# of surgeries to make a dr "qualified"?

hello everyone! i'm interested in having dr joya perform my gb. everything i've read about him sounds great so far. the only thing that concerns me is that when i researched surgeons in the states, many of them have performed thousands of surgeries, and dr joya has performed about 200. he seems more than competent, but these numbers shake my confidence a little. what do you all think???

Are you talking rny's he's performed? I know he has many more lapbands. Bridget

yes---i was referring to rny surgery totals being around 200. i know he's performed over a thousand lap band. sorry i didn't clarify!

Hi Stephanie, What sites did you visit or what information did you find to obtain your data? I'd like to know about him as well. KimM.

hi, kim. on this website, click on "professionals". it will give you the option of finding a surgeon (in or out of the u.s.), and when you click on dr joya's name, the stats are right there. i've "googled" his name, medical lisence #, hospital.......anything i can think of to search & haven't found anything negative or alarming. everything seems to be on the up-and-up. the hospital where he operates, (cornerstone hospital) looks awesome. i've read comments from people, (not just wls patients), and they all say the hospital, staff, and care is equal to, if not superior to hospitals in the u.s. i think i've read almost everything there is to read about dr joya, and there has been nothing to make me doubt him. i guess the number of surgeries is the only thing i am slightly uncomfortable with. however, i do know that he has only lost one patient, and her situation really had nothing to do with dr joya's performance. she failed to disclose info about a complication from an unrelated surgery. if, through your research, you come across anything interesting, please keep me posted. this is such an important decision and i want to know everything about dr joya, right down to his favorite flavor of ice cream!

Thank you Stephanie, I am so new to this sight that I have not been on the "professionals" section yet. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I didn't even know it exsisted yet. I really appreciate it a bunch. I hope all goes smoothly for you. Keep us all posted. Kim M.

FYI all the studies I have read basically state that there is a notable increase in complications with surgeons who have done less than 100 RNY surgeries... but the complication rate evens out to the statistical norm for the surgeons who have done over 100 of them... I would not be in the first 100 for a surgeon (my personal experience with inexperienced doctors would make me too scared to do so). But at 200, I would not be as concerned. Sure it'd be nice to have a surgeon who has done thousands of RNY surgeries... but the point is, by the time he's done 100 of them, the doctor has got the procedure "down pat" so to speak.

thanks for the info, nurse kat! it makes me feel better about choosing him.

Steph, As a pt of Dr Joya, and being a RN myself, I highly reccomend him. I really think he has done more than 200. I am planning on emailing him, and telling him to update his numbers. I bet he is just not up to date.....my guess. But I will let you know when I hear back from him. Sandy