question for dr Srikanth patients

I don't have my consult appointment until March but I want to start preparing my body for surgery.  Was is his vitamin regemin prior to surgery?
Thanks, Val

I'm not sure if there is much point without having labs done - after all, you don't know what you might be low on. A multi vitamin or two certainly wouldn't hurt.

If there is any chance you're low on iron, start on those now!!! I had to have two lots of iron infusions (each lot being FIVE of them!!!) as well as pills.
It might pay to ask your PCP to send you for some blood tests ASAP.

He'll want you to lose 10% of your body weight before surgery, but I read somewhere that he didn't count any losses before the consultation date.

Do start eating high protein, though,  it is important.

I'm switching to high protein, low carbs.  I take a multi vit, 1500 mg of calcium and xtra vit D.  I've never been anemic. 
Does Dr Sirkanth have a good after surgery program?  How often to you have to follow up with him?  Did you like the hospital? How is his office staff, nutritionist?
Thank you for your response.
Val

He wants to see us once a month at first, labs every three months for the first year.

I didn't get to see him for the first 6 months post op at all, ONLY his assistant. Dr Srikanth is a nice chap with a very infectious laugh. He will answer your questions, you just need to make sure to ask them quickly enough before he gets a chance to run off. I certainly trust his surgery skills completely!

The after surgery program consists of short visits (he tends to race in and out), and some very so-so support groups. Those groups have been a bit of a disappointment, especially the lack of notification for them.
However, they assure us they were working on improving that situation.
I have only once met the nutritionist - and that was at a support group that SHE facilitated.
The front desk girl, Marissa (I think) is...... well...... ummm..... lets say her bedside manners leave to be desired.

The nurse, Kelly, is nice. The new assistant, Amy, I don't know very well yet.

When you read this, it probably sounds like there is very little care, but I must add in their defense that I have had almost NO issues at all. I am breezing through all this, so why SHOULD they fuss, right? I'd like to think that if I had any serious problems, they would indeed be taken care of.

Letters and emails that I (and other people) have written to them about various issues, have been ignored completely.  We found that situation highly unprofessional.

The hospital was tolerable. I was only there for 21 hours after the surgery. The nurses during that time varied, some good, some not.  The quality of care varied according to who was on duty. The room was TINY and only had a curtain, no door. It was very noisy, so bring earplugs if you'd like to at least nap for a bit.

All up the whole thing was/is more positive than negative, and that part takes up only a small amount of time in my life, anyway, so I just go along with it and make the most of it.

I would certainly not try to stop anybody from choosing Dr Srikanth as their doctor.

Thanks for  your reply.  I notice when I asked a question over the phone (I am not sure who I spoke with) but she was going to email me the next day with a response and I have not heard from her.  I am a good 2 1/2 hours away so I doubt I would attend any of their support groups.  I am trying to find one here in Port Angeles,
Val

Let me add my two cents here too.
Dr. S is great, the other poster is correct, ask your questions at the beginning or they will not get answered not because he won't, but because he is A type personality and moves on quickly.

My pre-op care was fine, post-op fine also, he is very strick on the diet but I'm OK with that.

I will be having my 5th fill and I'm hoping I reach my sweet spot!

As for Marissa, again the other poster is correct, she has horrible customer service skills, someone should really share that with DR!  I always try and make a point to get eye contact and suggest in a way "Having a bad day"?

I'm happy with my results, 100lbs so far and looking ahead to my goal.

Hope this helps and good luck, don't let Marissa get to you or Kay she will call you back....

I agree with most of what everyone else has said, so you may ask 'why say more!' and that is because I have had a few different experiences that might encourage you that you have picked the BEST doctor and professionals that you can!

Pre-surgery was difficult for me. I was seriously injured at work in Montana and was on (and am still on) disability. The doctors could do little for me until I had lost weight (catch-22 for all who have been there!) and so WLS was my only option. I moved back to WA to stay with my sister so I could get the best - Dr. S.

Prior to seeing him, I lost 20 pounds, and whoever said it was right - he DIDN'T count any of that as part the 10% I needed to lose before surgery. He put me on a VERY strict high-protein / liquid-only diet that he calls a 'sandwich' (although since you can't have bread, it s VERY wrongly named!!) where I did the high-protein diet for 10 days, then the liquid (and protein powders) diet for 10. I did this for 2-1/2 months before my surgery. He also had me on a lot (but not as many as now) vit & mineral pills to keep my levels up before the surgery. I lost a bit more than the 10% but it helped me to not only lose weight, but to learn new habits and to work through the emotional 'stuff' related to my new way of eating. I never did have a 'last meal’ - and I would say that is the best way to do it. This process is entirely a new life-style, and if you are doing this to LIVE better, having a 'last meal' is the mindset of a convicted criminal on death row, and that was the wrong message I wanted for myself. (I would never say that I don't miss a few things, but I am LOVING losing weight!)

Dr. S's office staff was (and is) wonderful. Thanks to Kay, I won the appeal for my insurance coverage the first appeal. I did not need to do the 6-month diet they required because of my health issues. I thank Kay for all her advice and help and give her the credit for my appeal going as well as it did.

Kelly was and is the best! Every time I had a problem and called, I always got an answer back the same day. I never attempted to use email - only the phone - and maybe that is the difference from the other posters. Not everyone big on email and so it may be a block - or their office system might not have been good (like one of the posters stated, the office is updating their website and working on the email problem - they have also been undergoing expansion to Gig Harbor and changing staff, and that can always create confusion anywhere!)

After my surgery I had MAJOR difficulties with getting in the protein and swallowing all the pills. Again, Kelly was terrific and gave me many suggestions and ideas. Ultimately, my problem was solved by someone from this forum (!!) and joining it was a suggestion from her. I also had some internal bleeding problems and was in the ER three days after I had gone home from the hospital. Dr. S was there for me!!! It ended up being OK, but knowing he was there at a time I was SCARED TO DEATH! was enough to calm me down. I have complete confidence in him - and NO MATTER WHO your doctors are, that is very important.

He is stricter than any other surgeons I’ve both met with and read about in regards to post-surgery diet, but that is how he gets the results that he gets!! I have lost a total of 140 pounds, and (except 20 pounds) it is all a result of doing what he has said to do. He is BIG on compliance, but that is - like I said - why he gets the results.

Ultimately, WLS is a tool. We do not lose weight if we don't use the tool properly. And, ultimately, it is up to ourselves - I have found Dr. S (and yes, he is definitely an A++ personality) to be a wonderful part of this WLS tool - helpful, professional, yet still expecting us to do our part.

having a 'last meal' is the mindset of a convicted criminal on death row, and that was the wrong message I wanted for myself.

I just have to say i love this sentence of yours because i was wondering if i would have a last meal, and now i am sure, i will not:

Thank you for your responses!! I don't mind the strictness.  I am so ready to change.  I do want a DR with a good after care program.  I just don't want surgery and that be it. 
Val

I'm still pre-op so I'm no expert on Dr. Srikanth and his office staff, but my experience so far has been good.  Ura is is patient care coordinator and she has been very helpful and is a good communicator.  We have emailed back and forth many times.  Kaye has also been pretty good at communicating, though I have felt she seemed kind of irritated with me at times.  Dr. Srikanth was very attentive at my consultation and also called me at home to discuss my insurance issues, so I feel fine with his care so far.  The person at the desk seemed friendly enough and I'm not sure that I met Kelly.  I guess I probably did.  She must have been the one to weigh and measure me, though it seems like it was Ura, I'm not sure.  Whoever it was, was nice and friendly.
So far, so good.
Sheryl