I have my first meeting with the surgeon and his team this afternoon. I am very excited to begin this journey!

I have a list of questions ready to go, but a, curious from you all, what should I be sure to ask? What questions do you wish you would've asked your surgeon.

I am in Chicago, and will be going to Dr. Lutfi at Presence St. Joseph. Any insight from folks who've had him as a surgeon is also appreciated!

I asked my surgeon:

What bogie size he uses. (40)

How much work I would miss (2 weeks- I could have stayed out longer if I wanted)

How many days in the hospital (2 nights)

I did a lot of research prior so didn't have lots of questions for him. Mine were specific to him. Some people want to know if they will have a drain or be cath'd. (For my surgery: No drain, yes, cath)

Knowing what your pre-op and post-op diet will be like including what Vitamins you will need can be helpful. This way you can buy what you need ahead of time.

He gave me a list of pre-op testing he wanted done which is separate from the insurance requirements.

I did not ask how many surgeries he did or his complications rate. I saw him give a group informational session at a different hospital a few years before and he address that then. If he had not I would have asked.

Ask about what kind of support you will get from a staff NUT or dietician after surgery. I see mine with every follow-up and via phone or e-mail.

We had to attend a pre-op "training" session. The surgeon's bariatric coordinator does it. It was a slide show and a boatload of videos and a Q&A session. It covered everything about the surgery - actually more that I wanted to know. It also covered all the pre-op diet and post-op for the first 2 weeks. The nutritionist was there too.

Thank you both for responding. I got most of my questions answered... More, when I meet with the surgeon next month.