1st meeting with md and have questions

sunshine6855 · May 8, 2007

The doc that does the surgery in my town has done laproscopic surgery for 10 years, gastric bypass 10 years, rny with laproscopic surgery 3 year (about 150) and started lap band in December and has done 25. He has an excellent reputation as a surgeon here locally and would go to him for gall bladder surg via lap when it comes time. I would have to travel 150 miles for a more experience lap band surgeon and followup. Do you think all the experience with lap surg and lap bypass qualifies for experience with lap band. This is a very serious question. He has had no surgical complications, slippages, erosions, or infections and has been trained and certified by the band makers. Please give me honest feedback. I really want the surgery but want to be safe and in good hands.

JeninCO · May 8, 2007

It sounds like he's very experienced, and if he has a lot of laparoscopic and gastric behind him, you should be fine. Talk to some of his current patients, see what they say!

anonemouse · May 8, 2007

In my opinion, I think you should try to find a surgeon with more experience. He's only done lap-bands for 6 months. To me, that just isn't long enough. I had the option of choosing a surgeon that was 2 1/2 hours away from me or one that was 8 hours away. I chose the one that was 8 hours away, just because she was much more experienced with lap-band surgery. I think even the manufacturer of the lap-band requires that surgeons perform more than 100 lap-band surgeries before they consider them to be "experts". After all, a surgeon only has to perform 3 lap-band surgeries to be certified.

It's like with any surgery. You want the surgeon to be as experienced as possible when you are putting your life in his hands.

conniecash · May 8, 2007

The lap band is different than other surgeries, I would find someone more experienced. I have a surgeon only 10 minutes from my house but he has only done around 300. The surgeon I chose has done 3,000 and is 1 hr away. Go with experience!!

violeteyes37 · May 8, 2007

Experience is very important but you also have to consider the travel time. What if you are having some type of complication or another and cant get there? Plus like you said he has done gastric for 10 years. In my opinion, it seems doing a lap band would be a piece of cake for him. Plus he wouldnt have been certified if he didnt know what he was doing. Another thing to think of is that he is not going to be the only one in the room. Im sure someone else though they may not be the one doing the surgery have seen one done and could assist him if the need be.

JeninCO · May 8, 2007

Before you go traveling (possibly needlessly) 150 miles, I personally would ask other patients of this surgeon about their experiences and I would talk more to this doctor about his comfort level with lap bands.

If this surgeon is well respected within the community and has done many other laparascopic surgeries (esp. gastric bypass, which is far more complicated than the lap band) then I would go for it. Remember you have to have follow up visits and fills after your surgery and traveling that far if you don't have to is just more time taken away from your life.

Good luck!