Preparing for your consult

Scheduling and preparing for your initial consult can be a very frightening and daunting task. There are things that you can do to make things go smoother.

• When you call to schedule your appointment ask the surgeons office if they have an orientation packet that they could send you in the mail. Also request any medical history forms that they will want you to fill out upon your arrival.
• Gather up all previous medical records if they are available. If you have them in your hand when you arrive, it could speed the process.
• Write a list of all of your dieting attempts, medically supervised or not. Be sure and notate how long you were on the diet, how much weight you lost and how long you kept it off.
• Be sure to completely any forms that the Surgeon's office may send you.

What questions should you ask your surgeon?

You will possibly have a million questions that you are wanting to ask of your surgeon at your initial consult. Prior to your consult write them down on a piece of paper and take it with you. Often people tend to forget questions they wanted to ask if not written down.

Some suggested questions you may want to ask are:

• Where will the surgery be performed?
• What type of surgery will you be having? Open incision, laparoscopic, Proximal, Distal, etc.
• How long can you expect to stay in the hospital?
• How long will your recovery take?
• What types of restrictions will you have after surgery?
• What type of diet will you be on after surgery?
• Will there be any nutritional supplements?
• What types of special things will you need when you return home? i.e. foods, vitamins, painkillers, etc.