[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Linus

I always assume a higher cost. Either way, whether 8 or 10 thousand, it's still a lot of money.

You know, when I had my surgery, Dr. V quoted me $7750 for everything. That was HIS charge (including surgery, anesthesia, meds and followups), which I thought was very reasonable and I still do. But, by the time I figured up the travel expenses from here (Las Vegas) to Newport Beach, CA, plus lodging in a nice facility (I'm a bit of a hotel snob, but for this I was also willing to pay more for the comfort and convenience to Dr. V's office), meals and various other comfort expenses, it came out pretty close to $10K. Plus, L was with me, thank Jeebuz, and she's a trained and experienced paramedic/EMT.

Oh, and I was able to totally deduct ALL of these expenses, including the surgery, off on my taxes at the end of the year, so I got a lot of that $10K back. I would heartily recommend figuring *high* on your budget, just to be on the safe side. This is something that you must plan for, even if you have to save a little longer for, because you can't put a "price" on a job done well and/or being in a comfortable environment, post op.

The hotel where L and I stayed (The Ayres Hotel www.ayreshotels.com/costamesa/) was definitely one of the most comfortable hotels I have ever stayed in, and L and I had one of the suites. We stayed 4 nights there, until Dr. V cleared me to return to Vegas. It was a very pleasant and comfortable experience, and I guess this is why I so highly recommend Dr. Voloshin for top surgery. His office and staff is second to none!! And no, I'm not getting any kind of "bonus" for referring other guys to him. He may give YOU a bit of a break for mentioning my name, tho. One of my buddies here in Vegas (Caidyn) referred me to him and he gave me the same price as he did for Caidyn, so that helped. I think there is power in our referrals, both service and sometimes, pricewise. We should use the strength of our friendships and referrals to help each other, whenever possible, I think. We're all in this together and every bit helps!!!!

~Theo~