Consult jitters!

[Lelly 20]

I have my consult tomorrow morning at 9 AM. i have been looking forward to this day for over a month, but now that it is right around the corner I have the biggest butterflies. What should I expect? Will I find out my surgery date? What sort of questions should I be asking?

[bobbyswife 862]

It all depends on the surgeon whether or not they'll set you up that day. Be ready with LOTS of questions. Make a list of all the things you need to know. Make sure your hospital is a center of excellence and ask about complication rates, leak rates, preop diet, post op diet, every question you can come up with. You'll still be thinking of questions after your consult but take your questions and a pen and write down all the answers you get. That's what they are there for. Some sample questions:

After the stapling of my sleeve, will you over-sew the staples?

What is your complication rate?

What is your mortality rate?

More specifically, what is your sleeve leak rate?

How many trocars will be used for my surgery?

I have read that most leaks happen at the top, near the esophagus; are there any extra measures taken to protect against this happening?

What brand of liquid Protein is used for the pre-op diet?

Will you leave in a drain?

Will you put me on Lovenox or other blood thinners?

If I have a hernia will you repair it at the same time?

Do you remove the gallbladder during surgery?

There are lots more and you can find a ton of sample questions if you look for them on this site and on Google. The better informed you are, the better you will do!

Edited November 2, 2014 by bobbyswife

[Lelly 20]

My gosh I didn't even think of half of these! Thank you so much. I am going to digging up more questions, because I seem to have been over thinking the wrong things. (Mainly thinking of the after not the during or the before)

[bobbyswife 862]

Another one is what size bougie will the surgeon use. Recommended sizes for almost all instances (unless BMI is over 50) are 32-40. My surgeon is using a 34.

[iwanttofitin 20]

Lelly...thank you for posting this. I have my consultation scheduled for this Friday (Nov. 7), and I too am feeling the jitters. I have been tempted to call and cancel, but I know it's in my best interest to give WLS a chance (even though it scares the bejesus out of me!). Please post again after you appointment and let us know your thoughts. I will look forward to hearing about it.

[gypsynurse 1]

Lelly, you are describing how i feel too. I have done months of reading, researching options, finances, health insurance but I'm still nervous and anxious about tomorrow. I am worried about will i get a date, will i qualify, am i making a good decision or not? I know i am and I've gone through it all. But yes when it comes to tomorrows appointment I'm terrified. I have even met the surgeon and know he has few complications in his pt group. Best wishes for your appointment and ill let you know how mine goes. Kylie

[gabbykittyvsg 184]

I'd be very surprised if you get a date.

I went in with a list of questions and they were all answered by the program coordinator (who is also a nurse practitioner) before I had a chance to ask.

I personally don't think it's important to ask about the size of the bougie. It is used as a guide for the stapler. One surgeon who uses a 32 can leave a patient with the same size sleeve as another surgeon using a 40. The difference between a 32 and 40 is pretty small. I also believe a once size fits all approach isn't the best way to do things. A surgeon can have a preference but should adjust based on several factors. A short small framed person doesn't need to eat as much as a 6+ foot tall man with a large build. Perhaps a better question is to ask is "how do you decide how big to make a sleeve?"

[Lelly 20]

Please don't cancel. I am so glad I didn't. The people were very informative and friendly. They seemed to really want to help ME not just because I was becoming a patient but they cared about my health. After takling it over, we decided that my best choice is actually the by pass and not the sleeve because I have some other stomach issues. Now, I just have to see about getting that approval letter. overall though, I am glad for the questions I had, they answered all of them and gave me more information than I probably needed. I am looking forward to my next steps.

[iwanttofitin 20]

Thank you for the update, Lelly! I will keep my appointment, just so I can get an individual assessment of my situation. I'm so glad you found some answers and have decided to move forward with the bypass!