OMG! Finally got initial consultation

[Tisa 52]

sooo i've been aiming to have this surgery for a good year and a half now and I finally got the ball rolling, I'll be talking to doctor Angus Lambros at the Nassau Uni Medical Center Oct 15th .. I'm a little nervous because I haven't read anything on here about him, and when I went online to furiously stalk him all I found was an old court case about a woman who had the bypass, had a leak and tried to sue him for malpractice, not a good sign at all

I'm kind of excited but super nervous.... and also kind of wary, i mean every surgeon has had some leaks right? The next nearest doctor my insurance is in network with is all the way in NYC a good 3 hours from me.

I dunno... what was your initial consult like? What should I expect/prepare

[SuperFab 689]

Hi there! I had my consult and talked to my surgeon extensively. I asked how many VSG's she's done, how many leaks she's had, what types of pre-op tests are needed, what is used to close my incisions, etc. I suggest you make a list of all of your questions beforehand. Your doctor should be open and honest with you and if you feel like he/she isn't, then go elsewhere. I make a 2 hour drive to see mine and its worth every minute. Take a calendar bc you will be making other appts.

After the consult with my surgeon, I talked to a coordinator. He and I sat down and made all of my NUT appts, my psych appt, a support group appt, an appt with a physical therapist and an appt to go to one of their support groups. It is a 2 hr drive for me so some of my appts were on the same days as other NUT appts (I need 3, each a month apart). So, for example, I have a NUT appt on the 30th@10am, then at 1pm I will see the physical therapist, etc.

They gave me a binder with every phone number I'd possibly need and lots of info, plus a copy of everything we went over and everything I agreed to.

I'm so excited, yet scared, but ready to get this thing started so I can head towards a healthier me. I hope I helped at least a little. Good luck, April

[Jerzygurl 372]

During your consult. The doctor should share their history with you. I know mine did. He went over all the surgery percentages on a large scale and where he ranked with respect to leaks, weight regain, support, other medical issues as well as mortality rates. Thank goodness, he's had no one die..but he was very open and very honest...about his stats vs the overall averages. I feel completely confident and comfortable with him.