Finding a gastro 10 y post op?

[Redsfan19 36]

I’m at almost a decade post op and moved away years ago from where I had RNY surgery. Over the past six months I e had repeated abdominal pain that my Dr keeps trying me on Pepcid for and is referring me to a gastroenterologist. I’d like to find one with experience/interest working w post- bariatric patients but most bariatric specialists are surgeons. Anyone else dealt with this? Particularly in the Phoenix area? Ty!

[RickM 1,747]

A general gastroenterologist should be fine for starters - with the bypass being the most common current and legacy bariatric procedure, most should have a reasonable amount of experience with cases such as yours, and be familiar with the common maladies (such as marginal ulcers.) They are usually the ones to do an initial EGD (endoscopy) to take a look and see what's going on inside. If necessary, they can then refer you to a specialist interventional endoscopy center, usually associated with a major regional cancer center hospital. Such hospitals usually have a bariatric practice associated with the cancer center, and they are often a good place to go for more unusual cases as they tend to see a wider variety of odd cases; while they, too, tend to be primarily surgeons, they usually have a broader staff of specialists beyond surgeons, though sometimes they may require a referral from a generalist - step one, your general gastroenterologist.

Another step you can consider is to try to establish a relationship with a local bariatric practice for annual follow ups - some practices actively encourage this, while others are more cut and done type of practice. My wife and I still see (12 years out for me, 18 for her) our bariatric practice, which is 5-6 hours away, but they have long done telephone consults, but it does serve as a means of keeping them "on retainer" in the event that questions such as this come up - we, or our PCP, can call or email the doc with questions about these types of situations (is this a common thing for your patients, is there something else I should be looking for, etc.?) Check and see if any local practices have support groups open to others beyond their patients as an entry point, and to see if they have a long term interest in their craft.