How would you rate your surgeon's program in preparing you for WLS?

I can't tell you how bad it makes me feel seeing people over and over again having had surgery and not a clue what to eat or do. Is it the lack of information shared before surgery between patient and surgeon? Is it the patient knew what to do but just decided not to show up that day? My surgeon refused to do surgery until I participated in an extensive 6-12 month program. I was so upset but looking back it was key to my success getting to goal and keeping it off. Even when I had regain (after 12 years due to a personal loss) I still had the knowledge of what to do to get back on track.

How would you rate your surgeon/staff in helping you prepare for surgery and post-op to reach your goal?

Dr. Nagle - Northwestern 10

No bashing please! If they rate a 1 that is all that needs to be said

Dr. Morales as a surgeon is a 10

He is great at explaining everything and his skills are outstanding!

SSM office staff and care 3 (on a good day)

It was so bad I switched offices to My New Self Bariatrics at Des Pere Hospital in Saint Louis and they have been amazing. I received the follow up care and support that I needed.

Not many doctors would take another surgeons patient, less than a year after surgery, and do all the followup care, add to their support group, and find and diagnose problems... I so thankful to Dr.Lederer, he sent over a set of blood work that my regular doctor thought was just padding the paycheck. They found my thyroid problem due to his blood-work request. I had it check about 3 times prior but with just a baseline test, he wanted complete panels.

Not only that but his staff go my name right after only being asked once when I called in to please call me Liz, other office never once got my name right in the 13 visits I had there. I know it's a small thing but it showed me they listened and cared.

Liz

Thanks Liz for sharing... I am so glad things worked out for you. Being prepared is key to success and it breaks my heart when it appears some patients are sent away without the tools they need to succeed. That being said in the end we need to be responsible for our health and success. Thanks again!

You know the thing I find funny about the post surgery care we get is they don't want us doing Keto, Atkin, or even low carb. But that is exactly what they say! Protein first every meal and snack, then low glycemic vegetables, then if you have room low glycemic fruit and last carbs... Why can't they just say a diet similar to Adkins or Keto but for bariatic patients? If I had heard that when I first started it would have made my life so much easier. I had to find it out on my own by doing a ton of research after my weight loss slowed way down. I wonder if they don't use the terms because they are considered "fad diets"? What do you think?

I honestly think each surgeon deals with the basics and create their own program based on their training and experience. I agree, I had RNY and eat close to Keto and Atkins. Use the basics, take your supplements without fail and then you can adjust food and exercise that works for you. For me personally, bad carbs are the

Take care,

Kathy

I think that the "fad diet" aspect is a part of it, as there can be so many interpretations of those diets that patients can be led astray from what is important to bariatrics. We often see on these forums that "I'm doin' keto" because I'm under 20g carbs, or that diet coke, bulletproof coffee and pork rinds are a good diet because that's "keto". Some will skip the fruit and veg, low glycemic or not, because that's their version of keto or Atkins, but isn't helping them learn to eat the way the program wants them to, particularly in the long term. That's one of the reasons that when I started this adventure (when my wife got her WLS) I specifically avoided the various name brand diets as they can be more of a distraction than a help.

On the subject at hand, I would give them a 10 on the surgery side - it's hard to beat their experience level when it comes to the DS and VSG - and maybe a 5 or so on the program side. They did not have an extensive classwork component as some programs do - they were set up to deal with a lot of patients travelling from out of town - so they did most of that in their support groups and a single pre-op class a couple days prior to surgery. The support group provided everything that others seem to get from their formal classes, particularly if one attended several of them, which we did as it took a couple years to get my wife onto the table through the serial insurance denials (and another six years or so after that for mine) so we wound up being better prepared than most when we got there. Most valuable was the amount of participation from vets a few years ahead that gives a perspective that formal classes really can't.

I am so glad you got the information and support you needed to be successful. But I do agree with you on the Vets, I would go to the support group meetings and seeing and hearing them made me believe I could do it too

This is so very true! I do believe, that they don't want us putting a "label" on a "diet"... I think surgeons would much rather us look at everything as a total lifestyle change... when someone states "I'm doing Keto, Atkins...etc" they can be seen as temporary adjustment whereas if someone knows, protein first (only) with some leafy/green veggies individuals have the mindset that no matter what, XYZ is the base they stand upon.

My program had a 10 week change class - 1x a week, 2 hours. Excellent!! Between that and the surgeon, I think I was as prepared as I could be. Every day I still learn new things but still feel his peogram was exceptional!

That is great to hear.... They gave you the tools to be successful and you took the ball and ran with it. We also find as we get further into the journey things change and we have to change with them. Don't ever hesitate to call your surgeons office for any help you may need. They are there for you always!