various questions about RNY in Nova Scotia

Hi! I've been thinking about getting the surgery done for a long long time now, but only have been researching it as of the last few months. I've an appointment to discuss it further with my GP on June 7th. However, I have a few questions that maybe you ladies could answer, since I cannot find the answers online anywhere. :-S a) Does NS do RNYs or do you have to travel to NB (or elsewhere?) b) which surgeon do you suggest, and who specializes in RNY in NS? c) what is the waitlist like? d) is your place on said waitlist affected by the severity of your condition, or just when you join the list? e) how much does the procedure cost in the maritimes? f) how hard is it to be covered by MSI? g) how long do they keep you in hospital? h) what are the consultation like and what do they do? i) do you get to meet with your anesthesiologist prior to the operation? j) if you have mental health issues, but are being treated for them, could they reject you? k) can they determine if your weight gain is from eating and diet issues or medical/medicinal reasons? will that change your ability to be accepted as a RNY candidate? l) what is this "pre-op" procedure/diet? and how far prior to the surgery does it take place? wow. that's more questions than I intended. I appreciate any help you offer. Thanks! -J

Hi Jill, I'm in a similar stage as you, still researching, have had my GP appt, she's "on board," so first hurdle done. I can't answer all your questions, but I can jump in with what I've learned so far. Any of the "veterans" on the board, please feel free to correct me if any of this is wrong! a) There are currently no surgeons in NS doing RNY. Dr.Allan MacDonald did them in Halifax, but he's retired now and lives in Amherst. There was some queston re whether he'd do RNY there, but it doesn't look like that's happening. b) answered by a. No surgeons here performing RNY c) wait list depends on where you try to go. McGill University Health Centre is the current Canadian centre of excellence in bariatric surgery, but because of their extremely long wait list, they've actually been asked by the Quenec government to stop accepting referrals from outside Quebec, which they have done. So basically, unless you take up long term residence in Quebec, it looks like this is not currently an option. d) Time on wait lists vary enormously, and again, it depends where you choose/hope to go. Self pay patients, of course, get close-to-immediate service e)The only place to have RNY in eastern Canada currently is in Moncton, with Dr Sylvain Beausoliel. He trained at McGill with Dr Nicholas Christou. I spoke with the office receptionist a couple of weeks ago, and once again, his waiting list is extremely long (3-5 years!), but at least he is still accepting referrals. The receptionist was very kind and advised to have my doctor submit anyway because there are so many unforseen cir****tances etc etc. I was advised that RNY for self pay is "in the vicinity of $25,000" f) You have to seek approval through your family doctor with Dr Clade Bugden at MSI, who makes these decisions g) 3 days is standard unless there are complications h) can't answer that one yet, still waiting i) yes j)they could technically reject you for ANYTHING, but I was speaking with a patient rep at a Barix Clinic in Michigan last week, who told me that over 50% of their bariatric surgery patients are taking prescribed antidepressants, she assured me that was not a reason for rejection k) That's not relevant to your suitability as a surgical candidate l) Again, this depends on where you elect to go for surgery. Different clinics have different pre-op programs. In my own research, one thing appears to be consistent, and that's the need for us to lose weight prior to surgery, some clinics want us to lose as much as 10% of our total weight. Hope this has helped. The NS board is not veyr active, but there's a LOT of very valuable info on the Ontario board. I'd suggest you do some of your research there, take notes notes and more notes, be as prepared as you can possibly be before you even see your family doctor! Good luck in your journey. Deborah.