Do we have to follow up with our Doctors FOREVER? :(

[AchieveGoals 46]

I feel like once we get the hang of things, once we are able to eat an adequate "normal" amount, I would want to continue with my life normally as if I'm a normal person but just with a smaller stomach. Going back to the Doctor and keep checking blood levels almost makes me feel like I have a lifelong illness or something. Although I know it's important, I do plan to change my lifestyle and eat healthy. Can someone please let me know what your Doctor or program says? Are you required to follow up every single year for the rest of your life? :S Or has your program said anything differently?

Thank You all!

[LisaMergs 2,854]

Hi- couple of things:

Once a bariatric patient, always a bariatric patient. Same if you had a heart attack- you always always follow up with your cardiologist. After a year, most surgeons, including mine, see you yearly. They do so for many reasons, the biggest being to make sure you are healthy, no issues with your new stomach, and also- if you start slipping, they want to hear from you to get you back on track.

I can't quite understand why it would be an issue for any of us to see the person who helped us transform once a year? Small "price" to pay for health.

There are plenty of people who end up with some kind of deficiencies because they aren't following their plans. Plenty who "slip" and are lost. I'd imagine if I moved I would ask my surgeon for a referral to someone he knew so I could continue my follow ups. Many GP docs aren't tuned in to bariatric needs.

Just my two cents worth.

FYI- post op- saw my doc

1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and then I will see him at 6 months and 1 year post op. Yearly thereafter. Those are his requirements.

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[KindaFamiliar 3,867]

Or there's the other extreme...

I saw my surgeon at two weeks, 12 weeks and 26 weeks...

I've seen neither him nor the nutritionist since then...

Haven't heard anything from them...

I had access to the nutritionist (free of charge) for a year for a year if I'd wanted it...

Of course, my 'stall of a lifetime' didn't start until after the 12 months was up...

As of today I'm at exactly 72 weeks...

[madadams 130]

Only see mine up until 2 years post op. I'm in the UK

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[FrankyG 1,450]

My surgeon highly encouraged yearly followups, but as I am self pay and know what I am supposed to be doing and the last few appts were frankly unproductive for me (paid, charted progress, told to keep doing exactly what I was doing), I am not returning unless I have an actual issue or serious weight gain. My regular doc knows I had the sleeve and can monitor my general health otherwise.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I don't see my surgeon every year, but he's not the only physician in town who can order and read blood work. My PCP knows I had a sleeve gastrectomy so as part of my regular annual physical, she includes orders to check my Vitamin and Iron levels.

I do think it is wise to keep seeing your bariatric team until you have successfully reached goal and maintained it for a year. Also, if you start any sort of re-gain they should be the first people you contact.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I saw mine last at 1 year post op. Everything checked out fine, I feel great, I have PCP if I don't. I also know if I feel bad and I am quite certain it relates to my sleeve or I am slipping, I can make an appointment with my surgeon's NP.

So far, I don't need to.

[sharonintx 1,275]

I saw a Dr for a follow up one time after surgery. That was a week and a half later when I went to have my stitches taken out.

I'm fine, everything was fine, and I have done very well. . It wasn't the Dr that did my surgery who gave me 'my life back'. It was me who opted for WLS, me who took on the responsibility of making sure I was successful, and me who can be credited with my long term weight loss.

I paid the Dr for WLS. He gave me nothing except a service for which he was compensated.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I'm coming up on two years post-op next month (August 2016). At that time I'll see my surgeon and his bariatric P.A. Before I see them I'll have another comprehensive blood panel done, and we'll look at the blood work at that time.

Even though the sleeve doesn't have the big nutrition malabsorption issues of the gastric bypass or some other procedures and even though I take my vitamin/mineral/other supplements regularly, I am taking a conservative approach about my health after WLS.

I know that right now I'm doing great (have lost 100 pounds and maintaining well at 135). But I still want to check in. I feel that seeing my surgeon annually is an accountability check for me.

Like others said, if you don't see your bariatric team going forward, you should definitely have your bariatric blood panels done annually and review the results with your PCP or another doctor who knows what they're looking at.

Congrats on your success thus far!

[AvaFern 3,516]

My surgeon was a jerk, so I saw him at my 3 week follow-up and never saw him again. If he had not had his head so far up his a** there were a few times I would have gone back to see him but I was so against being treated like a fat idiot that I just dealt with it myself. I have a PCP that runs my blood work for me when I ask for it, which has been at least once a year and sometimes 2-3 times depending on what I feel like checking. My PCP is awesome...he treats me like an equal, he listens to what I have to say, and he largely gives me what I ask for because he recognizes that I am not actually stupid like my surgeon apparently thought.

So, in answer to your question, no, unless you have complications there is no need to continue to go to your surgeon forever. Your PCP can complete the same blood work for you and you're not being billed a specialist's fee. If you like your surgeon, then go see him. I imagine he would like to see how his patient's end up in the long term, but if he is expensive or you're just over being at the office, an annual physical and blood panel from your PCP is more than adequate and probably a little cheaper.

[Barry W 336]

I think my last visit with the surgeon's office is a 1 year followup. Of course I get routine bloodwork done with my primary care physician at least once a year anyway, so as far as Vitamin levels, blood lipids, markers for diabetes, liver function, etc, I will get that annually anyway and want to see it. To me data is good - without that you're in the dark.

[sgc 538]

I am 31 and my surgeon is in his mid 60's. I hope I don't see him for the rest of my life. That would mean something went wrong.

[Christinamo7 4,041]

many sleeve patients here locally just have their PCP do the blood work annually and only travel to the clinic if there is a problem, once they get past a year if everything has been normal.

however, my bariatric center is just as local for me as my PCP so I will continue to see them. I do have the PCP, bariatric team and my oncology clinic doctors coordinate their lab work so there's no double dipping going on.