FYI - VSG as outpatient procedure at surgicenter in Seattle

greenbaygirl
on 5/1/10 3:40 pm, edited 5/3/10 7:58 am - Hobart, WI
Found this interesting as I have a friend who just had a sleeve at this location. 



http://www.pugetsoundsurgicalcenter.com/sleeve-gastrectomy.h tml



Done as an outpatient at a Surgicenter/not hospital. 

There are several more in the works throughout the U.S.

Found out this costs $20,350 with 90 day followup care included and 1 year nutritional support.
NursieGirl
on 5/1/10 4:26 pm
 Fewer and fewer surgeries are being done in hospitals because of the extreme price difference.  There are pros and cons both ways.  I've only had surgery in surgical centers as an outpatient, and really prefer not to stay in a hospital with the whole discharge process and all of the issues with hospital-borne illness now.  It will be interesting to see more people having it done as an outpatient in the U.S. instead of just in TJ, and see if there is a real difference in aftercare
                                                                
    
greenbaygirl
on 5/1/10 4:41 pm - Hobart, WI
Well according to my friend, she received a few pages of post op instructions pretty similar to what is received now. 

Her hubby drove her home at 6 pm and he went to work the next 3 days and she watched TV, made her own broth, got her own Popsicles, and did a bit of laundry.  She had to return on day 4 in order to have her drain removed.

She took her own stitches out on day 10, as it was a 20 minute drive back to her PCP she didn't want to make. 

All in all, it seems like she had LESS aftercare than anyone in TJ!  It seems like it just might become the new standard procedure as an outpatient. 

Of course many surgical procedures that were once inpatient here in the US are now day surgeries.
I just had my gall bladder out as day surgery, even though I sure didn't feel like I should be going home!

Kinda takes the bite out of the aftercare debate when it's becoming standard procedure here in the US as day surgery.
                
NursieGirl
on 5/1/10 5:14 pm
Sounds great actually, hope her recovery goes well!
                                                                
    
Emily F.
on 5/2/10 4:58 am
The part that scares me about people getting discharged so fast for sleeves is that I don't see any possible way of getting enough fluids in without an IV. I wasn't even allowed to drink or eat for two days, so I don't see how you could get in the fluids and not mess up your new tummy.
FabBy50 .
on 5/2/10 6:57 am - Everett, WA
WOW Greenbay

This is like 5 miles from my house!! I recognize the Dr's name, he is supposed to be pretty good. Did she tell you what she is paying? I would be curious to know. It does make you stop and think about the way yhey are treating this surgery. After my lap band I would have been happy to go home, but with my revision NO way.

Thanks for the info!
greenbaygirl
on 5/2/10 7:33 am, edited 5/2/10 7:35 am - Hobart, WI
She would not tell me what she paid....I tried.  I just thought it was interesting because of all the discussion about after care when most facilities in the US keep you only one night and then you go home, so it is really a mute point as I think Boscosgirl pointed out once before.

Like you said, this is a surgeon with a good reputation.  So again the Mexican "aftercare" is then what you want it to be as opposed to what is absolutley necessary, which is what I have always felt.  Clearly, this surgeon and facility don't feel as though they need to come to your house or hotel to check on you, nor did they feel she needed someone else to check on her.

As I said, my recent gall bladder surgery had almost the same number of incisions, and it was done and I was sent home the same day and stayed alone.   There was no recommendation to do differently, so I am not exactly sure where this "must be seen by the surgeon the next day and the next" really came from.  VSG surgery is really not much different than a gall bladder surgery according to Bariatric surgeons.  They are cutting and removing a part of your body.  This has been done routinely for years now.

She said they told her that there will be more centers like this doing them as an outpatient in the future. 
                
FabBy50 .
on 5/2/10 7:48 am - Everett, WA
On May 2, 2010 at 2:33 PM Pacific Time, greenbaygirl wrote:
She would not tell me what she paid....I tried.  I just thought it was interesting because of all the discussion about after care when most facilities in the US keep you only one night and then you go home, so it is really a mute point as I think Boscosgirl pointed out once before.

Like you said, this is a surgeon with a good reputation.  So again the Mexican "aftercare" is then what you want it to be as opposed to what is absolutley necessary, which is what I have always felt.  Clearly, this surgeon and facility don't feel as though they need to come to your house or hotel to check on you, nor did they feel she needed someone else to check on her.

As I said, my recent gall bladder surgery had almost the same number of incisions, and it was done and I was sent home the same day and stayed alone.   There was no recommendation to do differently, so I am not exactly sure where this "must be seen by the surgeon the next day and the next" really came from.  VSG surgery is really not much different than a gall bladder surgery according to Bariatric surgeons.  They are cutting and removing a part of your body.  This has been done routinely for years now.

She said they told her that there will be more centers like this doing them as an outpatient in the future. 
Greenbay

I totally see where you are coming from, and it all boils down to the age old fight, what you are comfortable with!! I had no health issues so for me going home would have been fine. I still think you need some sort of paperwork to tell you what to do and what to watch for. Some people need lost of hand holding, or just have lower pain thresholds.
 
My revision surgery took 4 hours, I had a lot of damage done by the band. There is  no way I could have gone home, much less flown home. I was glad for once to stay a little longer, plus a day at the recovery house.
(deactivated member)
on 5/2/10 9:39 am
Thanks for the article!

I also think you've made some good points about after-care.

I think these clinics are going to base their prices on the convenience of getting WLS. They will downplay the 'fear' marketing tactic.

I hope these clinics don't take every patient who comes to them. Some people are in need of as much after-care as they can get.

Cheers!
Cheryl




FabBy50 .
on 5/2/10 10:58 am - Everett, WA
Doubleflame

It states on their website that they take patients 50lbs overweight or more, anyone with a BMI of 60 or more they do a DS.
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