How did you choose your doctor?

[semausmom 3]

I'm considering bariatric surgery (lap band). I found three doctors in my area who perform the surgery. Did you visit several doctors before you made your final choice? How did you narrow it down to one? The doctors that I found conduct free orientation sessions, but charge a fee for the initial visit.

[catfish87 3,471]

My PCP recommended my surgeon. I then contacted his office and scheduled to attend one of his FREE seminars. Then visited with the actual surgeon about two weeks later. Felt really comfortable with the discussions and his experience. I think years of experience and numbers of procedures done would be 2nd and 3rd on my list of things to consider today. A surgeon who has access AND USES fluoroscopy for ALL adjustments would be my number one recommendation. I would NEVER recommend a doctor who still does "blind fills".

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

Don't waste your time with the lap band. My surgeon doesn't even do then anymore. Read the band to sleeve forum for many more opinions on the band.

I had a band for several years...now having to do a revision to sleeve.

Edited June 18, 2015 by AvalonNeeCee

[Blue1213 122]

I chose the hospital in my area that had a bariatric program. It's a well respected hospital and they recommended a surgeon to me. I went in thinking I wanted a lap band and he quickly persuaded me into getting the sleeve. Really glad I did. I don't think he even performs lap band surgery anymore, just removals.

[catfish87 3,471]

Don't waste your time with the lap band. My surgeon doesn't even do then anymore. Read the band to sleeve forum for many more opinions on the band.

@@AvalonNeeCee

So because you say your surgeon doesn't do lapband anymore, you think that's a reason not to get one??????

Who is your surgeon? Why doesn't he/she do them?

I find it almost comical you would post such a reply to someone who is asking for advice on HOW WE. ...THOSE OF US WHO HAVE IT, selected our surgeons. Some of us are very successful and HAPPY with our lapband results.

[semausmom 3]

I appreciate the info! Thanks!

[gowalking 10,790]

Same here. My PCP gave me the name of a group from a center of excellence in bariatric surgery. I saw one doctor specifically based on a friend who used her. I was very comfortable with her and decided to go ahead with this doctor and group. I'm very fortunate in that I live in a major city so finding a doctor wasn't going to be an issue. Good luck!

[Sharpie 3,306]

My daughter worked at the hospital in the OR with my surgeon and recommended him. I also had talked to a local lady who had the lapband years ago. She had my surgeon and loved him. He has done thousands of lapbands and has a great reputation. AS far as the statement by the sleever , the sleeve is the flavor of the week, everybody thinks it's great and they have to bash the band to make their point. I did not want 80% of my stomach removed or my intestines re-routed . My decision was mine, My Dr. did all of the surgeries but I chose the lapband. I had my band 2 1/2 years ago, I have not had one problem . I don't appreciate the band bashers .

[bahuber5477 90]

My surgeon sort of chose me because I am a nurse and he's the main bariatric surgeon at the hospital i work in. He's a great friend of mine now and I couldn't be happier! He is an awesome doctor. Whoever you choose please make sure you have a working relationship with them because it makes your experience so much smoother and you feel comfortable asking questions. I, for one, know my doctor would be there for me in a heartbeat if i needed something. I know this from first hand experience...If I call him at home, he's there for me immediately. Thats hard to come by. Trust your doctor before you go into surgery.

[semausmom 3]

Wow! The weight loss stats for the lapbanders and sleevers who responded to this post are amazing! I'm about 80% sure that I want to go with the lap band. My biggest concerns with the lap band is my body rejecting it and the possibility of erosion. My biggest concerns with the sleeve is that it's too new and isn't reversible if there's a complication. I have one more orientation next week and then I'll choose my doctor.

Edited June 16, 2015 by semausmom

[Sharpie 3,306]

do your research and don't depend on comments from anyone . each person has to make their decision based on how they think they will do. The difference is how drastic you want to go. Lapband is no walk in the park either and unless your are sure you can be pretty compliant you may opt for something else. I did not want to have a radical rearrangement of my intestines or removal of my stomach. My husband had esophageal cancer last year and keeping his nutrition up was a major problem. Had he only had 20% of his stomach I doubt he would have survived. long term thinking is important. Lapband is revisable or removable if necessary. the other surgeries are for life.

Wow! The weight loss stats for the lapbanders and sleevers who responded to this post are amazing! I'm about 80% sure that I want to go with the lap band. My biggest concerns with the lap band is my body rejecting it and the possibility of erosion. My biggest concerns with the sleeve is that it's too new and isn't reversible if there's a complication. I have one more orientation next week and then I'll choose my doctor.

