Question:
I saw my surgeon yesterday for the first time. I am sure I want to have this surgery

but am afraid of him doing it lap. He is just starting doing the lap procedure the beginning of Feb. and he told me he thought I would be a good candidate for it. I would like to have it lap, but am afraid to because he is just new to it. Any suggestions on if I should be concerned, or if I should just tell him I want an open? Thanks.    — JoAnn A. (posted on January 21, 2003)

January 21, 2003
For the longest time I thought lap would be best for me (recovery time, etc...) well right before surgeyr I came to the realization that I would rather have the docs hands right inside me if God forbid their was an emergency than to have to waste precious time changing form lap to open. Just me opinion. Best of Luck...I would tell your doc you would feel more comfortable having it open (if that is the case) he should be able to accomodate your wishes
   — Tinca-Thais J.

January 21, 2003
You can always ask if another surgeon will be present. If your surgeon is deemed proficient at doing lap procedures, I would trust him. It's not like he takes a test and then does lap surgery. He has to have studied and done a certain number of procedures to be able to do them on his own. In my case, the surgeon I choose was being "mentored" by another surgeon who did all kinds of lap surgeries, including RNY. A few days before surgery, my surgeon found he could not be there, so his associate wound up doing my surgery, which was fine with me. I knew other people he had done surgery on, so I was fine with it. I wanted less pain and a shorter recovery period, so I went with lap.
   — koogy