Question:
Does anyone have a list of questions that they asked their doctor

My first consultation with a surgeon is Thursday June 29th. I am getting very excited, and I have researched on the surgery tremendously. Although I don't think that I know EVERYTHING, I do know a lot. I was hoping that someone had a list of questions that they would be willing to send to me to ask my doctor. I have started one, but I just don't want to miss anything. Thanks    — enjo4 (posted on June 23, 2000)

June 23, 2000
I got a really good list from this site from the archive files. You should be able to find it by searching with the word LIST or Questions. Good Luck!
   — Lisa N.

June 23, 2000
Email me privately for a list of questions you can ask. [email protected]
   — vitalady

June 23, 2000
Here is the list that I used. Hope it helps 1. What are the different types of Gastric bypass surgery that you do? 2. Which procedure do you prefer to use? 3. What type of after care program do you have? 4. What are the risks? 5. How long of a hospital stay would I have? 6. How long should I be off work? 7. How many of these surgeries has he done? 8. Success / Failure rate? 9. Deaths? 10. Do you have a list of post op patients that I can contact for referrals or is there a phone list I can sign up for? 11. How much can I expect to loose? 12. How small will my stomach be after surgery? 13. What is your most common complication here? 14. For the incision, do you use staples, stitches or blind stitches (inside that you can't see? 15. What is the long-term success rate of your patients who have had this particular surgery? 16. Do you have a gall bladder policy? I have noticed that many people have gall bladder problems after surgery. 17. How many days in the hospital? How many, if any, in ICU? 18. How long off solid foods? 19. What hospital is used and does it handle all of your bariatric patients? 20. How many trips will I make to your clinic before surgery and what for? 21. Do you run a support group? Do you know of any local support groups? When does it meet? 22. Can I get a copy of the post op sample diet? 23. What is the national mortality rate for this surgery? 24. How small will my stomach be after surgery? 25. What pre-op testing do you require, such as blood tests, gall stone sonograms, upper GI, lung x-rays, etc? 26. What can I do to prepare for the surgery, such as dieting, deep breathing, etc? 27. How long will I be in surgery? 28. What kind of post-op care/help will I require once I go home and for how long? 29. Will there be medications that I can no longer take post-op, or medications I won't absorb normally? Email me if you have any questions. [email protected]
   — Paula G.

June 23, 2000
Paula GREAT list of questions..Now here are some sites to research and then maybe you will add even more questions to add to that list.. <p> <b>"If you are considering weight loss surgery (WLS), also referred to as bariatric surgery, or Gastric Bypass, start with looking at these informative sights". <p> http://www.asbs.org (This will give you a history of WLS. & There is a general discussion of WLS and what it can and can not do for you. In addition to the above history URL, it has a listing of Bariatric surgeons.) <P> http://www.gastricbypass.com (This is devoted to discussing forms of gastric bypass operations, which are considered the "gold standard" of WLS.) <p> http://www.drchampion.com (Dr. Champion gives a good discussion of WLS, particularly the laproscopic approach. Also an excellent surgeon in and out in few days.) <p> http://www.dr_rutledge.com (Dr. Rutdlege does a slight different laproscopic procedure he calls the mini-gastric bypass.) <P> More Great sights with tons of information... <p> http://www.surgcliniccentar.com (The Surgical Clinic of Central Arkansas-Great information and cool diagram of the RNY..) <p> http://www.thinnertimes.com (ThinnerTimes Gastric Bypass Surgery for Morbid Obesity) <p> http://www.gstmed.com (Dr. William D. Yates & Dr. Kevin J. Mitchell St. Louis , MO) <p> http://www.sabariatric.com (Dr. Paul M Selinkoff and Dr. John Pilcher at Surgical Consultants of San Antonio) <p> http://www.gastricbypass.com (Alvarado center for Surgical Weight Control A Medical Group, San Diego, California) <p> http://www.bariatric.com/roux.htm (Bariatric Treatment Centers: Michigan, Illinois, Ohio) <p> http://www.rightweigh.com/gastric_surgery.html (Right Weight) This is where I had surgery in Nashville, Tenn. Dr; John Husted. <p> http://www.cstobesity.com/intro.html (Fobi-Even more good information) <p> if you're not totally wore out form all these sights here is a webring with over 100 patient websites to read and research their journals and history.. <p> Faces of Weight Loss <p> http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/4485/faces.html </b> Open Divided Proximal RNY 12/8/99..Beginning weight 367 as 6/19 245.. Please visit my webpages for more information, links and recipes. http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/vbowen and http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/VBowenCookBook
   — Victoria B.