GREAT ARTICLE FOR MAKING WLS MORE AVAILABLE

Hi

I get regular updates from my surgeons office on any noteworthy or newsworthy articles or press etc. concerning obesity or my surgeon.

This was recently sent to me from his office - I so wish that in Atlantic Canada, our governments would provide more funding to obesity and the viable option of WLS.

With more funding we could have more trained doctors and less waiting for so many people on the lists. The wait lists are not acceptable and I believe with Weight Loss Surgery they are in the long run saving the Healthcare system money- its proven and documented. Much of this is what the article is about.

If the lists must continue to be so long in our area then assist us more financially in WLS options outside of our provinces. Or as in Ontario outside of the country.

As most of you know I gave up on the health care system and the long lists and self paid - it saved my life and gave me back my quality of life but it still angers me that there are people out there that are even worse off health wise than I was and they are stuck in the system.

Ok done my rant for the evening. Guess I will always be touchy about this issue.

The link is:

http://vot.medec.org/en/member_profile/obesity-surgery

Great article- those in NS should send it to a few politicians as an argument for paying for the lap-band.

Personally Charline I want funding for all surgeries- well for the top four - RNY,lapband VSG and DS across the board in Atlantic Canada .

It is a personal choice as to what surgery you pick and decide with your surgeons input. Even after this you must work very dilegently to do your own chking of facts and are the doctors claims /data true?

However if your surgeon only offers or performs one type of surgery than his perspective is not the same as a surgeon who is trained and comfortable performing all types.

There is not anything wrong with him as a surgeon but he can not advise you on teqniques that he does not deal with - I like full exposure and like all cards laid out - I want to deal with honest surgeons who provide studies within their own patient group and how that fairs in the national/international avgs for lbs lost post op. It doesnt necessarily have to be the quickest weight loss I just wanted to know what could I realistically look forward to if I was compliant.

Patients should be able to decide what they want and have a surgeon available for that procedure.

Many patients choose what is offered in the area or available and it may not be the best decision for them -but if more surgeons were available and trained to do all types of WLS than they can present you with scenarios on the weight loss factor and show you what to reasonably expect to lose with this surgery based on how much you have to lose. They should be doing it long enough that they have lots of data to show you on their own patients not just national/international studies.

The list of revision surgeries is lengthly and is because a lot of these poor people did not have the correct WLS to begin with for their particular situation (bmi)or did enough research.

Even with my success I recently have second guessed myself and challenged my RNY surgery and think I might have been better off with the DS option because of my need for nsaids. I am however working thru that with alternative meds and options - I had irritable bowel syndrome quite severe for so many years.... that made me leary of DS- and I was advised it could be a big problem for me. 

Maybe VSG should have been my route...... I can only go one day at a time and I think it is second nature to guess yourself and did you make the right decision - to have WLS there is no question- it was the absolutely right decison- The type I am very pleased with but still ponder my choice and recently ponder about it even more.

I read too many stories on OH and other wls sites that say that there doctor talked them into this procedure over another -  or what they really want is not done in their area or covered by the province or insurance as is the case in the US.

Lots of work needs to be done to make sure patients get the "whole picture" and have done all their research and decide ok what surgery will work best for me and what are my long term goals and lifestyle changes I am willing to make- and so important - can you live with these changes for the rest of your life ???

Research  , Research , Research talk to lots of post ops and get your stats and then talk them over with your surgeon.

Ask for seconds consults- third if you need them and get your facts before making this huge life decision. 

We all deserve to get the best surgery from the best surgeon and know that it is something we can manage and will be working the tool and achieving the goal set out for us. So can you live within the restrictions of your new life - big things to think about - will I lose all my excess weight with the route I have chosen or stop short ?

Many blessing in your journey ladies and may all those calls start coming thru for you for all of you on the "lists "

hugs
deb

No argument here. I commented on the band because I read here that it is not paid by the NS government. I knew that RNY was paid as well, but that is the full extent of my knowledge of the NS system.

How was Dr Chistou?  i am thinking about doing selfpay also.  i am been emailing him steady and i am stuck at only 10k for medicard and RNY cost 17k

thanks
paul

Have you been refered  to Dr S? He doesn't have a long wait list like Dr B.

Yes, i called yesterday to confirm that they have recieved my refferal and all my bloodwork and ECG.  Does it take long for the hospital to call?

thanks
paul