These "rate your MD" can make you crazy! How do you ever decide?

I just booked my first consult for Friday.  How do you ever decide, though.  Word of mouth and these rating sites make it seem like the only choice is the most well-known, and expensive dr.  Of course I don't want to get a hack job but other doctors have to be good too, right?  Is some of it just hype?  When should I get concerned?

I just don't know what to look for and what to steer clear of.  I don't want to wait any longer or pay any more than I have to.

I firmly believe you get what you pay for. But some people seem to have great results going to Mexico...I wasn't a fan of that option so instead I opted for a surgeon who authored a bariatric plastic surgery book. He is an absolute master at plastic surgery...and for a perfectionist like me to say that is really saying something...

Ultimately I met with 2 surgeons. Honestly...trust your gut in the process. The first one I met with just gave me the creeps. I felt like he tried to oversell me and it made me uncomfortable. The other one just fit...his expertise, bedside manner, and he was very frank about everything. No sell job. Also, trust the reviews and opinions of folks on this site. Ask to speak to patients of the surgeons you are considering.

If you have any other questions feel free to email me. Good luck!

It was really hard for me to decide. I met with a PS in Little Rock (10 hour drive) that was referred but I didn't like her experience and before/afters. I met with two here in TN but wasn't impressed with the amount of work they had done on massive weight loss patients. After looking at several sites and getting quotes from plenty of surgeons I had narrowed it down to 3 which I had seen the afters on either OH or youtube. Two of the surgeons quoted me into the upper 20k and one was upper 10k for all the work. All three of them had plenty of practice and all of their results were fantastic. After speaking with them on the phone and some of the patients here on OH I choose Dr Capella. He spent over an hour speaking with me, going over my pictures and after a deposit, they even filed for part of the hospital bill to be paid by insurance. I did qualify under my plan so they can't create miracles with ins. 

It really is a difficult decision.  I find that most folks don't bother to rate things that they are happy with.  Most that are unhappy though will complain in some fashion.  So you have to take information with a grain of salt.  Just because the only thing that you find is one bad review doesn't necessarily mean that the surgeon doesn't know what he/she is doing.  My decision was based on how the surgeon and I related.  Once I met with him, we established an immediate rapport.  He listened very intently to what I wanted done.  He listened to what I didn't like about my body.  Then he offered his experience on what he could do and what he felt would not be worth doing.  I was impressed that there were things that he felt it wasn't worth spending my money on.  During this discussion, his expertise became very evident.   We chatted at length about the process and he set my expectations.  That communication is key.  I was lucky to get that on one of my first consults but it could take some time to find the right person.

I was lucky to meet Dr Sauceda in person, and see a few people that he'd worked on.  Plus, I read about several others that had gone to Monterrey and documented their experiences. 

I'd gone to a PS seminar, but being told that I'd go home the same day as surgery with a pain pump, scared me.  I live by myself and knew that it would be too much for me.  With Dr Sauceda, I was in the 24/7 nursing clinic for 7 days, before I was moved to the Hampton Inn for the remainder of my stay before flying home.

Dr Sauceda is affordable and will do multiple procedures under an epidural and twilight sedation.  It worked for me.

 

I agree with chachacha that it's more a "go with your gut" decision than hard factors.  Decide whether you're willing to travel or not; research the docs in your area (check the state licensing board and google the doc's name - you never know what'll pop up!); and go to as many consults as you need to get comfortable.  I would have liked a personal referral from someone, but no one that I know had a massive weight loss issue. 

So, I did consults with three.  Two of them were winners as far as skill is concerned.  But the one I chose was more conservative about what he was willing to do at one time and realistic about what I could expect my results to be.  And he explained why and his explanation made sense, which was really important to me.  So really, it ends up being personal preference.

The interesting thing is that all three had slightly different approaches to how they'd stage the surgeries, timing, and some difference in how they perform them.  The prices were all the same - Dallas is a competitive market for surgeons.

The better known doctors are better known because they do more surgeries. The body lift is the most extensive surgery that plastic surgeons do.So I do not think it is "just hype". You are trusting YOUR LIFE to someone. I do not think this is the place to economize. Every person knows their worth. If I do an amazing job, why would I cut rate my price, when I can get many patients?  I made sure my ps was board certified, had extensive experience with weight loss patients, saw his work on his website, and met patients of his in person that I saw his work, and asked other medical professionals . My dr is very well known and his patients are very happy- so it is not just hype. I am now almost 5 wks out- no complications, which I attribute to my good nutrition and health but ESPECIALLY  to his technique and expertise.

Because of my ps experience, he could combine surgeries- this is very important because I do not have years to get all the ps done- I want to move on and live my life. I would never allow any ps who said, "i'll do the body lift, you recover, come back 3 mos, I do your arms, recover 3 mos, then I'll do your breasts, recover 3 mos, then your thighs, 3 more months, flanks, 3 more months, face 3 more months". If he or she will not combine any surgeries, I believe it is because he or she does not have enough experience doing each surgery individually.

Also, to save money, I know a lot of people use Mexican doctors and are happy. For me, I would not use a Mexican ps. They have different standards, medical and sanitary,  and the laws in Mexico are also different. Also when I looked at the quality of their work on their websites- it not up to my standards.I do not know someone personally, who was not being compensated who would recommend one of them either. 

Ultimately you have to decide the trade-off. Do you want a known ps with a great track record or someone who needs to practice on you, but may give you a "discount". There are no guarantees in life, but I would rather go with the odds. If you end up with complications, who will pay for them? So how much will you really save? 

I don't like to pay any more for something than I have to. I would rather economize elsewhere and buy a knock-off handbag and a cheap car (or lease a car) than try to find a cheap ps. By the way, if a ps combines surgeries, because he does it all the time will low complication rates, you will save money on anesthesia and operating room fees, and have to take less time off from work.

You should go to different ps (and I would bring your spouse or a 2nd person) and get consultations and I think you will find the decision will  not be as hard as you think it will be. Don't be blinded by price. Good luck. 

I went with the plastic surgeon my bariatric Dr recommended. She works on a lot of people that are post-bariatric. Im scheduled for October 8th. Wish me luck!