Hi. I have just decided to have the sleeve done and have my first appointment this week. I'm compiling a list of questions for my surgeon. Any questions you asked/ didn't ask you would recommend?

I'd want to know what the doctor's experience has been with the sleeve. Has he performed a lot of sleeve surgeries? How many complications has he seen? Does he feel that you would be a good candidate after he hears your history?

Good luck and keep an open mind.

I agree with IsB...ask for his "stats"....how many surgeries, complication rates/types, aftercare ect...I've not been sleeved yet, but knowing my surgeon is highly skilled, works out of a center of excellence, and has a very low complication rate (NEVER had one, according to his coordinator, taking that with a grain of salt!) gives me confidence that my outcome will be the best it can be. Good luck!

What percentage of their surgeries are bariatric? How long have you been bariatric surgery? Do you offer secondary insurance for self pay patients?

I know this is long, but this was my list of questions when I first met with my surgeon:

Experience:

How many sleeves have you performed? On people with a BMI similar to mine?

How often have you had to change to an open surgery?

What are your personal statistics/experience for complications?

Have you or has anyone in your practice had someone who died?

Pre OP & Surgery:

What are your pre-op requirements (diet, labs, tests, etc.)?

Do you do an endoscopy?

What if I currently have gallbladder issues? Do you test for that and determine when that should be addressed- either before or after surgery?

I understand you have a support group but do you provide a post-op diet plan and guidance?

How long is the surgery typically?

How much of stomach is removed?

What is the typical size of sleeve after surgery?

Do you staple and sew the sleeve or just staple?

How do you check for leaks? Do you check more than once?

Hospital Stay:

Day of surgery – what is it like?

Who can be there?

Typical hospital stay?

Do you perform surgery on specific days at specific hospitals?

Is a catheter used? When is it placed and removed?

ET tube? NG tube? Drain? If yes, when are they removed?

Recovery:

What types of pain medicines are given?

Taking one week off, then working from home for one week. Sound feasible?

How long until cleared for normal activity? Exercising? Strength training?

Risks:

What are the most common post-op complications?

Risk of Dying?

Any risk of rupturing the stomach?

Can it actually stretch?

Chance of leak after leaving hospital?

Risk of blood clots?

Risk of hernia or adhesion?

Any risk associated with the stomach not producing grehlin?

I have GERD, will that improve or get worse after surgery? Treatment provided at discharge?

Post Op (down the line):

How often do I see you post-op?

Goal weight?

Here is a list I've developed - some are questions I asked and many have been added to my list. This is a VERY long list, but hopefully some of the questions will be new to you I have a friend who is going to his initial consultation next week too and he asked for a list too.

* What is your re-admittance rate?

* What is/are the typical reason/s for re-admittance?

* How many of your patients have had leaks? How long after surgery were the leaks typically discovered? What was the resolution (% healed on their own vs. % needing surgical intervention)?

* Other than leaks, what is/are the most common complication/s? What is your experience with these complications – how many and how resolved?

* What would cause you to change to an open procedure?

* How many rows of staples do you place?

* Are the insides of the staples checked, too?

* Do you sew over the staple line?

* Exactly how do you test for leaks immediately after surgery (before the barium swallow test the next day)?

* Is the part of the stomach that is removed also tested for leaks?

* What size bougie do you use to measure the “sleeve?” How do you determine the size of the sleeve?

* Can the sleeve actually be stretched by eating/drinking too much? On occassion vs regularly? Why? How to prevent?

* What is the biggest factor in failure after this surgery?

* What is the biggest factor in succeeding with this surgery?

* What is your mortality rate? Of this, what % is attributable to the surgery itself and what % was from pre-existing conditions?

* What type of post-surgery support do you offer? Is there any additional cost for the support?

* Where were you trained? Are you board certified? How long have you done bariatric surgeries and what other types of surgeries have you done/do you do?

* Why did you chose bariatric surgery?

* How many sleeves have you performed? Over what period of time?

* At what hospital will my surgery be performed?

* Who will be my anesthesiologist? What is his/her experience, training, etc.?

* Why do you believe you are the best surgeon to perform my surgery? What differentiates you/your practice from others in the D/FW area?

* When can I return to work post-surgery? What will my limitations be and for how long?

* Based on your experience, in this practice, what % of excess weight does your average patient lose with the sleeve? How long is the loss maintained? What can I do to increase my success?

* Why do you feel that your pre/post surgery nutrition guidelines are the best? Have you tailored your plans for sleeve patients or do you use the same plan for sleeve, bypass & lapband? If the same, why?

* Do your patients have a support group on FB or via other social media? Other than the formal support group/monthly classes, do your patients have informal support groups? How do I join these groups?

* How much interaction should I expect with you vs. with your staff post-surgery? If mostly your staff, what is their training and experience with bariatric WLS patients? Will I typically see the same staff members on my post-op check-ups or will it vary?

* Are your staff members, such as nutritionist, available for one-on-one consultations? If so, what are the charges, if any?

* What are the requirements to become a "Center of Excellence?" (does this designation really mean anything?)

* If I decide to go the self-pay route, is there coverage available for potential complications? If so, where do I get it? How much is it? Will the surgery center/hospital/other docs accept it 100% or could I potentially have additional out-of-pocket expenses?

* I've read that most obese patients over 50 have hiatal hernias. According to your website, those are repaired during the sleeve surgery. If I'm self-pay, how is that handled? What if the costs associated with the hernia repair aren't fully covered by my insurance or what if I haven't meet my deductible?

* Are there questions I should have asked but didn't?

* What would you like to share with me?

Sorry for the long list - I'm one of those Type A's

Wow thanks everyone for the suggestions. I have written them down. A lot I already know from attending the seminar this surgeon presented but a lot I had not thought about. Since I'm self pay I'm hoping to be going into surgery in about 3 weeks! So excited I can't wait