SYRACUSE NY (Upstate University Hospital) WLS PEOPLE..

Hello guys, I am new to the forum and I am in the process of having WLS in syracuse NY..I am having surgery hopefully with either Dr.Weiss are Dr.Simon at University Hospital Syracuse..I would love to here from people that are in the process of having surgery at the same hospital are had surgery there..i have so many questions about how the process work there. How many months do you have to wait for surgery? Why do you have to lose weight if you do? And do anyone have to travel a distance? thank you guys and congrad to the losers. tracey,

Hi Tracey I am in the process of having the surgery. I have lost 18 pounds since I started the program. They want you to lose weight to show that you are committed in a life long change. I am going to have surgery with Dr. Simon. I have been seeing him for four months now and when I went last week they told me they are submitting my paperwork for insurance company approval. I live in Oswego, NY so it is only about a 45 minute trip to see them. I can't wait for the day when I can start feeling better and not being so overweight. Feel free to contact me I would love to give you any information to help you out that I have. Best of luck to you. Debbie White

4MTHS WOW..AND STILL NO SURGERY DATE... THAT IS SUCH A LONGTIME I KNOW IT IS WORTH THE WAIT BUT I BEEN WAITING FOR 2YRS NOW. IS THERE ANYMORE DOCTORS IN SYRACUSE DO LAP BESIDES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL? AND HOW CAN I SPEED THE PROCESS UP ANY SUGGESTION? I AM COMING 5HRS AWAY ALOT OF TRIPS TO TAKE.. THANKS DEB,

Hi Tracey I am a post-op but I thought I'd answer this as well.... I had my lap RNY on 12/17/04 at University Hospital.... I am also a patient of the same group you are going to in Syracuse but I had my surgery done by Dr. Kim... The standard rule is that they see you for at least 3 months before making a decision to perform surgery... For me, I had my 1st appointment in April 2004 and surgery didn't happen for me until December 2004... It took me a little longer because I had switched docs because I wanted to be a lap instead of open (Dr. Cunningham was the 1st doc I seen there but he only does the open procedure)... I had to lose weight before to show committment like the other gals have said and also the reason they like for you to do that is because eating healthier makes your liver shrink in size... Thus making it much easier for your surgeon to maneuver in there with the lap instruments... I traveled from Watertown (about an hour north of Syracuse) so I have a little bit of a trip each time I go... But I am happy I chose that practice... They're good to me there... If you wanna know anything else, shoot me an email sometime... I'd be happy to help out if I can... Chelle In NNY

Just make sure you research the Doctor that you choose and that he is the right one for you. This made a big difference in who I chose as a surgeon. Best of luck to you Betty Jo Lap RNY 7/11/05-Dr Graber 399.5/207/150

OOPS, my surgery was in 2003

Hi Tracey, I know it seems like a long time, but it really does go by quickly. I submitted my paperwork in September 04, and had my first appointment with Dr. Simon December 8th (information session 11/1). I am having a gastroscopy in a couple hours to check my reflux, and I just got the results of my echocardiogram to fax. Once these are all in to them they should be submitting my paper work for insurance. About the weight loss. There are actually a few reasons for this. One is to reduce the size of the liver prior to surgery, which in most obese people is very fatty and can make lap surgery more difficult. As others have stated another reason is to show committment to the lifetime changes that are necessary following your surgery. If you make these changes, such as eating healthy choices (protein first, veggies next, fruit, and if you still need it starch), slowing your pace by chewing 20-30 times and waiting 2-4 minutes between bites, you will naturally begin to lose weight. They are not asking for enormous amounts of weight to drop off, but this is a program of change. They truly care about your success, not just with the surgery but 5-10-20 years down the road. I know how hard it is to be patient, especially when you have been obese for a long time. But think of it this way. The changes you make over the next 4-6 months will be the changes that allow you to use the tool that will be given to you to be healthy for the rest of your life. I believe that this group in Syracuse are probably some of the best bariatric surgeons in the region, and their entire program is top notch. Good luck in your decision and your journey. Debra