appointment wait times

Hello, I have a few questions about weightloss surgery in Manitoba. Is gastric bypass now available here? I have also been reading a bit about gasterectomy sleeve (I think that's what its called) if the surgeries are done in Manitoba, who is doing them and where? And the biggest question....how long are the wait times for a consultation after your family Dr has sent a referral and how long is the wait for the surgery after the consultation? If I could get these questions answered and any other info that would benefit me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, both the gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve are now available in Manitoba!

They are available through:

St. Boniface Surgical Associates.
Suite 200
400 Tache Avenue
Winnipeg, MB  R2H 3C3
258-1087
fax: 237-8141

(The surgeries themselves are done out of the Victoria Hospital.)

There is no cost for the surgery, but you will need a referral from your family physician. (There is a charge of $200 to see their nutritionist, $150 to see their psychologist, $200 for the pre-op diet products and at least $50 for meds.)

At the moment, they are only taking women with a BMI of 47 or less. They are hoping to open up their criteria shortly. Unfortunately, the wait time keeps getting longer. At first it was about 6 months from time of referral to time of consultation and then another 2-3 month wait for a surgical date. Now, there are apparently 700 people on the list, so I don't know how long a consultation will take. You can call the clinic and ask them.

Once you have your consultation, you will discuss with the surgeon which procedure may be best for you. Basically, you get to choose which of the two you prefer. So it is best to do a lot of research ahead of time.

Good luck!
Tanya

What is the name of the Doctor doing these surgeries?

I know the names of three of the surgeons:

Dr. Ashley Vergis (male)
Dr. Krista Hardy
Dr. Andrews

Thanks for the info. :)

I called Julie the other day and their message said that wait time was 10 months to get a consultation.

thank you for the information that I have been waiting to get for 2 years, my family doctor didn't know where to send my referral and I have been searching and searching and only today I have the answer.