Waiting for surgery with Dr.A

My first appointment with Dr Amson was May 2008 & I'm still waiting with no date in site. I have had all my tests done. I asked my GP to refer me to Dr's Sampath & Nguyen hoping that would speed up my surgery. I am already 60 years old and don't have a lot of time to enjoy my life in a healthy body. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?

YES!!!!  Do whatever you have to do to get you in surgery as soon as possible!!!  I added a personal letter explaining why I felt I needed to have surgery quickly and..... I was sent out of country, within 6 months of my initial application/request. 

You are the only one that knows the reasons why you want the surgery (besides the obvious weight loss reasons..) and only you can tell and sell your story!!!!

This is the best thing I could have done for ME and I have no remorse for selling myself to the powers that be!!!

Good luck!

Yes, Dr Sampath and Nguyen are the best.  There is a whole program to follow as they work with a team of people but they get you going on the right path.  Though I do hear that the inital consult wait is about a year.  I think they would be worth it.
I've just had my surgery and I am looking forward to getting on that losers bench and being all that I should be.  HEALTHY

Linda

The programs Drs. S & N offer are very good apparently. 

As to 'the best'... everyone thinks their surgeon is the best !

I'd say ... get on as many lists as you can and try to make sure you 'sell' yourself; you are only a number in a long line of hopeful candidates.  You need to make yourself stand out in the eyes of the doctor so you get your surgery asap.

I am right in there with you my friend, I too have been seeing Dr. Amson for what seems like years now. Both my daughter and I first started with him in September of 2009, and just like you not even a prospective date or time frame in sight. He sees us pretty much every 3 months, due to my daughters extenuating cir****tances, she has very severe health issues due to her obesity and she is litterally sick all the time. (she is only 20 and has not had the opportunity to even start her life yet.) Anyways, in all the frustration of going no where, I found out through my sister in law who works as an ICU nurse in the Richmond hospital that she knew of a Dr Nguyen there who also does the weight loss surgeries. So we got a pretty fast appointment with him, I think we waited about 3 months for the first consult, and we have just had our first appointment with him. What an awesome man!!!! I am so impressed, yes he says that we should both have our surgeries completed with a year, but he did stress that we have to go through his team of professionals and their demands before we could get a set date. But this is all necessary stuff from what I can see, and NONE of this had been any part of Dr. Amsons routine with his patients. We will have access and be made to see a nutritionist, a sleep apnea clinic for testing, an exercyse physiologist, and a gambut of others.  All of which I do agree are actually neccessary for someone wanting to have weight loss surger. Get your name on their list if you are in the Vancourver/Richmond/Lower mainland area, and just have the consult and see what you think. Their wait time from consult to surgery is supposed to be a maximum of 6 months to 1 year if you complete the circut of the other things they have their patients do before getting a date. What have you got to loose. (PS. I have been told in Feb, 2012, that Dr. Amson is just now starting on his 2006 patients.  There is hope.  Also, I think that with alot of work on our family doctors part, and letters from her specialists to dr. Amson and also a recommendation from Dr. Amson, my dauhter will be very soon (like within the next 2 months) having the province pay for her to have her bypass surgery in Bellingham, USA )  IT CAN BE DONE!!!! 
Just for infomation sake, I am right behind you, I am 53, and feeling the pressure of life slipping away every day that I am not able to enjoy it!

 So what I'm understanding is we can visit other doctors and get on their waitlist rather than waiting on Dr. Amson?  Cause his waitless obviously seems forever.  Does he pick and choose who gets it done?  How do I get into seeing another surgroen? will my family practitioner refer me again? 

 From my own experience, you can have your GP refer you for a "second opinion".  Mine was a jerk about it, but he eventually agreed.  I believe Dr. Amson bases it all on the severity of co-morbidities and the length of time you've been waiting.  

 I believe you are! Dr. Amson is a great surgeon, but his patient list is too extensive and the appointments are just glorified weigh-in's.  He's not getting enough funding to do more than 200 surgeries a year (yet), and I've heard that he's planning to retire soon.  

While I was seeing him, I had my GP refer me to Dr. Sampath last August...I got in to see him earlier this month and he's fantastic.  I've heard great things about both him and Dr. Nguyen, and I have to say this whole multi-dimensional approach to surgery with all the specialists we have to see is worth it.  If I had any reservations or fears before in all the years I've been waiting to have this happen, they've managed to disappear because everyone is so understanding and really does want what's best for you.  And these are lifelong specialists we're meeting, people who will be involved in our aftercare for years after surgery.  

You do not have to stop seeing Dr. Amson while you wait for the referral to go through, but once you meet Dr. S or Dr. N for the first consult you need to make a decision and let them know who you choose.  

Wishing you all the best...