Hi everyone...I'm curious to know what everyone thinks that follow up care SHOULD be like? What services do you wish your surgeon's office offered? What do they offer you now that you find very valuable?

I have a meeting with my surgeon in a couple of weeks and I'd like to bring him information like this to help him better serve his patients.

Thanks!!

Megan

My surgeon has me scheduled for a fill every 6 weeks, but I think it should be according to the message I'm getting from my band. The time span is too general, I think it should definately be on a personal basis. A gentleman who was banded the same day as me and who has lost twice as much weight is prob way ready for a fill.

Also, my wls center is new to lapband and they've got all the support and preop classes merged and I feel each is totally seperate and should have their own respective classes.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know, because I'd like my surgeon to have a copy of what you come up with.

Thanks for the good thread.

In office flouro fills!!!! I'm sick to death of the hospital!

No charge for the fills, just an office visit! lol

All surgeon's should have a nurse and or nurses to triage post-op health issues and should have their office staff trained in customer service.

I also think that fills for the first year should be included in the cost for surgery.

Darcy

I think the doctor should personally call each and every patient the day after surgery. There's nothing more comforting after such trauma than hearing from the surgeon. And his staff should call patients maybe after a month, 6 months, a year. Something like that. And same-day returned calls for emergencies, or next-day return calls for non-emergencies, no excuses.

Oh Boy!!!!

To have one of the office staff trained in taking fills out in emergencies!!!

Perfect follow up care would, first and foremost, be adequate lines of communication. You should be encouraged to call your surgeon's office in the event of any change or problem. Once the surgery is over, and once you've been sent on your way, your surgeon should carefully let you know that the surgery isn't the end of the process, but the beginning. You should be made to understand that it is the follow up care that insures success, or invites failure. You should not feel that you're on your own now.