Important, tough questions to ask a PS during consult

Howdy folks -

Still on my quest to find a PS that I'm really happy and clicking with.  So far, shot down four.

What are really important and tough questions to ask a potential PS?  Not stuff like expected healing and such, but questions that can really help draw out their skills or help me understand their personal aesthetic view? 

What do you all think is really important in selecting a surgeon?

Not to be macabre but his mortality rate and if he has ever been sued for malpractice.  You'll want both to equal "0"!

 You can go to court record to see if there have been lawsuit attempts

I think it's important to know how many surgeries they've done on patients with massive weight loss. It's a totally different surgery than a simple tummy tuck or breast augmentation. You want someone *****ally knows how to work with the amount of skin that's unique to people like us.

Have you interviewed Dr. Behmand yet? Patty, Jen and I absolutely love him. Not a single complaint:

http://www.drbehmand.com/

I like doctors that publish papers and present at conferences and things like that so they are adding to the knowledge base and therefore you can be pretty certain that they keep up to date (part of choice of Dr, C.).

You sure want to ask lots of questions about how much experience they have with barriatric patient issues and talk about weight loss and such and get an idea of attitudes about  obese people in general. Tells you what kind of person they are. Also ask nurses at hospitals where they work if they are an a$$ and if they are on time.  Of course, find out if they are a Republican or Democrat. I once asked this right before a procedure.  Then talk a long time and see if they listen or get impatient.

Diane

You actually check their political inclinations?

Ha, that was sort of a joke. But right before a procedure from my hand surgeon I found out he was from Texas and this was during the Bush II admin and so I asked him whether or not he liked the President and he gave the correct answer. So thats all I did. Never have asked Dr. C. Afraid I might not like the answer.  Diane

I've been to multiple consults.  I went to a site where patients can  write reviews on their PS.  I read a review by someone who used a surgeon I am considering for facial work.  She developed a staph infection with her chin implant.  She said she would write what an excellent surgeon he was once the implant was re-implanted.  It was removed 4 or 5 days after her initial surgery.  I know these infections can occur anywhere, anytime, but the review made me take a step back.  Now I feel like I need to consider more PS.  Would something like this make you choose a different surgeon?

I asked him "If I were your sister, what would you recommend and why?"  I had already checked out credentials and mortality and experience with bariatric patients.  I was looking for a critical eye and an artist's sense of what to put right.  And I looked at photos of people he had done the same procedures I wanted done to see if I liked the overall look.