Hi,

I am in the fact finding stage of my bariatric journey :confused:

We went to NYU's information session last night and my ob-gyn has recommended a doctor at his hospital Dr. Palmp (sp) at NY Presbyterian/Cornell hospital.

Both hospitals are well regarded here in NYC. Is there a way to qualify the different doctors?

Does it matter who does the procedure?

Thoughts very appreciated.

BrooklynMom

to behonest i went with a center call true results weight loss. its a center that does just lap band and i went with the doctor they had.

I started with my insurance policy. It required I use a Center of Bariatric Excellence. That pointed me in the direction of a couple of hospitals and surgeons.

I was lucky enough to find out the father of one of my son's friends had surgery with one of the surgeons in my group. His feedback helped a lot.

But all things being equal, I usually start by searching my state's licensure records; though it's not the best gauge of doctor competence, learning whether a doctor has a ton of complaints against him/her is a starting point.

Referral by other doctors is iffy---they are not always motivated by real competence. That said, I don't think you're going to find too many shoddy doctors at NYU or Cornell; university-affiliated hospitals are generally the best in terms of quality of care (including nursing care).

Since you're dealing with guys who are essentially "tied" in terms of competence, I'd go with the one I felt most comfortable with. You're forging a lifelong relationship--so rapport is more important, IMO, than it is for most other surgeries.