Question:
did you choose the type or did you doctor?

i was just wanting to know if you choose the type that you wanted or did you doctor say no we will do this?    — Rebecca73 (posted on October 1, 2004)


October 1, 2004
Rebecca. My pcp recommended the surgeon who will do my wls surgery. I have only met this doctor twice and I really like him. so you might want to try that if you have a pcp. cindy crotty
   — cindy_crtty

October 1, 2004
Rebecca, My PCP initially referred me to a bariatric surgeon who did RNY, Lap-Band, and BPD/DS. So I started researching. One of my favorite sites - with excellent citations: http://www.gr-ds.com/generalinformation/comparison.html The more I read, the more I realized that since this surgery was for the rest of my life, I wanted to be 1000% committed to what my guts were going to be rearranged to with surgery. You know? So, I decided the surgery I could live with was BPD/DS. It turned out my insurance had an air-tight exclusion for anything weight related, so I ended up self-paying. I was really bummed about it initially, but I'm so thankful that it turned out that way! I ended up going to Dr. Aniceto Baltasar in Spain for my surgery - he's one of the world's best bariatric surgeons - and the rest, they say, is history. It's been 27 months (well, tomorrow) and I've lost 210 lbs and virtually all of my co-morbidities. Not only that, I enjoy a quality of life and freedom with food I never dreamed possible as a pre-op. It really pays to do your research! Blessings, dina
   — Dina McBride

October 1, 2004
your Doctor will probably advise on what he thinks is best but uyltimatly it Should be YOUR choice on what YOU want, and of course there are only certain things that Your insurance will pay for Then You gotta realize YOU pick Your surgen and not all surgeons do all procedures. Best Wishes Shell
   — Shell G

October 1, 2004
I picked the surgery, then found the surgeon.
   — mom2jtx3

October 1, 2004
Hi -- I just wanted to say the decision is entirely up to you. If you run into problems with a doctor saying he can only perform an open RNY, but you want Lap, find one who does. My BMI was 63 and my surgeon (Dr. Constantine Frantzides) still performed the surgery laproscopically. Good Luck to you!
   — gerardlovesjoy

October 1, 2004
My doctor performs both the RNY and the Ds. He suggeted that the RNY would be an appropriate choice for me, however, I had decided upon it before seeing him. I am sure that if I had requested the DS he would have just made sure that I was aware of all the aspects of it before agreeing to do it. I am happy with my surgery and the results.
   — Fixnmyself

October 1, 2004
I asked for laproscopic surgery. However the doctor explained that he wasn't 100% sure i could qualify because of my large stomach. However once he did the surgery, I did get the laproscopic. Truth of the matter is I was so ready to have gastric bypass that I really didn't care. I just wanted it done. Good luck to you. May your surgery be an easy one as your recovery and your new journey.
   — MaxineB

October 1, 2004
Back in the dark ages (1993), my docs offered 2 choices only. Of course, there were not as many choices in those days. I chose based on very little info (I was 5 yrs away from being online), but it worked out to be the best. Today my docs offer a surgery customized to fit YOU. You and the doc agree on it, after much discussion, comparison, and that is what you will get unless they find surprises and cannot do as you wish.
   — vitalady

October 1, 2004
My doctor chose LAP RNY for me with a possibility of it being OPEN. He said that was the best surgery for my case.
   — Cathy S.

October 2, 2004
What you need to do is research research research. Find some local support group meetings, hang out on the state board for your area here, research surgeons. Also research the surgeries. Once you decide what surgery YOU want see a surgeon. The danger in oh well I will ue Dr X. Well what if Dr X only does the VBG? and you prefer the RNY? You might end up with the wrong surgery for you, and down the road have to go thru this again:( Also get a book like Barb Thompsons the discusses these things. The better educated you are today the more successful you will be as a post op! <P>http://www.wlscenter.com
   — bob-haller

October 3, 2004
As the primary care giver of our two children (at the time 4 and 5), I knew that I would need to have it done laparoscopically. Once that decision was made, I found the best surgeon to perform that operation. Fortunately, despite my large BMI (over 60), he was committed to performing the RNY laparoscopically; but, I was most impressed with his dedication to his after-care program.
   — SteveColarossi




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