Hello friends,

So finally next week is my consultation with the Doctor, we will be arranging the date for Surgery which they can do in as fast as a week, although I am planning on going for Friday 3rd January. I don't want to miss any essential questions, as this will be the only time I have with him face-to-face before the op. I am so excited to get banded I wish I could just do it now instead, but need to get through Christmas at home first.

Questions I was going to go for: How long will I need off work, what is the % success/failure rate, what happens if it fails, how much can I expect to lose, how long can the band last for? How often should I come back for a check up, how long will I be in hospital for?

There must be more essential questions to get from him?! I can't think of many but I know the second I leave his office, I'll have a tonne of them to ask again.

Any suggestions would be great,

Thanks so much!
Desertpixie

you will get lots of great responses

i suggest writing down a bunch of them and take them with

you to the dr visit.......i still do that 17 months out

Fingers crossed, Carolinagirl! You are all the experts at this and I am a sucker for always asking way too many questions! Would be good to hear some of the different questions people had or could ask a Dr on their first consult if they were to do it again!

Thanks

Don't be afraid to ask your surgeon how long he's been putting in the band or how many he has done. You don't want the new kid on the block.

You can't ever ask too many questions. You are paying for this service. but at least you have a start on good questions to ask. The doctor usually has a canned paper with many questions already answered. You might contact yoru doctor's office for this info prior to your visit.

Make sure you all or almost everything completed that was required prior to doctor visit. Or you will have to come back again prior to official surgery day.

Best wishes and Keep the Faith.

I was given a set of papers to read and I marked it up while I waited for the doctor to come in -- circled anything I wanted to understand better, etc. It was really nice to connect because we will be seeing a lot of one another now that the weekly fill appointments are beginning. That felt important to me, the after-care element. Good luck to you -- very exciting times! I have been banded one month and I am so happy.

Before my consult I made of point of checking my doc's profile on the state medical board site. Any issues with the doc will show up there.

I'd suggest asking how adjustments are performed. Using fluoroscopy or blindly?

These are all great, thank you. Am making a giant list at the moment, am sure he will hand me a booklet and answer these quite quickly for me but its good to be prepared! Still got my fingers crossed for an early Jan surgery. Great way to start the new year!

Ask him how many bands he has installed, what his success rate is.... Meaning how many people actually reach their goal. Granted that's not usually his fault when people don't reach the goal but if it's an overwhelming number I might wonder how good the after care was.