Preop meeting with Dr. What should I ask?

So I'm meeting with Dr. Weaver to discuss the surgery on Monday.  RNY Surgery July 16th.  Meeting NUT and getting preop diet on July 2nd.  So, what should I ask?  Are there any questions you wish you'd asked?  I'm definitely asking how many he's done (I get the feeling quite a lot and I've read over 100 is best practice.)  Is there a tactful way to ask if he's killed anybody?   

Christine

We had to attend 12 sessions before we started on our 4 week pre-op diet so I really didn't have much at all to ask the Dr because we had discussed everything under the sun related to WLS in classes but these are some of the things I would want to be sure to know before the big day.

Preop diet

postop diet, phases, time periods, etc

preop labs

frequencey of post op labs

% of patients *****ach 80% of excess fat gone

time in the hospital

lap or open

follow up care, weeks, months, years

I had a small notebook and when I thought of a question I wrote it down.  I made notes as I asked my questions so I wouldn't forget.  My surgeon didn't mind taking extra time for me to write down the answers to my questions.

I just asked him if he had lost any patients due to WLS.

I asked how many obstructions his patients had.

Price gave you some really good questions.  I would want to know what type of follow up care his office has.  Support group? 

Good luck.  Looking forward to watching your journey.

Linda

I had a great experience in the hospital for the most part (aside from the pain meds making me nauseous). I would have wanted to know what help was available to me right after I left the hospital. For instance, I had somewhat of a psychotic break shortly after because my antidepressants were no longer being absorbed (kind of like going cold turkey). When I tried to get in touch with the surgeon to discuss psychiatric assistance he was pretty useless. When I finally went to the emergency room, he showed up and tried to talk me off the ledge.

Bottom line - find out who to call 24/7 if anything goes wrong.

Wow Price, that's good to know.  I'm on antidepressants too and I've been a little more depressed than usual - I think due to the weight and maybe perimenopause.  I could definitely see this happening to me.  I know there's a lovely psychologist that I had to see as part of screening, and she said I could see her anytime, I'm going to be sure to get her number handy.

Christine

Get in touch with the doctor who prescribes your anti depressant before surgery. He/she should know that the absorption will change and should have a plan in place. Post surgery is stressful enough, don't want to add depression to it!

Best of luck

You definitely want to discuss this with your Surgeon.  I have never suffered with depression.  I went into surgery calm and excited and within 2 days after I was emotional and depressed. At my week visit my Surgeon wondered what in the world was going on with me.  He thought I suffered with depression and kept it a secret.   It took a few weeks to pass.

Ask for complication rates specific to his patients, not everyone. 

All my questions were satisfied until the morning of surgery and I was his first surgery of the day so when he asked me, as I was about to go under, if I had any questions for him... my only questions were...

How do YOU feel? ... Are YOU well rested?  Are YOU up for this?  He said those were awesome questions and his answer was GREAT, YES and YES ... so I said.. "OK, lets do this".  He was all smiles, and to this date, his work on me has been flawless...

Good Luck...

Lucy

That's excellent!  I will do that.  Thanks.