Hello everyone. This is one of my first real post as a potential fellow lapbander! I was just approved by my insurance this week.

My question to those of you who are already on the other side of being banded ....what are some questions you wished you had asked at your first surgery consult?

I will meet my surgeon -- Dr. Norbert Richardson at the New Start Program in St. Louis -- for the first time this Tuesday for a consult. I know a little of what to expect since my friend (in another part of the country) was banded in May. But I'm still researching and learning and I'm almost overwhelmed as to what to ask. From what I understand, this might be the only time I actually see my surgeon until after I'm banded.

Can anyone help me? I'd love to get a rolling list going.

you can get alot of good info from this web site and peoples own personal experiences. read alot and write down all ques.i would def ask how many of these surgeries he has performed and how successful were his patients. ask what to expect the first 3 wks and when can you get your first fill, how many cc's will your band hold. i waited 6 wks post op. is this performed in the office or do you have to go to the or?1st fill i went to or, now i will have it done in the office. this is the best thing i ever did and have no regrets, i actually have to fold the waist to my jeans down becasue they were falling off me. 40 pounds --banded 06/20/2008. good luck to you....irish:thumbup:

Thanks for the good questions. I do know from my research that my surgeon is the head of the program and he has done over 1000 bariatric surgeries since 2003, a majority of them lap band.

Here are some of the questions that I asked:

1. How many cases of MRSA have you had post op?

2. How many "flipped" or displaced ports have you had?

3. What do you feel like is the cause of patient's failure to lose weight with the band? (he said "ice cream")

4. Will I be able to have an NG tube if I am critically ill?

5. Can I have an MRI?

6. How do you do your fills?

7. Who does your fills?

8. How do you determine when fills are needed?

9. What is the most common problem that you see with lapband patients post op?

10. How long will I have to stay in the hospital?

11. What brand of bands do you use?

Edited September 28, 200817 yr by JWRN

Those are all very good questions -- that is exactly what I'm looking for -- but was is an MRSA?

MRSA is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a strain of Staph infection that is resistant to treatment with antibiotics. It can be passed from patient to patient if proper hand washing, etc., (basic healthcare cleaniness guidelines) is not done by your health care team. Patients with open wounds, weak immune systems, etc,. are more susceptible to it. It's just something to be aware of and is one of the risks that goes along with surgery.

Hope this helps.

bambam

Hello everyone. This is one of my first real post as a potential fellow lapbander! I was just approved by my insurance this week.

My question to those of you who are already on the other side of being banded ....what are some questions you wished you had asked at your first surgery consult?

I will meet my surgeon -- Dr. Norbert Richardson at the New Start Program in St. Louis -- for the first time this Tuesday for a consult. I know a little of what to expect since my friend (in another part of the country) was banded in May. But I'm still researching and learning and I'm almost overwhelmed as to what to ask. From what I understand, this might be the only time I actually see my surgeon until after I'm banded.

Can anyone help me? I'd love to get a rolling list going.

Trayrenee... ask if they prescribe EMEND the night before surgery. EMEND is a drug that is normally given to chemo patients to keep them from being sick so much. It is a wonder drug! I have extreme sensitivity to anesthesia - always spend hours and hours throwing up - no matter what they give me. Well, I took the Emend at 8:00 the night before surgery and not only did I not feel sick at all, but the anesthesia cleared my body LOTS faster.

Good luck!

Barbara