Question:
Can you get your surgery done by a doctor who's rather far away?
Hi, I live in Jacksonville, FL and I have been doing a lot of reading on WLS. I've pretty much decided that the only surgery I would consider is Lap-VBG. I've been looking for surgeons and I have come up with a few names... in the Atlanta area (Dr. Champion, Titus Duncan...that's about a 6 hours drive, 45 min flight). My questions are these: Is it possible to have WLS done by a surgeon that far away? Do you know if some of the Pre-Op testing can be done locally? Any other comments would be helpful. Does anyone know of a doctor who does Lap-VBG a little closer to me (note: Jacksonville is in extreme NE Florida)? And here's a kind of silly off-topic question... does anyone have a picture of their Lap surgery scars? I'm just curious how they are. I mean, could one be bikini-worthy after the surgery? Thanks for humoring me :) ~Crystal — [Deactivated Member] (posted on August 17, 2001)
August 17, 2001
Hi Crystal, I'm also in Jacksonville and my surgeon is about a 5-hour drive
away. I've only commuted 3 times and all my pre-op tests were done here. My
surgery date is August 29 and the only stipulation is that I stay in the
area for 2 weeks for follow-up. One of the things you need to find out is
if the surgeon is in your ins network, or you may have to pay out of
network expenses. Also I have seen people who've had both open and lap wear
bikinis because the scars have faded over time, so you should have no
problem. All the best.
— dandjon
August 18, 2001
If you go to a surgeon out of state and have a REAL emergency you may not
be able to get back there! Plus as I have found (I had a surgery clear
across the country)that often a local doctor WILL NOT TOUCH YOU! Try to
survive that if you can't "pee"! Plus if you get butchered (I
doubt it with WLS surgery) you will have a tough time getting a lawyer out
of state. I'm disabled from my surgery in Oregon, but I have to live with
it with no compinsation and the butcher of Portland Oregon is driving a
Porche that I helped him buy and STILL doing surgeries. Chances are this
won't happen with WLS surgery, but I would think twice before EVER going
out of state for another surgery, just in case this one is out of state for
Crystal. I'm sorry but I just get scared for someone when they might be
having out of state surgeries.
— Danmark
August 18, 2001
Dr. Champion is my surgeon and I am out-of-state and four hours away from
his office. He is internationally renowned for his expertise in the field
of laparascopic WLS and patients come to him from all over the US and
Canada (he has several post-ops in your area). He is readily available by
telephone and personal email to his patients and works closely with their
PCPs. Pre-op and post-op testing can be done by your PCP and results FAXed
to his office. The quality of "long-distance" care will vary
from surgeon to surgeon, but this is one surgeon in whom you could have the
utmost confidence. Sorry...no pictures of my scars, but I am 17 months
post-op and I can only "find" two of them and they are barely
visible :-) I had six 1/2" incisions "scattered" across my
upper abdomen...closed with Steri-strips...no sutures or staples. Best of
luck to you!
— Diana T.
August 18, 2001
Hi Crystal, I live in the state of Washington and flew to Denver for my
surgery as I found a WONDEERFUL surgeon there. HOwever, there was a lot of
"leg work" to do first (on the advice of my surgeon). My primary
care physican had to be a part of the picture and be willing to communicate
with phone and email with my surgeon. My PCP agreed and she is just the
greatest. I do some of my follow up's with her, and some with my surgeon in
Denver. My PCP did a lot of my pre-op stuff: lab work, EKG, ultrasound of
upper right quadrant etc and she faxed all the results to my surgeon.
Recently I had a very severe period(cramping). Surgeon said a lot of times
the first period after surgery is awful and he wasn't kidding. He wanted me
to have pain med. so he called my primary care physican and told her what
he recommended and she prescribed me something. My point being that both
doctors are working together for my benefit. So for me, the long distance
surgeon has not been problematic. Keep your PCP in the loop and let him/her
know what you are doing before you have your surgery. Best of luck to you.
— lovebug2
August 18, 2001
BJ- I WAS REFUSED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT AT TWO LOCALS HOSPITALS. I
had to call around to hospital to find a urologist who would treat me. It
was over 45 miles I had to drive. Plus it took many hours for this and I
was in great pain. With WLS surgery, I doubt any of you will have my
misfortune. But when you have an out of state surgery you take a chance. I
really don't want "anyone" to have to go through what I did. I
hope I can never hate anyone enough to wish them "the possiblity"
of what I had to endure. :)
— Danmark
August 18, 2001
I am going to Spain for surgery. I am taking my daughter with me. We both
live in Washington State. You may and can go anyplace you choose and in a
safe and excellent medical environment. Best wishes.
— annie A.
August 19, 2001
I'm having my surgery in-state, but 3 hours away from home. So far, the
distance thing is not a real problem. I had all my consults done locally,
and I will have another appointment with the surgeon before the surgery.
It is a little more difficult to schedule the testing yourself when you
live a distance from the surgeon. Local patients frequently have all their
consults scheduled by their surgeon. I had to schedule my own, and there
were a few miscommunication problems, but nothing that some persistence
couldn't resolve. My main upcoming concern is the travel for the surgery.
My husband will have to stay with me for a few days, and he will not be
able to just pop home and reassure the kids (since we'll be 3 hours away).
We'll have a family friend/sitter at our house for 3 - 4 days. We don't
have any family who could help out.
— Kathy J.
August 19, 2001
My doctor is 375 miles away, but is in state. I worry about the drive
home, but I am just giving it to God for now. The pre - op is a pain in
the neck, to have to go up there the week before, but --- Oh well ---
— windstorm56
August 20, 2001
Hi Crystal. My wife had her surgery done 5 hours from home. We stopped
every hour for her to get out and walk around. The trip took close to
seven hours but all went well. The important thing is to stop and get out
and move around. We don't see distance as a problem. Best wishes.
— David R. R.
September 4, 2001
Hi Cystal I live in St. Augustine, Fla. and I will have my lapo Gastric
Bypass in Ocala. By Doctor Jawad. He has been doing WLS for 17 years.
I can not wait. I am scheduled for November and I just saw him a week
ago. On August 27. He will not advertize, but he is a will known surgin
in Ocala Patty
— Patty H.
September 17, 2001
Lap surgery scars are minimal. You will have one on your belly button that
will be virtually invisible after a few months. Then you will have a scar
on each side of your abdomen. They are very small. When you wake up you
will have three-four bandaids(all hopefully matching ha!) on those small
incisions.
I iwsh that most of us could be so lucky as to have such minimal scarring.
I don't know if you've ever heard of this , bnut they call laporoscopic
surgeries "button hole" surgery.
Good luck and be glad!
— Jennifer P.
July 2, 2003
Traveling great distances for wls is very common here in Canada. The bulk
of surgeons are in Toronto and Montreal which leaves all the patients to
travel many hours or to fly if they can fit into an airplane seat. There
are tremendous costs involved when this amount of travel is necessary.
Also, you have to think about the possibility of complications and who will
treat you. My surgery is a month away. I will be in hospital for 7 days and
I am traveling 3 hours by car. Hubby needs to stay at a motel for 2 days
then come back when I'm 7 days postop to bring me back home.It's all quite
a pain in the ass but when you don't have a bariatric surgeon in your city
you go where you have to. If I have comps, I will have to go back to my
surgeon 3 hours away. No doctor here can treat me, they haven't got a clue
about wls.
— mary ann T.
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