Many of us have traveled a different path to find a surgeon. Did you find yours because of a recommendation of your primary care physician? Did you choose yours because of a friend's recommendation? Did you apply to a certain bariatric program and they assigned yours to you? Or did you travel a different path yet?

First I checked where I could go with my insurance. I am lucky to live in a major metropolitan area (Chicago) so I had a ton of choices. A friend of the family had his done and almost died due to medical negligence so I checked what hospital he went to and crossed that one off my list. I asked a high school friend where hers was done. I also did a ton of research. Which hospital had the best bariatric program, how many surgeries had the surgeons performed, etc. I ended up choosing Dr. Prachand from University of Chicago and I'm glad I did. I did not have a recommendation from my primary care physician or anything.

Neri do you live close to where the 9/11,plane went down? I think,that is where I've heard of Shippenburg from

10 minutes ago, Frustr8 said:

Neri do you live close to where the 9/11,plane went down? I think,that is where I've heard of Shippenburg from

No, that's about two and a half hours from where I live. I'm actually from Shippenville, not Shippensburg. They're close enough in name to get confused though.

And a lesser known fact, Mrs Benedict Arnold's name was Peggy Shippen. I may have misplaced you in Pennsylvania , but I Am Certain Of!

My surgeon would take me.
As a Revision, many surgeons didn’t want to touch another’s work. Especially since the other, very accomplished surgeon, is still practicing in the metroplex. I had no problems with the original other than no longer wishing to drive two hours in horrible traffic for every appointment and using a hospital so far from home. 12 years ago, when I got my band, that was the only option available.
My PCP worked the phones until she persuaded someone local, that she trusted, to see me. And here we are!

The program at my local hospital is highly rated and my friend had her VSG there so that was an easy choice. They assigned me to a doctor. I liked her and she’s done 500+ VSGs. She’s willing to try to do it laparoscopically through a single incision in my bellybutton, which is what I want. And I’m an education snob and she went to Penn and Cornell. She gives me a good feeling of competence.

Hey @MattZ my local community hospital is going to venture into Bariatrics, thought you' d like to know, I haven't met or know the name of but I'm told she was a Rhode Islander, came from your hospital. Person telling me, I nodded my head , said I know it's good, I have a friend MattZ whose surgery was there.

On 09/20/2018 at 18:32, Frustr8 said:

Neri do you live close to where the 9/11,plane went down? I think,that is where I've heard of Shippenburg from

You may have heard of it because of the college. ?

Yep you might be right at that. Is it in the same conference as Allegheny or Slippery Rock? Love some of those Pennsylvania collegenames.???

The practice I am going to had three surgeons on staff. I got one that I sort of didn't like, but he had 1000's of operations under his 40 years of practicing, so I felt comfortable, safety-wise. Well, he retired a month into my process and I got his replacement, a much younger guy. I actually like him a lot more. He is less experienced, but is one of the pioneers of robotic laparoscopic gastric bypass and I may actually be the first patient at this hospital to have it done.

The practice itself is very thorough. They have several nutritionists, a psychiatrist on-staff, they are a Bariatric Center of Excellence, they have support groups, speakers that come in, they have annual Christmas celebrations for patients, they sell shakes/vitamins on-site, and are very responsive. They are an "all-in-one" place and I like that.

I went to a bariatric seminar to get information on bariatric surgery. One of the surgeons gave the talk, since then she has been the one who has ordered all of my tests, so I am thinking she will be the surgeon who will do my surgery but not sure at this point.

My answer is a bit different. I’ll try to answer without too many back stories.

My surgeon performed WLS on both my mother and brother in the past three years. I’ve seen how he deals with them. Great character.

When I was struggling with weight loss, he was happy to meet for coffee and discuss my options (I didn’t meet minimum requirements for WLS). However, he pushed for me to get the sleeve and argued family history and pre-diabetic stages.

So here I was, lower BMI than most WLS patients, with everything to prove I was on a healthy diet (1200 calories a day) and exercising with a trainer six days a week, still gaining weight steadily (66 lbs in one year), and frustrated as crazy with my body.

He pushed and argued my case to everyone. And now, 2.5 months post-op, I’m 20 lbs away from my normal weight, and it’s all thanks to him. The doctor who fought for me.

Isabella I am very happy for you. It has to make you feel good to have such a caring doctor to push for your health they way your doctor did for you. Congratulations. ?

Thanks, Aggi. I was extremely lucky with him, and I know now to never take for granted the way he pushed for me. I wish more doctors were like him!

So how did YOU pick your surgeon, anyone else want to chime in?