Hi…I’m new to this site. I have my consultation for bariatric surgery on August 5^th. Other than the basic questions such as:

How do I know if I am eligible for weight loss surgery? Is weight loss surgery right for everyone? What are the risks of weight loss surgery? Etc…

What are some other questions I should ask my doctor/surgeon during my consultation? I have all insurance info covered and all work issues covered. I want to make sure I cover all my bases.

Thanks for any help.

-Sara

There are different types of weight loss surgery. The different types affect the amount of weight loss expected and the speed of weight loss. They affect the revision rate (this relates to how often one might need to have the surgery modified or corrected or adjusted or changed to another type of surgery).

I choose RNY gastric bypass because it had the smallest revision rate. It also produced the quickest and deepest weight loss. Also because of a pre-existing medical condition "major acid reflux or GERD", it was the only procedure recommended for this type of condition. But it also means that I have to follow a strict Vitamin regime for the rest of my life because my body no longer synthesizes Vitamins from the food that I eat.

The process of getting surgery is not simple. It has many steps. Qualifying for insurance is one of them. But then you need to undergo an evaluation by a Psychologist. There is a half day of pre-op testing to uncover any medical condition that may impact the surgery. Generally there is also a half day of classes in which almost all aspects of the surgery and meal plan and vitamin regime and exercise are covered. Many insurance plans require that you undergo a medically supervised dieting and exercise program in order to qualify.

Since its your first consultation I would just recommend you listen carefully, take notes, and ask questions based on what is covered. They should be covering the specifics of surgery, etc. your surgeon should be very open about complication rates and risks but feel free to ask if they don't bring it up.

Im sure my surgeon was a little surprised at some of my questions, but I wanted all my bases covered. I asked him how long he had been doing lapband, roughly how many surgeries, had he ever lost anyone from surgery or complications, what my success rate would be, recovery length and pain amount . Also, asked about fills, complications, etc. I didn't think I would have any problems with the psychological eval. or the nutritionist as, my goal was a reasonable 140 lbs. We all passed with flying colors, and I was so excited to "get 'er done !!!" Other than a few stuck episodes, its all been real easy. Best decision ever !! Good luck !!

Ask your surgeon what his/her preferred recommendation for you is and why. If that surgeon doesn't want to or is reducing the number of lapbands s/he does, and that's a surgery you want, think twice about your choice of surgery OR surgeon. I wanted lapband and sought out a doc who did many. He suggested sleeve to me but when I said I really wanted lapband, he was fully on board. He still does lots of bands and believes in them. It's been good for me so far. No complications and a year and a half post op. Good luck.

I tend to ask weird things especially when I'm not in my comfort zone. One of the things I asked about surgery was at the seminar prior to the consult when I asked him basically how many people he's lost while performing the operation aka kill rate. It's not a bad answer to have, but make sure you use a little more tact in how you phrase things than I did! LOL you might want to ask how many operations he's performed. He bigger the number, the more experience he's had and less likely to screw up. Other things I wanted to know about was in the bypass does the empty stomach left behind growl since it's not getting food. Then I asked what causes people with undiagnosed hypothyroidism to suddenly die post surgery and what can be done to prevent the risk of sudden death given a I am hypothyroid. Also, I wanted to know if he genuinely thought this would work for me. I'd say sit down and think about what you want to know and make a list so you get all your questions answered and you don't end up asking questions you didn't plan on but slipped out your mouth before you were prepared! LOL

I would just advise you to keep an open mind as you advance through the process, as well as remain open to change. I went into this dead set on one procedure, absolutely positive that that was it, the end all be all. No one would have been able to convince me otherwise at that point.

But I listened. I learned. I figured out that what's a perfect fit for one person might not be perfection for me at all. Had my approval process not been so long (took a year), I might have regretted my first choice, as I ended up switching to another. Never close your mind to a different path.

Good luck!

I would just advise you to keep an open mind as you advance through the process, as well as remain open to change. I went into this dead set on one procedure, absolutely positive that that was it, the end all be all. No one would have been able to convince me otherwise at that point.

But I listened. I learned. I figured out that what's a perfect fit for one person might not be perfection for me at all. Had my approval process not been so long (took a year), I might have regretted my first choice, as I ended up switching to another. Never close your mind to a different path.

Good luck!

I was sort of similar in that I went in certain I would only allow a gastric sleeve but not anything else and after the seminar when we watched the slides over the various long term success rate and overall success rate, I knew I had been too close minded and opened myself up to other options. I can't wait to get my bypass now. My doctor agrees that it is the absolute best option for me.