How did you choose your doctor??

Okay I have looked at 2 clinics. Mission/St. Joseph and Hickory. I feel much more comfortable with the staff at Hickory.

I have my first education appointment at Hickory surgery clinic in October.  At that point I should have all the prerequisites completed. There are 3 doctors there. Dr. Cook, Dr. Cox, and Dr. Hata or Dr. Haxa (Not sure about the Name).

I have done research and know that Dr. Cook is more conservative with the lap band fills. Dr.Hata/Haxa is from Duke I think. Fresh face. Not sure how many surgeries he has done.


So how did you choose your doctor?

Tamara

I also went to Hickory and chose Dr Cook because my aunt went to him and he was wonderful .  She had great result and the whole staff was super before, during and after.  I unlike her have to have a six month Dr supervised diet and they have been so supportive .  I am on month 2 and I am trying to get all the red tape together so when the time comes it will go smoothly , the staff has been very helpful.


Leslie

Hi Tamara,

I'd ask your prospective Dr's how many they have done of whichever type of surgery you are considering. I believe that the surgeon's have to do about 100 procedures through their fellowship, but I don't think that they are all of the same procedure, so if it's not RNY, the most common that you are considering I'd really be interested in how many they had done of the procedure you are interested in. I think that I ready somewhere that you want them to have done about 100 of a procedure before having someone work on you to have a proficiency level. I would ask about their points of view on issues like fills, diet, anesthesia, long-term follow-up, etc.

I chose my Dr because he had about 17 years experience, was highly regarded professionally and by reviews on OH and other sites. He doesn't have much in the way of beside manner, but I was more interested in his complication rates and the number of procedures he has performed. I also wanted to know if he performed more difficult operations.

I hope that this helps.

All the best,

Barb

To be honest...My insurance company chose my dr!LOL  But, I'm so glad they did!!  He was the only WLS surgeon listed in NC that my insurance would allow.  Dr.Cook is wonderful and so is his staff!!  Although it is a 5 hour drive for me, Dr. Cook is well worth it!
Andrea

Andrea,

I am driving 1hour and 45 minutes. I can't imagine driving 5 hours. I am glad you liked Dr. Cook.

Tamara

I knew several coworker nurses who had had Dr. Bauman do their surgeries, and I knew that he had a great "track record".  The fact that he has never lost a patient was HUGE to me.  And after meeting him, I trusted him to be the one.  He never tried to "sell" me on any procedure, or on himself.  He just told me what was available through him, and what was available up the road if I chose. 

What was also important to me was having the surgery performed at a Bariatric Center of Excellence and in a facility that I trusted.  The fact that he also has privileges there was a big plus for me. 

Another important thing to consider is what type of followup is required/encouraged postop.  Is there a nutritionist available, or even recommended?  Do they support you postop or just let you go on your own?  You'd be surprised how many surgeons offer little to no followup or support after you're discharged from the hospital.