concerned about surgeon...

My surgeon is not on any of the lists on this web site.. His name is Dr. David Mayer.Should I be concerned? He sems competent and I like him. I am in the process of completing my referrals. Please advise...Thanks, Annette

Not all surgeons list here for a variety of reasons I'm sure. But if you have any doubts you can probably check with the AMA for his credentials or check with the state licensing board to check his track record. My best advice is research... better safe than sorry.

Thanks Beth..I ended up switching surgeons anyway. I feel more comfortable with ine who specializes in Lap-Banding.

You can check him out at the link below. http://www.nydoctorprofile.com/search_parameters.jsp You can also check ASBS site to see if he is a member. Joanne

Well being on this site isn't the "be all and end all" ....but you might want to ask a few questions. How many surgeries has he performed? How many of the specific type of surgery you are getting has he performed? (if your having the RNY, DS, or Lapband, or VSG..how many has he done) Does he perform more then one type of WLS? If not, will he push you into getting a surgery you don't not want because it's all he performs? What percent of his practice is bariatric surgery? 5%? 50%? What is his mortality rate? Now this number can be decieving..esp if he only has done a few surgeries. Yes, I am a numbers snob. I'm sorry, if I had a choice between a surgeon whose done 10 surgeries and 1000 surgeries, I'd go for the surgeon with 1000 sugeries under their belt, unless he had a significantly high mortality rate. Remember you are not bound to one surgeon, you live on long island, and have easy access to over 100 doctors who perform WLS. I traveled to manhattan to have surgery, because I wanted the best my insurance would pay for..and I feel I got it. You need to "research, research research" not only the procedure but the surgeon. Hope this helps Scott

Hi Annette, It looks like we are just about neighbors!!! My surgeon is not that popular here on the boards, but that does not bother me. I trust him immensely. I did my homework in terms of speaking with his patients and colleagues. He is a very well respected surgeon; and his competence is well established. That what is important to me. I will be having surgery on March 12; and I am very confortable leaving myself in his hands. Best Wishes in your journey! Barbara

Barbara, Thank you for the comment. I wish you well with your surgery. I ended up chanfing doctors to Dr. Powers in Syossett. Annette

I'm glad you're comfortable with your choice of surgeons. All the best on your journey!!! Barbara

I am going to be using Dr. Mayer as my surgeon. My sister used Dr. Ren in NYC (one of the "best known") and she came to my initial visit with me. She LOVED Dr. Mayer and will now be using him for future fills. I was also concerned that he wasn't advertised on the site but after a little local research, I'm feeling very comfortable with my decision. Best of luck to you! Jill in NY