Sasamarie

Hi Bella,

My name is Lisa and I too live in Holland (Culemborg) which is close to Utrecht. I moved here 7 years ago when I met my boyfriend on line. Anyways, I know how the medical system works here. And I know you know how they work here. I read your story and saw that you paid for your surgery by yourself and that you went to belgium. Guess my question is this.. Was it not possible in Holland? Was it not possible for the insurance to cover it? Dont mean to get too personal I just need to learn how to use this system here. Any tips you can give me would be wonderful!!

Thanks
Sasa

Bella

Hi fellow American!

Ohh you can get as personal as you'd like about my WLS. I love to share.

I moved here for love 7 years ago for a Dutch guy I met online too! As you know - this is a very common story.

The way it works here in Holland is that they are conservative about this procedure. Insurance will only pay for the maagband (lap band). Maybe you've done your reading on the lap band? Well, it does not give the best results (IMO) ..long story... so I ruled it out. I hear there is a long waiting list and they make you jump through hoops etc.

But the Dutch ONLY do the lapband. That's the thing.

Anyway, I had already decided I was going to pay for it myself and go to Belgium for the RNY. The RNY is the 'gold standard' of wls. It costed about 8700 for the works! BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT!

My guy in Belgium is one of the top bariatric surgerns in the country and Belgium is the top European country for WLS. My doctor has performed over 7000 wls and only lost 2 people. (They already had other health issues). Can't beat those numbers!

Actually, I would LOVE to start an English speaking Support group here in Holland. I know 2 other girls - one American (Dutch hubby) living just north of Amsterdam who just had the lapband a couple of weeks ago. One other girl from Jamaica (Dutch hubby) who had the DS type of wls. This one is a lot more drastic. She's gone from a US size 26 to a size ...2!!! )

I meet several other girls while I was in the hospital. Ohhh us fatties just laughed and had such fun waiting for our surgery! That was a great time. I stay in touch with 1 one girl - a real sweetheart - though she's British (maybe she can fly in). It only costs about 5 cents to fly round trip to the UK and back.

I've also talked to several girls right here on this board that are based in Britain .. so I think it's possible that we could fly to the Uk or they could fly here and have meetings so we can share.

If you want to write I will tell you alllllll about my beloved WLS. ) My email is becky8933@yahoo.com.

Sasamarie

Thanks so much for your reply and I have already written!

StacyBee160

Shoot.... for an $8700 RNY, what's it cost to fly to Belgium and back from the US?? I might have to look into that!

Bella, does your surgeon have a website?

Sorry for the hijack girls, please carry on! LOL...

mauldinmama

I wouldn't blame you, my cousins cash price was 20,000 and my doc's cash price is 25,000! 8700 what a great deal!

__________________
Leesa

wls date April 17th 07

nothing taste better than thinner is going to feel. Here's to living longer, stronger and reaching those personal goals all of them!

highest/morning of/ afternoon of/ current/goal
203 /186.6 / 198.8 / 150.4 /????
heart healthy and diabetes free!!!!!!!!!!!

ajmoe

Hey Bella if you ever decide to have that support group and people fly in let me know if you would not mind. I am in Germany. Not far from you. I am right on the Luxembourg border. Luxembourg Airport is about 40 minutes away, I live near Trier and Bitburg, Germany to give you an idea. I have been to The Netherlands once and absolutely loved it. Would love a reason to travel there again. I would love to talk to people in the area who have had WLS.

__________________
Angie
265/257/185/140
highest/before surgery/current/goal
Lap RNY 12/12/06
Made it onderland
Searching for BMI of Overweight not obese.

Bella

Hi,

Of course you can join!

My office is based in Holland but my boss is based in Belgium and our home office is based in Germany - Walldorf, just near Heildeburg.

I drive to that area of Germany all the time so I know it's about a 5 hour drive - not so bad and there's always the train.

I would assume there are wls groups here .. but they would be Dutch so that means I'd have to speak a second language the whole time. For me ... I'd like to have an English-speaking group which can include anyone that can speak Engish. That way - we can chatter away! )

Can you send me your email? I will put something together!

About the price for the US ladies - yes, it's much cheaper here in Europe.

To be clear, it was 8700 euros. If I use the Currency converter, 8700 euros = $11,630.87. Now - this is still cheap in my book. They take cash, wire cash transfers or credit cards.

I paid half cash and half credit. I figure .. if EVER there was a time or a justification to USE my credit cards and get somewhat in debt ... this was it.

AHHH I HATE TO SAY THIS and believe me, I'm not on anyone's payroll... the price has gone up! I just checked the site! I booked mine Aug. 2006 but it's CHANGED now!

In EUROs

Gastric Bypass - Open Surgery 8,700
Gastric Bypass - Laparoscopic Surgery 10,259 (these 2 procedures used to
cost about the same but now the lap procedure is higher!)

This is the site I used - http://www.quality-gastric-bypass.co...ery_prices.htm

There are several on-line sites available. They mainly cater to foreigners from the States or Britain etc. LOTS of people in the waiting room were from all over the world so it's very international. They offer a 'package' deal where they pick you up from the Airport, get you to the hospital etc... and after your stay at the hospital, you check into a hotel stay there a few days. They visit you there and then you come back to the Hospital for your final checkup. THEN you fly home. Of course, it's a higher package if your flight is included. But you can can just piece out what you want.

In my case, since I live a couple hours away by car, I got the Basic Surgery cost deal for 8700 and paid for my own hotel separately.

The website still says Dr, Dilliman has performed over 6000 surgeries but when I went in for mine in Jan., he said he has just hit the 7000 mark.

Click on the dollars icon to see the amount in dollars.

Also try http://www.obesitycare.co.uk/eng/index.php This site offers the RNY for 8500 euros ... but there is no package so it does not include your hotel and air.

Just dig around and find the best deal for yourself - there are other sites out there as well.

If anyone has any questions - just let me know!

Sasamarie

I am curious Bella, did you have to do a lot of test before your surgery. Sleep study, cardio, all the test that I hear about?? Were those cost covered by your insurance here in holland? I am always full of thoughts!

ajmoe

i am guessing there are some groups somewhere around here. I had mine done in Frankfurt and I know that they have groups but they are in German and I don't really speak any.

email angmoe@hotmail.com

It would be fun to get together with other English speaking ladies who have had it done. Sometimes it is lonely, but this board is so helpful for me.

__________________
Angie
265/257/185/140
highest/before surgery/current/goal
Lap RNY 12/12/06
Made it onderland
Searching for BMI of Overweight not obese.

Bella

Nope .. not one test. Nothing.

When you get there a day before surgery .. this will be the first time you actually met your surgen in person. That's when they take about 5 tubes of blood for your tests.

Because I'm over 50, he sent me to have an EKG but the other younger people didn't have this at all. Seems odd I know .. but that's just the way they do it over here. )

My insurance was not involved in anything I did with my WLS. Nothing.

Now - I had NO co-morbidities. I have no health issues - even my blood pressure is 124/74. They have you fill out a questionnaire that is fairly detailed. I think if you indicate something they are worried about - there may be a different story. I don't know.