Reading & lurking for weeks.A few questions.

[Guest cedartown]

I'm located near Cedartown,Ga & will follow through with LB in May-June.I will be paying cash as i'm self employed & have no insurance.

I was hoping some people would post their costs + fills.I'm considering Tijuana but want to make sure i can find a doctor within 60 miles of me here for fills etc.

Thanks

[caro]

I'm located near Cedartown,Ga & will follow through with LB in May-June.I will be paying cash as i'm self employed & have no insurance.

I was hoping some people would post their costs + fills.I'm considering Tijuana but want to make sure i can find a doctor within 60 miles of me here for fills etc.

Thanks

All I can say is look at the OCC website (www.obesitycontrolcenter.com) and read this forum. Ask as many questions as you want...they'll answer them all and then some! I am going to be banded by Dr.Ortiz next month and am convinced it's the best place to go.

When you get to the website look at the link for Fill Centers USA...there are a few in Ga.

Good luck!

[MamaMichelle]

I'm located near Cedartown,Ga & will follow through with LB in May-June.I will be paying cash as i'm self employed & have no insurance.

I was hoping some people would post their costs + fills.I'm considering Tijuana but want to make sure i can find a doctor within 60 miles of me here for fills etc.

Thanks

If you are asking about the cost of surgery with Dr. O in Tijuana most of us paid about $8,000. Fills are free but require you to pay $100 for Fluro each time you get one!!

We have a few Georgia members here so they should be able to give you more info about fills closer to home!!

:lb9:

[Jacklynrae]

Fill USA has two centers in GA one in Roswell and one in Moultrie. But try to get in contact with some GA members on the forum because they might be able to tell you if there is a better choice for you. The cost is $8,000 plus the plane trip, you can also bring one guest for no extra charge. I am also self employed with no insurance but found the fill options, even going to TJ for my fills will be cheaper than settling on a USA doc. But Dr. Ortiz is amazing and he trains many US doctors so he is an excellent choice for an excellent price!

[caro]

Dr.Ortiz is associated with Fill Centers USA

From the OCC wesite:

Fill Centers USA

"By aligning with a reputable USA based aftercare company we can now offer patients the convenience of a coast-to-coast network of medical professionals trained in the art of adjustments and aftercare. By entering patients into a state of the art database, it allows our Obesity Control team to monitor the care of our patients and collaborate with the network of providers as needed. Dr. Ortiz has played an active role in the development and training of Fill Centers USA programs. Together with other renowned USA surgeons, he presently serves on the Medical Advisory Board. Fill Centers USA programs provide extensive take home literature including their unique 250 page Lifestyle Guide containing day-by-day instructions. You will be pampered with periodic contact from our friendly staff to assist with individual needs and monitor progress."

Good luck!

[bandgroupie]

Welcome neighbor! Well sorta neighbor

If you are considering lap band surgery at the OCC in Tijuana, here are my two pointers with regard to keeping the cost down:

1. If you opt for a semi-private room at the OCC, there is a possiblity that you could save approximately $500. Remember to ask Lori (patient coordinator at the OCC) about this. The $500 will pay for your plane fare and give you money to spend on Revolution Boulevard.
   
2. If you pay for your surgery via credit card, consider paying it all at once, up front, (instead of paying the deposit and the balance later). If you pay up front with credit cards, there is a possibility you could save a couple hundred dollars by avoiding the charge to use a credit card. Again, enough to pay for a plane ticket. Ask Lori!
   

And I am speaking from experience

I have two choices for my first fill. Go to Roswell, GA (which is probably a 3-4 hour drive for me) or fly to San Diego and go to the OCC. I am opting to go to the OCC for my first fill because the cost will not be that much more to go to Tijuana. I'm pretty sure that I'll return to the OCC for any additional fills.

I'm returning for my first fill in May. Arriving May 16 with the fill scheduled for the 17th. The cost of plane tickets seem to be rising!

I'm located near Cedartown,Ga & will follow through with LB in May-June.I will be paying cash as i'm self employed & have no insurance.

I was hoping some people would post their costs + fills.I'm considering Tijuana but want to make sure i can find a doctor within 60 miles of me here for fills etc.

Thanks

[Blazn]

I'm located near Cedartown,Ga & will follow through with LB in May-June.I will be paying cash as i'm self employed & have no insurance.

I was hoping some people would post their costs + fills.I'm considering Tijuana but want to make sure i can find a doctor within 60 miles of me here for fills etc.

Thanks

First of all - welcome Cedertown. I am from Douglas, GA (Coffee County) South Georgia. I was banded by Dr. Ortiz on March 17th. I would not change that decision if I had the chance. I cannot describe to you how well I was taken care of and how clean and beautiful things are there. So if you decide to use Dr. Ortiz you won't go wrong.

Secondly, I would love to go back to Tijuana for my first fill but the cost will be about $600. I am going to use Fill Centers USA as some of the others have mentioned. Although I am only about an hour from Moultrie I am going to the Roswell center for my first fill May 3rd. Reason being - they only go to Moultrie every other month and they came in April (too soon for me) and won't be back until June (but too far) so I am going to drive. Ok - so it is going to cost me $549 for the first fill there...but all subsequent visits will only be $285. If I go to TJ, it is going to be about $600 every time ($299 for fill, transportation, and 1 night at hotel and $300 for flight). I have heard so many good things about Darlene (the nurse practitioner that does the fills in Roswell and Moultrie). They say she is absolutely wonderful. Also keep in mind that Dr. Ortiz is on the advisory board for Fill Centers. They are very familiar with his patients. I even read where over 50% of their patients are his.

I, like the rest, paid $8000 for the surgery and our plane tix (mine and my husbands) were $630 total.

I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please ask!!