Question:
Considering the bypass and can't find info on my surgeon...

Hi, My Names is Sophie and I am considering having a Gastric Bypass. I live in the UK and I cannot afford the 10K-13K prices that I have been quoted and so I have decided to seek a solution abroad. I originally received a quote from a doctor in Belgium but he only carries out the "Mini" Gastric Bypass and I have read so many horror stories about this type of procedure and and I don't really think that it is the answer for me. The quote was for the operation, three nights in the hospital and two nights in a hotel and it was 7500 euros. I have subsequently found a surgeon called Dr Martin Hruby who is in the Czech Republic and first impressions seem really good. The quote is for the operation, anaesthesia, hospital stay for up to seven days and all necessary post operative care for 4000 euros. My only problems are as follows, when I try to search for him online, I cannot find a single thing about him. I can find his contact page but no testimonials, no feedback, no qualification information, nothing. I was hoping that someone might know him and be able to let me know what they thought of him, or at least maybe someone would know of a place where I could check his credentials to try and make sure I would be in safe hands. There is a part of me that wants to believe that no news is good news almost, at least I'm not finding terribel things said about him. The second thing is I would love to speak to someone who has had the bypass. I would really like to know the ins and outs as I worry I about going into this naively. I want to know all the great things and all the really ugly things so I can make an informed decision about whether this is the best thing for me. If you could help me, if you have any comments you think I would find useful, I would really appreciate any help. Thanks very much for your time in advance. Sophie x    — Sophie1986 (posted on November 16, 2010)

November 16, 2010
I am not sure how to help you since you are not in the US of A..but my insurance required that I was done by doctors who have earned a "Center of Excellence" before they would approve me..so I found an EXCELLENT surgeon and staff in Coos Bay Oregon.
   — tfqh99

November 16, 2010
I am in Canada and went to Belgium to Dr. S.De Clercq. I have only the best to say about the whole team. Prices in USA and Canada were over 2 1/2 times more than I paid $10,4000. You need to find out HOW MANY surgeries they perform. I researched for over a year and learned the team in Antwerp were the pioneers in pancreatic transplants. As a diabetic this was the most important thing to me, more than weight loss.
   — Montysmom

November 16, 2010
Sophie, I, to, am far away. (Texas, U.S.), but a couple of things you should know. First "Center of Excellence" is a certification given to an hospital or surgery center whose doctors have performed a certain number of weight loss surgeries successfully. They have also met certain other criteria that qualifies them as on of the best facilities for this type of surgery. If that rating applies to hospitals in Europe, you would want to have your surgery in one of those. Any of the doctors doing surgery there would be very qualified. You want your surgery done laproscopically, (no open abdominal incision), just 4 or 5 half inch ones. This is easier surgery and much faster to heal. It will cut down on your costs. Find a doctor that you are comfortable with and ask how many surgeries of this type he has done. Don't be afraid to interview several, and don't settle for one just because you are anxious to have this done. Google weight loss surgeons in the U.K and read about them. Attend free seminars that some of them give. Try to find other people that have had the procedure done and ask if they would recommend their surgeon. You can't have too much information. Best of luck, Bonnie
   — Bonnie H.

November 16, 2010
Be really careful with gastric bypass. I had mine done on September15, 2009 and have regretted it. My surgeon came highly recommended and all the research backed up the recommendations. The day after the surgery, the surgeon had to do an xray to make sure everything was done right. As I went to stand up, I felt something let go and drop into my pelvic area. That afternoon, the fluid from my drainage tube and my urine both started to turn purple(I was eating purple ice pops-can't eat solid food for a while). I also had a low grade fever. I was sent home the next day. A visiting nurse came to see me the day after that and called the doctor to tell how sick I was with fever and purple fluids coming out of me. Three days later, she came again. Again, she called the doctor to demand that I go back into the hospital. Not only did I have the previous symptoms, but my heart rate was becoming eratic. After being readmitted, the surgeon told my husband that he think a stich broke and that if I didn't get to the hospital when I did, I would be dead. In the beginning of my second visit, I collapsed and was placed on life support with an oxygen tube coming out of my throat for me to breath. I spent the next ten months in hospital and nursing homes because of massive infections in my pancreas, corrective surgery to repair my bypass and to reconnect my intestines to my stomach. I had to relearn how to walk and to breath on my own again. Even now, I'm facing a second hernia due to my bypass. What ever you decide, be really careful.
   — Kathleen W.

November 17, 2010
FYI, Dr. Martin Hruby of the Czech Republic is not board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties. You can find their search engine here: https://www.abms.org/WC/login.aspx Perhaps someone is aware of a similar organization in Europe that certifies physicians in their specialties. Specifically, it would be good to know if Europe has a equivalent of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Also here's a plastic surgeon by that name in the Czech Republic who performs some bariatric procedures. http://www.cosmetic-plastic-surgery.info/surgeons/hruby-martin I'm inclined to advise you to keep looking for a well-credentialed surgeon at a well-respected hospital. Just my 2 cents! Good luck!
   — Gail T.