I am having surgery in Dec. W/ Dr. Ponce and although I feel like I have asked some good questions, I want to make sure I am not missing anything. Can you pls,share the questions you had for your Doc and/or coordinator?

Thanks!!

* 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?

Getting There

Phew

i'm exhausted from reading all your great questions

* 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' date=' 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?[/quote']

I guess this about sums it up!!!!

This is Awesome, Thank You!!!

* 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' date=' 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?[/quote']

I'm going to copy and paste this list in an email to my surgeon.

Amanda Rae

Amanda let can u email me the answers when he replies back since we have the same Dr.

I wouldn't want to send him the same thing after he's answered it once. Lol.

Amanda let can u email me the answers when he replies back since we have the same Dr.

I wouldn't want to send him the same thing after he's answered it once. Lol.

Oooh good question..... me too?!

Amanda let can u email me the answers when he replies back since we have the same Dr.

I wouldn't want to send him the same thing after he's answered it once. Lol.

As soon as I have the reply I will post it. Already sent it off!

Amanda Rae

Yay!! Thanks doll!!

* 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' date=' 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?[/quote']

OK, OK - I know it's a long, extensive list. But we put our lives and so much more into the hands of our surgeons - the least they can do is answer a few simple questions. Right?

I didn't include many questions about post-surgery guidelines as I already had that from my surgeon. You may want to ask about that, especially if you're having surgery in Mexico.

Good luck everyone! For me, 6 weeks post-surgery, I'm very glad I did it. It's NOT easy. But it IS worth it

As soon as I have the reply I will post it. Already sent it off!

Amanda Rae

I want those answers too!!!! Will be watching for you to post them.

Thanks!!!!

AmandaRae did you ever get the answers to those question?

AmandaRae did you ever get the answers to those question?

Not yet. It's a long list so I'm thinking it may take a lil longer. I am going to resend the list tomorrow if I haven't heard back. She's answered other easier questions in the mean time so I'm thinking it is because the list is long and detailed.

Amanda Rae

Not yet. It's a long list so I'm thinking it may take a lil longer. I am going to resend the list tomorrow if I haven't heard back. She's answered other easier questions in the mean time so I'm thinking it is because the list is long and detailed.

Amanda Rae

Did you ever get answer to those questions?