Questions...Questions....Questions

[Ladiec2 74]

I have my first appt. in a couple of weeks. I know my insurance covers the procedure so that's fine. I know I want the sleeve. What are questions I need to ask the surgeon when I meet with him, questions for nutritionist....

[butterfyeffect 257]

I don't have a nutritionist, so I don't know what you should ask there, but as far as questions for the surgeon:

-What sort of pre-op diet is required?

-What is their track record as far as complications, revisions, etc.

-How long of a hospital stay will you have?

-What sort of restrictions will you have after surgery?

-How much excess body weight does their average VSG patient lose?

-What sort of follow-up care should you expect?

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

I'd be curious why you say you definitely want the sleeve. That decision, which surgery to have, is best decided between you and your surgeon based on your medical conditions and history. Know what you're interested in but keep open to the possibility the doctor may think the bypass is a better option.

I kept a list on Notepad on my iPhone of questions to ask my doctor. As I thought of them, I'd add them to the list and then just open up the list when I was there and ask away.

Obvious questions for the doc -- which surgery would you recommend? Why do you recommend that one? What are the most common complications you see (my doctor said he sees ulcers most commonly)? How much weight and how fast can I expect to lose? What do you feel makes a patient very successful after surgery? What reason do you think contributes to people not being successful or failing to lose? Do you think this will help my ______ (asthma, apnea, diabetes, blood pressure, reflux...)? If I have questions or complications or am worried about something post-surgery, do I call you or your nurse or PA (my doctor said to call him and answers calls within about 3-4 hours if during the day)?

For the NUT -- what will my post-surgery diet be (assuming they work with your doctor and know that answer)? Do you work closely with my doctor? If so, what do you think about his followup care, etc.?

I'm sure others will have a lot more. Usually the doctor will give you a little presentation about what the surgeries are and what to expect and then you'll end up with more questions!

Best wishes!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I thought I would be getting a lap band and did not even know that the sleeve existed. When I found out about it and learned that there was not port and no fills and no re=routing of the plumbing, that is the one I requested. The surgeon agreed that it would be suitable for me.

Keep a notebook by your bed and in your purse, because you will think of questions at the oddest of times, like when you are thinking when you ought to be sleeping. By the time I had my surgeon's appointment, I had 17 questions.

Thanks to this forum, I heard ahead of time that there was shoulder pain post-op due to CO2 being used to expand the abdominal cavity, and the most common relief was frequent walking. So, my most important question was this: Do you use CO2, and how do you manage pain relief from post-op lingering gas? He said that he extracts as much of the gas as possible before he closes up. As a result, I did not have even one minute of shoulder gas pain.