Dr. Barr in Sudbury, Ont.

[Jordhana 0]

Hi everyone,

I have some good news for people who live in and around Sudbury. Dr. Barr's office left a message on my voice mail earlier today and said that he would be doing the procedure himself in the near future!!! So we wouln't have to go out of town back and forth for fills and defills. Now I know what you're thinking....he's not experienced at this right? BUT, if anything goes wrong, HE IS RIGHT HERE TO FIX IT!! And I know he's a good and caring doctor cause I've been to him once before and I like him very much!

This is such a good day! :clap2:

Any comments??

Jordhana

[Yoda 0]

That is good news....in the long run. But, personally, I wouldn't have lined up to be one of his first few hundred patients!! But....it is a personal thing...and that is just me. Logically, I know these surgeons have to start somewhere and start on someone....but it wouldn't be me!

[argon 3]

I think you're slightly nuts (in the nicest possible way). I live 15 million PROVINCES away from my surgeon (as do ALOT of us). You don't need to live next door to your surgeon.... you don't need to be in the same city. It's nice, but not necessary. There's nothing band related that could happen that you couldn't have a few days of time to get there to see them. (any hospital would be able to do an emerg. defill, if you needed it ASAP) It's nice to support a new guy, cause yeah, all our surgeons were new once too... and someone's gotta go first... but like Yoda, I don't want it to be me either. Don't pick a surgeon cause he's the closest.

I just checked to see how far Sudbury is from the TO area. 4 hours? Dude, I'd kill to be 4 hours from Dr. Cobourn. I drove 4 hours (8 total) yesterday for a fill. And several months ago, I flew from Moncton to Toronto for a DAY for a fill, cause I had no other options.

99% of us here are coming up with the money for this surgery on our own, so really, if you're worried, save, borrow, steal and extra thousand or 2 and put it away for the odd flight ($145 one way) to Toronto you have to take (and that only if you'd rather fly than drive). I'm not rich.... if I didn't have help (or full backing, rather), I wouldn't have been able to pay for this surgery.... if I didn't have a Visa, I wouldn't be able to spend $500 in one shot to go to TO. But I do it, cause I got an awesome surgeon who knew what he was doing, and all this pain in the ass has been worth it.

So yeah, that's my comment, and the moral is: Go to someone we've all heard of and that you've actually heard good things from other patients about, and quit complaining about being 4 hours away from the experienced ones. :myscared:

[susieq321 31]

There are pros and cons to being first and being up there in the numbers. I was roughly patient numbre 50-60 that Joffe and Yau banded. I know patient numbr 2-3 and they never had problems and that is 2-3 in the country not just with that surgeon. They say you should wait until after patient 50 because by patient 50 most docs have seen all different types of stomachs, and insides etc and they have placed enough bands to eliminate the possibility of most complications.

But someone has to be the first 50 patients.. My advice as someone who has had complications is ask questions, like your doctor, seriously like your doctor you are going to have a lifetime relationship with them and make sure you are comfy with their staff. I would ask him if you are a complication who fixes it, who pays, etc. I would also ask what post op support he is offering, it is so important to have a good post op experience because that will help make or break some people.

Good luck and argon is right for peace of mind 4 hours is nothing to drive for fills and support. Most of all make sure you are comfy with what you decide.