Question:
Would you ever use a Dr who was NOT a American Society of Bariatric Surgery member?
I had a surgeon suggest WLS for me. I have searched on the web, and he is not a member (or certified) of American Society of Bariatric Surgery. He said he had done about 100 of these procedures, though. Should this be a red flag? I got a good vibe from him, for what that is worth. PS. His name is Dr. Liao (of Baltimore MD) — Libba K. (posted on November 21, 2002)
November 21, 2002
hi..i just thought i would tell u that i dont believe my DR is a member of
that board either but he is actually a general surgeon and has been doin
RNY's for 20 years and never had a death or a SLD so im ok with that.. :)
— christine S.
November 21, 2002
I am a cautious person and I would not use a surgeon who was not a
bariatric surgeon. So, NO. My own surgeon is a vascular surgeon who also
does bariatric surgery. He took the initiative to become a member of that
society and all that it stands for and requires. I want the very best
working on me. I am trusting my life to them.Leslie
— Leslie E.
November 21, 2002
My surgeon is a general surgeon and NOT a board certified bariatric
surgeon. He loves doing all types of surgery and not just bariatric. He has
been performing this type of surgery for 15-20 years and has never lost a
patient. You must feel comfortable with your surgeon and ask the tough
questions.
— Mary H.
November 21, 2002
I too, used a non certified bariatric DR. My surgeon was a general
surgeon, and had only done 30 surgeries. He was right out of school so I
felt confident that he would do a great job since the knowledge was so
fresh. I did ask him if he had any deaths in ANY of his surgeries not just
the 30 bariatric ones, and so far he had not. I am 4 months post op and
doing marvelous (I think) I am down from 298 to 210. Good luck, you must
feel comfortable it is totally your decision. Hang in there. Huggers and
have a Blessed day! ~Ang~
— angel_wls
November 21, 2002
At the risk of starting a controversy here...my surgeon is a "general
surgeon" who is a member of ASBS. He does do other surgeries other
than bariatric, though the bulk of his practice is saving the lives of the
morbidly obese. Now, a friend of a friend of mine went to a surgeon who is
NOT ASBS certified because she didn't want to deal with a waiting
list...she spent 6 weeks in ICU and is now in a convalescent home due to
the problems she had. Now, can anyone have problems? You bet!! Even the
best bariatric surgeons have had their fair share of patients with
complications. My point in sharing this is that this girl nearly died
because this surgeon is just trying to cash in on the "wls
craze". If your surgeon is a general surgeon who does bariatric
surgeries, and is well qualified, then there is no problem. But, if your
surgeon hasn't had much experience and is just trying to cash in on the
popularity of this surgery, then I would steer clear. Just my opinion.
Have a Sparkling Day!! ~CAE~
— Mustang
November 21, 2002
He still needs to be board certified in surgery, in my book, to qualify
operating on me or anyone in my family! If he is board certified in
bariatrics, then that is a plus.
— Sue A.
November 21, 2002
Look at all of us coming out of the woodworks! My surgeon is not a member
of the ASBS, but he has been doing bariatric surgery for 20 years, and is a
leader in the laporascopic field. He has never lost a bariatric patient.
He was the head of the lap dept. at the University of Chicago...and is now
the head of the dept. at Rush University in Chicago. I was, and am (one
month post op) delighted with my choice. There are reasons to go with a
doctor who is not a member of ASBS...just make sure you have good ones. I
am convinced that the most important decision you can make during this
process(after choosing to have the surgery) is which surgeon to use. Mine
was the second I consulted -- and I had another appointment for a third,
which I quickly cancelled after learning the "skinny" (pun
intended) on my doc. Good luck!
— Tamara K.
November 21, 2002
The surgeon I chose was not a member of the ASBS - none of the surgeons who
are members are in my insurance's network for one and for another, I really
liked this doctor. I've had lousy board certified (other fields of
medicine) doctors and excellent non-certified doctors. I go with my gut
instincts (no pun intended) and as many facts about the person as I can
glean.
— [Deactivated Member]
November 21, 2002
Determining if a surgeon is good or not does not depend on what Assoc. they
belong to. Many of the Assoc. they just apply and pay a fee. My surgeon was
not a part of the one you mentioned and he is wonderful. Judge the surgeon
for their work not what assoc. they belong too. The poster who mentioned
the friend who has had difficult time. I fault the surgeon, if he was
member of the assoc. or not doesn't have much do with it.
— Cheryl S.
November 22, 2002
My surgeon doesn't belong to the Bariatric Society. He did a great job and
typically does about 7 of these surgeries per week.
— Patty H.
November 22, 2002
If I'm reading the ASBS site correctly, in order to become a regular member
a physician has to be "diplomate of the American Board of Surgery or
a
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons or Royal
College of Surgeons". Someone can be an affiliate surgeon even if
they're not board-certified
in surgery.
In other words, I *think* this means there's no such thing as being
board-certified in bariatric surgery. There are just surgeons who have
become members of the professional association ASBS.
— Celia A.
November 22, 2002
Libba, when I was researching a good surgeon, I wanted one who was very
experienced with laproscopic surgery, as I knew that was the type of RNY I
wanted. I also checked what medical school he and his surgery partner
attended-both went to the very best medical schools. They had also
performed successfully over 100 lap RNY surgeries. Another thing I learned
from talked to his earlier RNY patients (which the doc referred me to) was
that he shows up in the hospital right after surgery for daily care (lots
of others send their assistants to see you post-op), and that he also
attends every support group meeting (how many surgeons do that?!) He is in
Arlington, VA, not too far from Baltimore. E-mail me if you want more
info...in the meantime, check out some of the other patients that your
surgeon has performed surgery on to see how your doctor is for post-op
care.
— Cindy R.
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