Would appreciate feedback
I have started the process towards surgery, went to seminar and have met with the physician assistant, psychologist, dietitian and have my first appt with surgeon on Monday 4-2-12.
I would appreciate your feedback on what are the most important questions I should be asking at this appt.
Thank you.
I'm the same age as you are, and was obese by 2nd grade, so I can relate to your story. I am sure that you'll get lots of good advice about the questions to ask your surgeon, but I wanted to share a bit with you from my journey.
I began looking into WLS in June of 2010. I actually went as far as to have a surgery date scheduled for August of 2010. As that date neared I realized that I was not where I wanted to be in dealing with the emotional issues that caused me to overeat. So...I put surgery on hold and did some very focused work in therapy. It took me over a year, and I gained some very good insights. I had my VSG on March 27th, and couldn't be happier. I knew I was in the right "head space" for this major life change. I also know I wouldn't have been if I had gone through with my first surgery date.
I know everyone is different, so your mileage may vary. I feel that for me, taking that time to really work on my eating triggers and how to deal with emotions without numbing myself with food has set me up for success. I has my VSG on March 27th, and even though I'm only a couple of days out, I feel great, and am excited to see my transformation.
Best of luck with your journey too!
Zanne
I don't think I had any questions for my surgeon when I met with him right before my surgery, pretty much everything was either already explained, or was answered at a meeting with the nurse just a few days before my operation.
Let me just tell you a couple things that happened to me during the first few months:
Couldn't seem to get all the food/pills down that I was supposed to.
Had chronic diarrhea
Developed hyper thyroid
Developed AFib.
I was a very unhappy camper....BUT I saw a thyroid specialist - got medication, got rid of pooping and Afib. Was able to start working out, got some appetite back and now I'm really, REALLY enjoying myself.
You are starting an incredible journey - but please know - there may be a time you say what I said: "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired", especially when I was reading on this forum about people bouncing back from the surgery in a matter of weeks. Just have patience, listen to the nurses and really thank your friends for being there for you! They and your family will make all the difference in the world, trust me!
QUESTIONS TO ASK SURGEON:
How much protein should I be consuming per day? Can I use a protein drink/bar as a supplement?
Can I /should I drink milk after surgery? Sugar? Fats? Sugar-Free Soda?
What will my diet be at discharge from the hospital? One week after surgery? Six Weeks after Surgery?
How long will I not be permitted to eat solid foods?
How strict will my diet be for the rest of my life. What is the required post-op diet?
What is the pre-op diet?
Will I be tested for H. Pylori bacteria? And, is there anything I can do to prevent it?
In your practice, is there a surgeon on call 24/7, 365 days a year in case of emergency.
Will this on-call surgeon be available for telephone consultations with out of town physicians.
What year did you begin performing WLS?
Are you a general surgeon, or is your practice limited only to bariatric surgery?
When did you begin performing the DS? How many DS surgeries have you performed?
What is your overall mortality rate? To what do you attribute these deaths? When did these deaths occur?
How many DS patients lost? When did these deaths occur?
What is your complication rate? What sorts of complications have your patients had?
How many of your patients have lost their spleens?
How many of your patients have had leaks? How many of your patients have had serious post-operative infections?
Have you ever started a DS and could not complete it?
What is the youngest/oldest person you on which you would perform this surgery?
How soon can I get scheduled for surgery?
Do you perform the surgery alone or will you have a surgeon assisting you? Who will that be? Can I review his/her credentials?
What are the preparations for the surgery? (i.e. diet, bowel prep, special soaps, etc)
How long will my common channel be? Do you use the Hess method?
How big will my stomach be?
Will my surgery be open or laparoscopic?
How long is the incision with an "open" procedure? How is this different with a laparascopic procedure?
How will the incision be closed? Stitches, Steri-Strips, Glue or Staples? When will staples or stitches be removed?
How long should the surgery take, barring complications?
Will I have a choice of anesthesiologists? Will I meet the anesthesiologist before the day of surgery?
Will I have an epidural?
How will you manage my post-operative pain while in the hospital?
Generally how long do your patients stay in the Recovery Room?
Do all of your patients routinely go to ICU after leaving the Recovery Room for the first day?
Will I bring my CPAP machine with me to the hospital?
Will I be in I.C.U. post-op, due to my sleep apnea?
How will you prevent blood clots? Will I get injections of Heparin to prevent blood clots? Will I give myself heparin (lovenix) injections after I leave the hospital?
Will I need a greenfield filter or other device to prevent blood clots? If so, who will do this procedure and when?
Will I have the leg compression devices that help prevent blood clots?
After surgery, how do you detect for leaks? When do you do the leak test?
Will I have a Foley? If so, how long will it stay in?
Will you remove my gallbladder and/or appendix removed during surgery?
Will you do a liver biopsy?
If I am nauseated or vomiting after surgery, what will you do for me?
If I have adhesions from past surgeries will you remove these during DS surgery?
What are my odds of developing adhesions as a result of DS surgery?
What are my odds of getting a UTI, bladder infection or yeast infection?
Will I have a drainage tube? For how long? Will I go home with it? Who will remove it?
Will I have a feeding tube? For how long? Will I go home with it? Who will remove it?
How soon will I be able to shower after surgery? Wash my hair?
How long after the surgery will I be at an increased risk of developing blood clots or leaks?
Are there gowns in the hospital for someone of my size?
Will I get a binder in the hospital or do I need to provide my own?
How long will I be in the hospital?
Can someone stay with me IN the hospital?
How long do you require out of town patients to stay in the area after discharge from the hospital?
What causes a hernia? How can I prevent getting one? What are my odds of developing a hernia?
What is an internal hernia? Does having the DS increase my chances of getting one?
Does having a DS put me at greater risk than the general population for developing intestinal/bowel blockages?
What type of pain medication will I be given for home use after surgery?
If I am nauseated or vomiting after discharge from the hospital what will you do for me?
How long before I will be 100% healed from the surgery, barring any complications?
How often will I need lab work completed (blood tests)?
What percentage of my excess weight can I reasonably expect to lose? What percentage can I expect to keep off?
Do you have records on your patients weight loss statistics?
What do you think my goal weight should be? What is this goal based on?
Can lab work be ordered by my PCP and faxed to your office for analysis?
Will you order my medications pre-op? Post-op? How long will you consider me your patient?
After surgery, when can I resume my normal activities? How soon will I be able to drive?
Do I have a limit on how much I can carry or lift? For how long?
How soon can I begin an exercise regimen, other than walking?
Do you have a list of medications that I can/cannot take?
How soon can I consider getting pregnant after DS surgery?
Will all my subsequent pregnancies be considered high risk? Will I need a specialized OB/GYN?
Should I get a medical alert bracelet?
What supplements/vitamins do you recommend to help prevent/lessen/ hair loss?
How often are post-op follow-up visits scheduled? Will I see you or someone else at these visits?
Will any future GI diagnostics tests (upper GI, endoscopy, colonscopy) need to be performed because of DS
Some of those questions are a little scary all by them selves, but that will give you an idea.
Here is a link you can click on for questions about choosing a bariatric center. Some of these may work for you too.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/choosing-a-bariatric-c enter-questions-to-ask-your-bariatric-surgery-program.html
For me, it is very important to find out how to reach your doc post-op if any problems come up. Your doctor should give you a list of symptoms that he wants you to either contact him or get to the nearest emergency room if they occur.
Good luck
