Unsupportive PCP?

[Heartonsleeve 32]

Well attended a seminar yesterday and today went to my pcp for a referral to get the ball rolling.

Thing is, she seemed hell bent on scaring me off of the idea of WLS. She lectured me for 5 min on how it is horrible and how two of her other patients have had terrible side effects and brain damage and how it has ruined their lives.

Then she went on to say all I needed to do was eat a bunch of salads and that she was 100% without a doubt correct and that I should just do it without surgery. I'm not really sure what to think, but I still requested the referral so I can speak to the doc myself.

She also said that the surgeons view WLS as a means to profit and as soon as the deal is done that they ignore you and don't want to deal with you if you have complications.

Anyone else have a PCP with a similar attitude?

[Pixie Dust 526]

Oh that's so awful & unprofessional in my opinion! As with any surgery, I'm sure anything can go wrong but if you read all the posts here, everyone seems to be okay & very happy they had the surgery. I'm so glad my PCP was very positive about it & he was very encouraging & very excited for me. He knew me "when" so he knows how much I suffer now being so overweight that I don't move around like I used to.

Besides dropping weight, you may want to consider dropping your current PCP & finding another one!

[TES 858]

She's entitled to her opinion, but it's not based on evidence. Fewer than 5% of people who lose weight without surgical intervention are able to keep the weight off. I would recommend switching PCPs to someone who is supportive of WLS. When I first looked into WLS, which was recommended by my endocrinologist, the nutritionist they sent me to for mandatory counseling was anti-WLS. It was awful. I ended up deciding not to get the surgery. I sure wish I would have done it then, which was several years ago. Although back then, VSG wasn't very popular, and I probably would have gotten the lapband...so I guess everything happens for a reason. Anyhow, I think you need a supportive PCP.

[BKLYNgal87 503]

Unless you're on an H-M-O that makes moving to a new PCP difficult, what is keeping you with this woman? Doctors can have opinions, yes, but that doesn't mean it's an informed opinion. The fact is, many PCPs don't keep up with medical research. They don't have the incentive. Yes there are risks and you have to weigh them against potential benefits. The VSG mortality rate in the US is somewhere between .1-2%, which isn't nothing. But since more than 95% of people who lose weight without surgical intervention gain it back, simply advising someone to "eat salads" isn't sufficient medical advice.

Ditch this doc and find someone who will be more supportive. After all, this is a permanent procedure and you will need a lifetime of specialized follow up and care. My PCP became a royal pain when he refused to write a medical clearance letter because my surgeons office was the one who ordered all the precertification labs and tests. He wanted more to bill for. I told him I would leave his practice if he didn't do what I asked so he acquiesced .

[Heartonsleeve 32]

I thought about it for a bit and I agree, her attitude and approach really made me lose confidence in her ability to objectively give me advice. Called my insurer and will have a new PCP on July 1st.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

I agree.. "Ditch the doc"! Glad you can move on to another one. Most, but not all PCP's are supportive because they're the ones who have educated themselves enough to know the advantages of proper WLS.

Good luck

[lsereno 2,525]

Glad you are ditching the doc. Not everyone is happy with weight loss surgery, some people do gain all the weight back, and there is a risk of complications, even death, but it is your decision to make, not your PCPs. For me, the benefits outweighed (haha!) the risks.

I am sure that some doctors are in it for the money and that some do a poor job of preparing patients for the surgery or following up, but many more truly care about their patients and offer terrific prep and follow up. I've been very happy with Kaiser Fremont's Bariatric program.

Lynda