I initially met with my surgeon in September of 2015 for VSG. I was referred to him by an old friend who had the same procedure + gallbladder removal by this doctor. To put it nicely, he was/is a lacking in bed-side manner... His eyes were darting around the room more than looking at me while he was explaining the procedure. My mom had went with me on this initial visit and had also noticed that he was very abrupt.

I completed my final nutrition visit last week and went in for my second visit with my surgeon today. I arrived early for my appointment and I sat in the waiting room until they called me back 10-15 minutes after my scheduled appointment. I talked with the nurses assistant for a few minutes while she took my vitals, and then she left and told me my surgeon would be right in. About 30 MINUTES later, my surgeon comes in and we talk for a minute or two, and then his phone starts ringing. He says "excuse me, I need to take this" and walks out of the room. He comes back about 5 minutes later and I was more than a little perturbed at this point. I had a mental list of questions that I wanted to ask him, the first being how much of my stomach he would remove during surgery. He told me that he removes about half of the stomach and I told him that I had heard that some surgeons remove up to 80% of the stomach, and he was very adamant that that was too much and that he leaves a small pouch towards the bottom of the stomach.

Some time back, my friend who had this procedure done before had made a comment to me that she thought her sleeve "didn't work" or that she didn't have very good restriction and she was disappointed because she had only lost 40 lbs her first year and was no where near goal. (I think she even gained some back) I didn't think anything of this when she told me because I saw the surgery as a tool to HELP you lose weight, so I assumed that it was her lack of work that caused her lack of success.

I am extremely nervous that this major surgery that I am going to subject my body to and pay a good amount of money for is not going to be performed as it should be.

The surgeons office is submitting all of my paperwork to my insurance Anthem BCBS of TX... If I get approved, is it too late to switch doctors? Or is 50% removal OK and I should get over his lack of professionalism? It is the combination of these two things that are rubbing me the wrong way.

Appreciate any advice in advance.

It seems to me you already know the answer, call and cancel them submitting! Say you changed your mind and just find a new doctor...I've never heard of less then 80% of the stomach being removed and it seems to me anything less would likely stretch back fairly quick. Plus you know someone who hasn't had a good outcome. I haven't met my surgeon yet but have met my bariatric doctor, NUT, and patient navigator and they've all done more then I ever expected. Long appointments, answered any questions or concerns I had. You need good chemistry with the person performing your surgery in my opinion. Your going to be seeing them for years to come & come to know them. Needs to be someone you trust your life on...

If you have good reason to believe this is really an exceptional bariatric surgeon, I would give extra leeway. But, if they are just *a* bariatric surgeon, and if you are upset by interacting with them, I'd find someone else. You don't need to be best friends, but you need to be on good working terms with each other and you need to trust them.

Re the extent of removal, I am not a bariatric surgeon, but my guy is about as qualified as they come - he didn't give a percentage, but he said prior to surgery, your stomach is about the size of a football, or cantelope, and after the sleeve procedure, it's about the size of a banana. Hard to assign a percentage, but I am sure that more than 50% of the volume is removed, I would guess 80% or greater.

I went to Dr Ortiz in Mexico, it was $4900, he also performed the procedure on two other people I know, we all are doing well. It's called a slimmer me.

There is no pouch left in a properly formed gastric sleeve.

Your dude is weird in multiple ways -- foremost, his VSG surgical processes.

Geez -- he should google VSG to learn how to do it right! There are even videos online that show how the sleeve is formed!

Shaking my head!

My surgeon said 2/3 of the stomach would be removed with the sleeve. Now I am wondering also if that is enough.

There is no pouch left in a properly formed gastric sleeve.

Your dude is weird in multiple ways -- foremost, his VSG surgical processes.

Geez -- he should google VSG to learn how to do it right! There are even videos online that show how the sleeve is formed!

Shaking my head!

I agree. Cut and run. I would find someone you're comfortable with. I wouldn't have been with this dude, either. ESPECIALLY if he doesn't even do the procedure correctly by taking 80-85% of the stomach! Do you really want to go through all that to not have it benefit you the best it can? I think not!

I not only just had my sleeve done 2 weeks ago but I am also a scrub nurse who works with several bariatric surgeon you should choose some one who you are comfortable they all do the procedure basically the same some take more I also have anthem and once you have approval it stays but you need that 3 months pre op to get approved I believe but the new surgeons office should be able to tell u more good luck there are a lot off good caring. Drs out there

Run now it regrets later.

Please find yourself anotjer surgeon,

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