Thanks!

I think I am just going to go to and from the OCC

I am scheduled for the band on the 12th but now I am confused. Should I get plication instead?

Good to know I live in Illinois and I was wondering. I guess I will make my trip to Mexico every time.

Well, I just scheduled my band surgery for November 12, 2010. For me, I guess I just realized that I was going in the wrong direction in life. I was tired of putting myself last and self medicating myself with food. I have always had weight issues and I decided that enough was enough. I want to live a long healthy life and eventually have children but neither is really possible (for me) with all of this excess weight. My husband is supportive (finally) and I am finally ready to change.