Too many questions

Had my scope done 1.5 weeks ago....... so saw my nurse yesterday to go over results and regular visit stuff.   She was of no help telling me what my scope said..... I know I have stomach polyps, gastritis and hiatus hernia.....the pathology report on my polyps is not back yet so not sure if they are benign or not yet.... or what type they are (all of that I read myself on the report), but when I mentioned to the nurse I wonder what surgery would be better considering the polyps, she had no clue ...... then I said the parts of the RNY that I like are also the parts I'm scared of (malabsorption, rerouting stuff)...... but I didn't like that I might and would probably have a good chance of having more acid reflux with the sleeve...... she was like no the sleeve is what we recommend for when you have acid reflux

Now I may be mistaken but isn't that wrong? Doesn't the sleeve cause acid reflux often and the RNY often gets rid of it or am I worng?

So have a few questions for you all out there

The front desk staff at the clinic said that Dr Karmali and Nurse have to do a chart review before I get my official place on the surgery list, but my nurse knew nothing about this.... but only makes sense since someone needs to look at my pathology report. So does this chart review actually happen?

Wondering if Dr Karmali will recommend certain surgeries or anything else based on my test results.... and will he just write it in my chart for the nurse to tell me or will I meet with him again?

Also anyone else have polyps in their stomach... and did your surgeon recommend one surgery over another?

Has anyone seen the surgeon after the initial consult on you request... is this something they alllow at the clinic?

I'm torn between the RNY and Sleeve already and then now with the polyp aspect to think about too.  The RNY seems the best in that if a polyps developed into cancer (I have 2 maternal uncles with esophagus/stomach cancer) that I would have extra stomach to make a new stomach with if needed.... but it also has the down fall of they can't scope the blind stomach to watch the polyps over the years..... and the sleeve is the opposite it all can be seen but not alot of stomach to work with 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated ... thks so much

I had Dr. Birch so it might be different and I didn't have a scope before surgery but I know that lots of his patients that were scoped had a follow up with him before surgery to discuss the results. When I seen him I was given options that would work for me which were either band or sleeve. They do go over the surgery and it's risk and benefits. I was never told that my sleeve would cause me to have acid reflex. The amount of acid your stomach can produce decreases due to the size of your stomach being smaller.  Actually from my own personal perspective my reflex has decreased since surgery. I still do take prevacid but if I miss it I don't feel the effects like I would have before being sleeved.

Ok so unless it's changed the Nurse does do a chart review with the Doctor. Who is your nurse cause they don"t seem to be too on the ball with things. I know they don't really discuss test results per say cause it's really not in their realm of things, blood work yes that different.

So have you been approved for surgery by Dr. Karmali  and have you done the pro's and Con's of each with him or one of his team. With Dr. Birch I had the consult with him was given the pros and cons and actually signed the consent form for surgery that day. All I had to do when I left the office was wait for o.r booking to call with a date.

I hope you get some answers.

 

Kee.

I already had a consult with Dr Karmali and team Nov 29..... went over pros and cons.... pretty certain he said the sleeve can cause more reflux... but alot of info that day so may have it wrong lol..... I signed the surgery consent form for the RNY but he said I can change it to sleeve at anytime

Dr.Karmali didn't give me any indication of which surgery would be best for me.... he just gave me the pros and cons and its my decision (I take that as medically I can have any of the 3)....... but I hope I see him again now that my scope is done

My nurse is number 3 nurse for me the rest keep quitting (uugg) .... so she has only been there a like 5 months maybe....... I've gotten the run around alot there over the past year, so I find if I prepared with questions and some answers the info I get from them works better lol......I see my NUT and psycologist on Monday so hopefully they will know more :) ....... I asked the nurse for a copy of my scope but they couldn't get it to print on Friday... so I will get it on Monday.... at least then I can read it fully.... it said way more than what I could quickly read on her computer screen 

If you don't mind me asking but why could you not have the RNY?

 

I was considered a light weight and had no comorbilities other than pcos so by the time I was approved for surgery rny wasn't an option. Dr Birch felt I didn't have enough weight left to lose to do the rny.

I had done literally hundreds of hours of research and already had made up my mind that the sleeve was for me and I'm so glad that I did. The rny doesn't stop your grehlin production and for me I wanted that hunger signal gone. At over 2 years out it's still gone and I love it. I have no regrets and loved my time at the clinic. Things there have changed a lot as staff come and go. I was lucky enough to have the same team pretty much all the way through my 9 month program. Karla my psycologist went on mat leave just before my surgery so I seen Margo once and I liked her.

Kee.

was reading your post and im sure its all confusing to you    my nurse is also alanna   i adore her  i think shes great  with me  ,,  she answers the questions i have or   tells me to ask my surgeon  when i see him ,    Im having the RNY done  basically because for me  being a diabetic   i believe its my best road as well ,,    i think from what i am reading perhaps Alanna  doesnt wish to  give you an offical  answer that perhaps a doctor should answer  ., i believe she is someone who will help  or support you in every way  with you choice and since you had not completely  choose what you want done maybe she  feels best to let you decide without her deciding for you  just  wondering  i perhaps could be wrong ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  im sure your gonna make the best choice for you  also maybe reading alot of the websites for different surgery that people been thru may help answer alot of your questions too ,    Safe travels on monday   im seeing alanna on wednesday   i just  went thru  my  surgical class  on friday    it was very well put together and  lets you ask any question you feel you have no answer  for   so maybe even  that will help  i wish you all the best  im looking forward to follow  your progress  in the future 

Don't get me wrong she is very very nice...... granted I have only seen her 2 or 3 times now...... it just frustrating that all the time spent at the clinic and its hard to get the answers I'm looking for (maybe I just ask to many hard questions lol)

I'm looking forward to the surgical class..... good to know you got alot out of it

Looks like we might have surgery close to the same time :)

that would be awesome  ive moved from  nova scotia up here to  alberta 3 years ago   i dont know many people i kinda keep to myself  but been thru  weight wise for a few years back home  which i have to add the weight time home is 10 years i was over 2 almost 3 down home waiting ,    i       really enjoy  reading others  post here i think  having friends is important especially ones who been thru this as well ,    i hope so much that i get to  have surgery   while with another patient doing the same thing   so i will cross my  fingers in hopes we do get the same date time as i said Dr Davey is doing my  surgery   i hope he does them on a semi regular time each week   but i really dont know

She can't tell you which surgery to have because ultimately that's up to you in consultation with the surgeon. Yes, VSG CAN increase reflux, but if I was in your position and had polyps and a family history of stomach cancer there'd be no doubt about my choice of VSG for 2 reasons. 1-with RNY they can't see what's going on with the rest of your stomach, and 2-people have been known to live long, health lives with no stomach at all (worst case if you got cancer with a sleeved stomach) but undetected stomach cancer kills.

Yes the decision of what type of surgery is up to you, Dr birch asked me if i had made a decision and why...i laid out all my reasonings why i wanted the sleeve and the cons for me for the other 2 surgeries...he told me i had done my homework and was happy with my decision.

While I agree the clinic should be able to answer our questions, I found during my clinic process i found out more information on my own. Did my own research and found my own answers.  The clinic told me i'd only lose about 50-60lbs with VSG on my first visit...i was devestated...if i hadnt found OH and done any of my own research i might not have gone back...

long story short, use them for guidence, but not as the gods honest truth...do your own homework