Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

P.a. & Surgeon Against Me Getting The Sleeve



Recommended Posts

Please explain not meeting the surgeon until right before surgery. Did he not have a consultation with you when this whole thing started? Who decided that you even qualified for the procedure? Please tell me it wasn't a PA! Why I have nothing against PA's' date=' for some reason I think a surgeon should be involved in your care before the pre-op visit!

Personally there is no way I'd be involved with a surgeon so busy that I could not meet him until right before surgery. That is a warning sign to me.[/quote']

I agree. A PA or NP (I have nothing against them, because I am a NP) is not a substitute for a surgeon. I think meeting with the surgeon before the day of surgery is a courtesy that should be extended to every patient.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It does seem strange but I did all of my preop with PA's at his office. I originally asked my dr. about the surgery and based on my Insurance he sent me to this office. They are the only ones near me that accept my insurance. Sigh' date=' Im really really glad he does this surgery so often because the more I find out from others the more I see discrepincies in my experience...[/quote']

I have to go 2/2½ hours away to my doctor and for my surgery

RoseLee Broussard

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My surgeon tried to talk me into a rny, but because my husband is a baker. Once I found out about the sleeve I knew it was right for my future. Stick to your guns and get what you want.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I only have insurance through October and then only my husband will be covered through work. I dont want to risk not being able to have surgery by shopping around. I am completely confident in him as a surgeon' date=' he has so much experience. My issue is as Kali mentioned, Maybe he doesn’t think I can adhere to the diet and get the weight off and maybe I should listen to him. It’s easy to doubt myself because of multiple failed experiences in the past ya know? I was 100lbs over weight by 4th grade. Ive never eaten healthy for an extended period of time, so maybe that is the concern. I will have a chance to retrain myself and teach myself new eating habits without the insatiable hunger I experience all the time. I just have to have faith in myself and realize I’m capable. I’ve been able to stay on this ridiculous pre op diet so that should say something about my determination to make this process work for me. I just have to keep my head up and my eye on the goal here.[/quote']

I just want to clarify that I think you should do the surgery that you feel is right for you. What I mentioned is only what I think their reasoning may be... It doesn't mean they are right. You are the one who decides how committed you are going to be to following the plan and you can prove them wrong :) I know that my insurance will only cover one WLS in a lifetime so sometimes I wonder myself if Sleeve is right or if I should go with RNY but the mal nutrition and other things that go along with bypass are to extreme for me.So for me I am going Sleeve!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Kathe, so true!!

Cbt, She was very clear that the complication was my bmi being to high to have successful weightloss, or as successful of weightloss as I would with the gastric bypass. They will still do the surgery on me because I dont have diabetes (they would not give me the sleeve if I had diabetes) but want me to be aware I most likely wont reach my goal according to my bmi. They just seem so negative. She reassured me that I could come back and get the duodonel switch to reach my weightloss goals... *PFT* I have a fire lit under me to prove them wrong!!

Wouldn't sleeve IF YOU HAD diabetes? That makes no sense what so ever... No offense but I would never go under the knife of any doctor that was adamantly against what I was doing... I wouldn't trust them to adequately care for me afterwards... The best thing you can do is call your insurance and find someone else... The RNY is so much more dramatic and there are absorption issue that are ongoing for life with that surgery... And the band? More and more patients are having their bands removed and getting sleeved for better results...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I started at 325 with a BMI above 50. I am 9 weeks out and down almost 50 pounds. It's working great for me. I think that sleeve is more realistic for my life than bypass, plus I will have lifelong restriction as long as I treat my body right. I am so glad that I didn't get bypass, though my doctor was definitely willing to do bypass had I wanted it. Do what you think will work best for you, not what we or the doctors think because you're the one who will have to live with it. I hope everything goes well in your appointment.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Under your circumstances of a limited window of insurance coverage, then I would go ahead with the VSG and forget about the RNY, which would likely be no better for you from the weight loss and regain perspectives, and would certainly provide you with more limitations in the future. Getting that much weight off will be a challenge with either procedure, but is do-able. Should further surgical intervention be needed to get you down to normal weight, things will be much easier starting with the sleeve. A revision to an RNY is possible but makes little sense as its performance is little different from the sleeve, but a revision to a DS is fairly straightforward and would provide a useful improvement in performance should it be needed, while starting with an RNY now puts one into something of a surgical dead end should it need to be revised - a conversion to a DS from the RNY is a very complex procedure that puts one into the hands of one of only a handful of qualified surgeons.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had my surgery yesterday morning and it went excellent!!! The PA's were totally wrong and the surgeon did not try to talk me out this surgery. He was incredibly supportive and thought I would do very well with the sleeve!!! Such a huge relief. I get to go home tomorrow and I feel so much better than I thought I would! Im so happy :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow good for you. Guess that's why he is the doctor and they are the ASSIstants! Keep sipping and rest. Welcome to the losers bench!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Kathe' date=' so true!!

Cbt, She was very clear that the complication was my bmi being to high to have successful weightloss, or as successful of weightloss as I would with the gastric bypass. They will still do the surgery on me because I dont have diabetes (they would not give me the sleeve if I had diabetes) but want me to be aware I most likely wont reach my goal according to my bmi. They just seem so negative. She reassured me that I could come back and get the duodonel switch to reach my weightloss goals... *PFT* I have a fire lit under me to prove them wrong!![/quote']

I have diabetes and had the sleeve. My BMI was 37 when I started.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had my surgery yesterday morning and it went excellent!!! The PA's were totally wrong and the surgeon did not try to talk me out this surgery. He was incredibly supportive and thought I would do very well with the sleeve!!! Such a huge relief. I get to go home tomorrow and I feel so much better than I thought I would! Im so happy :)

FANTASTIC!!!

You got some great advice on here and I wish you all the best!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had my surgery yesterday morning and it went excellent!!! The PA's were totally wrong and the surgeon did not try to talk me out this surgery. He was incredibly supportive and thought I would do very well with the sleeve!!! Such a huge relief. I get to go home tomorrow and I feel so much better than I thought I would! Im so happy :)

Happy u get to have the surgery u wanted to have

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had my surgery yesterday morning and it went excellent!!! The PA's were totally wrong and the surgeon did not try to talk me out this surgery. He was incredibly supportive and thought I would do very well with the sleeve!!! Such a huge relief. I get to go home tomorrow and I feel so much better than I thought I would! Im so happy :)

That is so AWESOME!! I am glad everything worked out for you!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you so much :) Now if I could just get through this stall.... :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh my stall lasted 10 days and I actually gained 2 pounds. I now broke the stall two days ago and am on the losing road again!! You will do it too!! Best wishes!!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×