BPD-DS Dr. Gagner, Advice, please

Hello, I have a date for June 4, 2007 with Dr. Gagner in NYC. Does anyone have any experience with him or with NewYork Presbyterian Hospital? I live 4 hours away in PA so I will stay at a hotel in the city for a few days post op. I will need to bring all of my food and drinks with me for that post op period. I am terrified of getting into the city and geting around in the city. Do you think that I will be able to care for myself after discharge? My 22 year old son is going with me and I do not want to be a burden to him. Is the nursing care adequate in the hospital or would a private duty nurse be necessary? Anything that you can tell me will be appreciated. For my first trip to Dr. Gagner, I hired a driver to take me and it cost $300. Is there an easier way to get into NYC, like a place where I could park my car outside the city and take a cab into the hospital? Thanks so much!! Judy from PA

hi...i live in manhattan ..all of the airports near by have long term parking.. buy a club and park your car there ...then take a cab into the city for approx $45.00... i havent had my surgery yet but i would think you may want someone around with you for the first 2 days..esp if you are in a strange place... good luck to you

Thanks for the reply, Alfreda. I would have never thought to park at the airport. That is a great suggestion. Once I park in the lot, is there a shuttle to take me to some central area where cabs would pick me up, or do I need a phone number to call a cab? I live on a farm in rural PA and have never been in a situation where I used a cab, so I have no idea how to access one. I am going to contact my local auto club for help also. I am sure that they can give me directions to the airport closest to 70th street. Thanks again. You are lucky to live so close to such a famous surgeon and a top rated hospital! Take care and good luck in your quest for surgery. I am not sure if you got my first reply. I replied on the email where this post appeared. Then I realized that maybe I needed to reply on the forum itself. I have no clue how to do this! Judy

Dr Gagner has an OUTSTANDING reputation... both with the DS, as well as WLS in general. He was the first to do the DS laparascopically (sp?) as for nursing, unless you have other health issues you haven't mentioned, I don't think a private duty nurse will be necessary. While as I said, Gagner is excellent, I'm curious why (being you're in PA) you chose him over Dr Peters in Scranton.... certainly would have been an easier drive if nothing else. Lastly, be sure to pop over to the DS board if you haven't already... http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,messageboard/board_id,5357 there are quite a few of Gagner's patients over there who can give you a little more insight... also, much like the real-world of WLS patients, you'll find that the great percentage of people on OH are RNY... nothing wrong with that, but each procedure has its own ideosynchracies (sp?) and patient experiences often vary between procedures, so sometimes it's best to ask things of people with the same procedure. Good luck on your journey.

HI Sean, Thanks so much for the reply. I actually had an appointment with Dr. Peters, and liked both him and his wife, and I have a vacation home nearby, so it would have been so convenient, but there was something that just did not click with me during our appointment. I won't get into specifics, just some alarm bells going off in my head. Being a nurse for 30 years, I have extra sensitive doctor radar, I guess. I also wanted it done laprascopically, so I wanted someone with lots of experience with that. Thanks for the suggestions about the DS board. I have tried it a few times, and find it hard to negotiate. You are right, though, it seems like most of the people on OH are RNY'ers, and there are some differences. I am glad that you don't feel that a nurse is necessary. I am pretty agile and do not have any major health problems except fibromyalgia and diabetes, with no complications. Thanks again for the reply. I copied your link, so I'll explore the DS board one more time! Take care! I responded to you via my email, but you may not get that, so I am doing it the correct way now. I'm still learning about this forum stuff! Judy

Hi Judy, Congrats on your date! You must be excited!! Dr. Gagner is the BEST! You have made a very good choice in going with him.. He's one of the best in the country! You should google him to see for yourself.. I can tell you that NY Presbyterian is an excellent hosptial.. I had awesome care and you will too... As for drving into the city, I suggest you get someone else to drive (Like your son) You will NOT be able to drive yourself afterwards.. DRIVING back on a 4 hr. ride is not something you will want to do after a major surgery, Not even a week later... You will need to stop and walk and strech your legs.. You do not want to take a chance with a clot! So, make sure you have your son STOP every so offten so you can move your legs and strech.. Since your son is going with you, I assume he will drive? That's a good idea.. There are places that have long term parking in the city.. You should give a call to the hospital and ask where they are, maybe they have one right at the hosptial.. I can also try and find out or you.. Your son is great to go along with you! That's wonderful! Again, feel confident in Dr.G, he is truely the BEST you can have for this surgery! Best of luck to you!! Crystal

Thanks so much for the reply, Crys. Every bit of information is so helpful! I am concerned about clots, as you mentioned, and do plan to make frequent stops. My son is 22 and will do the driving. I hate to put him through the nitty gritty of all this, but both of my daughters have just started new jobs (a nurse and a physician assistant), and the one has a baby to take care of, so he is the only one available, and he offered! I am lucky to have him. Thanks again for the encouraging words about Dr. Gagner. His outstanding reputation is the reason that I am making the trek to the big city!! Take care! Judy

just wanted to comment..you are in the best hands in the planet!! dr gagner saved my life...TWICE... he preformed my lap rny surgery in oct of 2001..ive lost 230 lbs..that alone was a life saver!! but..i was VERY sick about 2 years ago..and no one on long island could figure it out..i went to 3 emergency rooms and 4 doctors, about 6 surgeons looked at my cat scans and told me i was fine.. i was in more pain then when i delivered my son who weighed 10 lbs.. this went on for weeks.. dr gagner had moved since i saw him last in mt sinai, and i hadnt seen him in 3 or more years..but i searched him down and went right to NY pres...(by the way its the best hospital ive been to in my life) he looked at my scans and immediately found a hernia wrapped around my small bowel..something 6 surgeons (bariatric and gastro surgeons) missed in long island..(idiots)...needless to say, he had a 32 year old women in the ER about 3 weeks prior to me, who died..from the exact same thing!.. i wouldve been dead..he is an incredible man, and the hospital is wonderful.. as for staying. i would find somewhere to stay for a week post op if you can..i remember the drive home for me was terrible, and im only about an hour away from him.. good luck and if you have any questions feel free!!

Dear Jaime, Wow, you are very lucky, and blessed, to have that problem fixed in time. thank you for takine the time to tell me. It means so much to have confidence in the surgeon. Some have made me doubt all of this, because he sometimes does the surgery in 2 parts now, and I know that will be difficult, to go through it all again. I am trying to stay confident in him, that he will do what is best to get me through it alive and healthy, whether it be one stage or two. So, your message came at the right time for me. I am glad that you have experienced such a successful and huge weight loss! Congratulations, you must have a whole new life! I am glad to know that you are there for me if I (when) I have more questions! Take care! Judy from PA