Hi all! I have my consultation visit with the VSG surgeon I'd like to use in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to compile a list of questions to ask him. Outside of the number of surgeries and the number of patients with complications, what other questions should I be asking? I know there are plenty but when it comes down to me remembering to write them down when I think of them... well... oooh look a shiny thing! ????

Ask them about an abdominal band if the insurance covers it and will they have it there after surgery.

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Well, I will be self-pay, so basically ask the cost of that item? ☺

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You can just wear spanx or something you don't have to wear a binder.

I'm sitting here now trying to create a list as well. My appointment is in 10 days. So far all I have is:

how long is the procedure. complications during and after.

healing time.

if my smoking is an issue.

His mortality rate.

How long will I be in hospital.

What do post op appt consist of.

Do I really have to do 6 months of evaluation.

That's all I have as of now. Hoping to see others replies in case I'm missing something important.

Not sure if your name reflects the year of your marriage. You may want to ask about pregnancy after your surgery. I have no intention of any more kids. 3 teenage boys are plenty for me lol.

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I'm sitting here now trying to create a list as well. My appointment is in 10 days. So far all I have is:

how long is the procedure. complications during and after.

healing time.

if my smoking is an issue.

His mortality rate.

How long will I be in hospital.

What do post op appt consist of.

Do I really have to do 6 months of evaluation.

That's all I have as of now. Hoping to see others replies in case I'm missing something important.

Not sure if your name reflects the year of your marriage. You may want to ask about pregnancy after your surgery. I have no intention of any more kids. 3 teenage boys are plenty for me lol.

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No kids for me! I ended up having to have a hysterectomy five years ago for cervical cancer, so it's just me, the hubby and fur babies!

I'm sitting here now trying to create a list as well. My appointment is in 10 days. So far all I have is:

how long is the procedure. complications during and after.

healing time.

if my smoking is an issue.

His mortality rate.

How long will I be in hospital.

What do post op appt consist of.

Do I really have to do 6 months of evaluation.

That's all I have as of now. Hoping to see others replies in case I'm missing something important.

Not sure if your name reflects the year of your marriage. You may want to ask about pregnancy after your surgery. I have no intention of any more kids. 3 teenage boys are plenty for me lol.

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No kids for me! I ended up having to have a hysterectomy five years ago for cervical cancer, so it's just me, the hubby and fur babies!

First off, congrats on getting rid of cancer! I hope and pray it never shows its ugly self within your body ever again.

Fur babies are the best ain't they? After 3 boys (practically men) I got a baby long hair calico cat. She's 4 yrs now. But still my baby.

Self pay huh? I would ask for discounts! No seriously. I would. I was reading another post where parts of your surgery may be tax deductible. (Vitamins, binders etc) I don't think the surgeon himself has those answers but I'm sure the Cordinator does.

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What, if any, pre-op dieting regimen do they use? Surgeons vary all over the map on what they require, from nothing at all beyond the usual day before pre-surgery thing to weeks of liquid only fasting.

Personally, I would avoid any of these guys that do the weeks of liquids only dieting as you want to be as strong as possible going into major surgery, and fasting for weeks doesn't do it.

A complete list of all contingencies for worst case.

Since you are self pay, you may be on the hook for any complications from the surgery. KNOW how much that could cost.

[NOTE: I'm a single dad, I needed to know what could happen so I could plan out contingencies for my kids. Finances are important, and I needed to understand what insurance would cover even though I self paid the surgery in Mexico]

Smoking will be an issue.

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You should find out about the pre op and post op diets if you don't have that already.

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I've heard dive offices make you but tier protein powders/shakes. Ask if that is a requirement or if you can just simply buy them on your own.

Ugh. Buy their *

Smoking Is an issue due to complications healing

The 6 month thing is insurance. So probably No

Why are you going with the VSG versus the RNY? Not trying to be nosey

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I'm sitting here now trying to create a list as well. My appointment is in 10 days. So far all I have is:

how long is the procedure. complications during and after.

healing time.

if my smoking is an issue.

His mortality rate.

How long will I be in hospital.

What do post op appt consist of.

Do I really have to do 6 months of evaluation.

That's all I have as of now. Hoping to see others replies in case I'm missing something important.

Not sure if your name reflects the year of your marriage. You may want to ask about pregnancy after your surgery. I have no intention of any more kids. 3 teenage boys are plenty for me lol.

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My doctor requires quitting smoking at least 30 days prior to surgery or he won't do it. The test during the pre-op panels and will straight up cancel the surgery.

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What, if any, pre-op dieting regimen do they use? Surgeons vary all over the map on what they require, from nothing at all beyond the usual day before pre-surgery thing to weeks of liquid only fasting.

Personally, I would avoid any of these guys that do the weeks of liquids only dieting as you want to be as strong as possible going into major surgery, and fasting for weeks doesn't do it.

the purpose of liquid diet before surgery is to reduce the size of your liver so that it wont be as close to your stomach and in danger of getting nicked...my liquid diet included Protein shakes, which i used a blender, Protein powder and almond milk and i was allowed to have sugar free, fat free pudding, so i mixed chocolate pudding with shake and it was pretty good and pallettable.... i had surgery on monday night, was done at 9:30 and was awake and up walking around at 12:30-1:00 am, home now and all going well, dr.s said routine surgery, no complications.

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the purpose of liquid diet before surgery is to reduce the size of your liver so that it wont be as close to your stomach and in danger of getting nicked...my liquid diet included Protein shakes, which i used a blender, protein powder and almond milk and i was allowed to have sugar free, fat free pudding, so i mixed chocolate pudding with shake and it was pretty good and pallettable.... i had surgery on monday night, was done at 9:30 and was awake and up walking around at 12:30-1:00 am, home now and all going well, dr.s said routine surgery, no complications.

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The liver shrinking thing is something of a debatable point within the bariatric community these days, with the current concensus being that no diet of a couple weeks makes a notable difference in the size of a diseased liver. What can be improved is the reduction of a slime coat that forms on the surface of a fatty liver, making it easier to handle for some. The normal protocol for this is a low carbohydrate diet, typically consisting of leaner meats and non-starchy vegetables. Some programs will substitute a meal or two per day with a Protein Shake to get patients used to them for their post-op world, but an all liquid diet provides no real benefit toward this goal. The surgeons who impose these all liquid diets seem to have something else in mind, but I have never found any good reference to it. It might be a belief in it helping get patients ready for weeks of post-op liquids that some use or may simply be a legacy of past practices ("that's the way we've always done it.")

My experience has been that the surgeons who routinely do some of the most complex bariatric procedures and revisions generally don't need their patients to do these diets, even the very heaviest, implying that they're bringing tools and experiences to the table that negate the need for such pre-op treatment. These docs also tend to have more rapid post-op progressions as well, often starting with soft foods in the hospital or after only a few days of liquids rather than weeks; our info binder states that their experience has been that patients tend to do better the sooner they move from the supplements/shakes into real food.

This is why I tend to look a program's pre- and post-op dietary practices as a window (one of several) on their skills and experiences.

Congrats on your routine surgery and recovery, and keep up the sip,sip,sipping and the walkies!