[bahuber5477 90]

I also wanted to add additional comments on this post but I was busy when I read it so Ill add my two cents here to. Ok, So its a foreign item added to our bodies..There is a chance it will slip, fail, whatever complication however one thing the lap band did give me was it taught me how to eat. I know how to eat slow, I know how to eat small portions and be satisfied with that, i know how to monitor my Protein intake and basically i learned how to change my relationship with food. This was a hell of a curve ball for me. I am glad that my band helped me with that. I know that if i had to convert to another surgery I would be 100% successful. I also know that I am not at my goal weight yet but I know with the help of my lapband (which I love), a ton of hard work in the gym, good food logging and my fitness pal community, and the support of my doctor, family and friends I will get there!

Just my two cents....i do not regret choosing lapband

Thanks for listening,

Brittany

[snowkitten 371]

AK only has two bariatric surgeons. I heard one was an A** with a clueless team and the other was a knowledgable jerk with a great team. I open for the lesser of two evils lol.

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

I was extremely happy with my lapband results...until it slipped and had to be removed. I just think the person who wrote the post should read some of the lapband to sleeve stories and see the many many reasons why people had to switch. If they find that they still want the lapband that is up to them. My surgeon doesn't put in lap bands anymore because of the plethora of problems with them and the constantly having to do revisions. The statistics on lapbands are getting worse, not better. It may save them some money and aggravation, and time if they just go with a different procedure to begin with, as I wish I had done. My Dr. is among the best and by the best I mean he doesn't lose patients and is safe and cautious with his procedures. I selected my Dr because he has many years of experience, over 20 of those my friend worked for him and knows the statistics for him and for the different procedures. I choose the lap band at the time because I thought of it as not as invasive, easy to adjust (not) and not as permanent of a choice. Well now I am years down the road, had to have the band removed due to slip (as I was warned), lots of $$$ gone, and gaining fast while I wait to have my sleeve done.

I spent hours researching the sleeve and I see both good and bad results, but mostly good. I suggested she go to that forum and read because there are many opinions about the band and the sleeve in addition to mine and I know that my surgery experience is not the only experience that someone should consider. Considering not just my Dr but many Dr's are no longer doing the lap band should also be a warning sign of things to come. Additionally the lap band is not permanent and even with the best success with it eventually it will have to be removed. It is costly to have fills after fill and takes a great deal of time to get it to the sweet spot...and then your body changes and you have to fill it up or down again. Many of us suffered vomiting, phlem balls, indigestion to the point you sleep sitting up, things getting stuck in the band, pain at the port site, etc etc. You may not want to even choose a doctor that still chooses to do lapbands after looking through the forum and doing research on the success and failure of the band. So that is why I responded as I did.

It is important to do research on your procedure choice and look at both the success and failures of your option before you spend money and risk your body. The band was great when I was able to hit my sweet spot, but I threw up almost every day during that time and then discovered it had slipped which required removal of the band. It was my choice at the time, but now there is so much more information, so many more people have lapbands, and more statistics to show the issues with the band. I am sure she/he will make the best choice for their own situation if they do research.

As far as finding a doctor do your research, check their statistics, talk to people that had surgery done by that Doctor, google the Dr. How long have they been doing each procedure that you are considering. Talk to people that had that procedure done and done by him/her. Talk to people that had different procedures done by the Dr you are considering. What are their statistics for losing patients (this is reality, not always Dr fault, but still don't you want to know?) How many times have they performed each procedure? What hospital is used? What is the cost to use that provider? Check the bariatricpal forums for the procedure you want, read both success and failures. Check the forums for having revisions from the surgeries you are considering in case it doesn't work out for you (lapband to sleeve revision forum).

Choosing your Dr often times is a matter of what insurance you have and the providers that take that insurance.

Advocate for yourself and research everything.

And just to be clear I do not regret having the band. It was my choice at the time, but it didn't end as well as I had hoped.

@@catfish87

Edited June 18, 2015 by AvalonNeeCee

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

do your research and don't depend on comments from anyone . each person has to make their decision based on how they think they will do. The difference is how drastic you want to go. Lapband is no walk in the park either and unless your are sure you can be pretty compliant you may opt for something else. I did not want to have a radical rearrangement of my intestines or removal of my stomach. My husband had esophageal cancer last year and keeping his nutrition up was a major problem. Had he only had 20% of his stomach I doubt he would have survived. long term thinking is important. Lapband is revisable or removable if necessary. the other surgeries are for life.

Wow! The weight loss stats for the lapbanders and sleevers who responded to this post are amazing! I'm about 80% sure that I want to go with the lap band. My biggest concerns with the lap band is my body rejecting it and the possibility of erosion. My biggest concerns with the sleeve is that it's too new and isn't reversible if there's a complication. I have one more orientation next week and then I'll choose my doctor.

The lapband is "no walk in the park" It takes months to get the fills to the point where you have any real restriction. I had the most fill allowed before I could feel restriction. After a couple of years I finally lost weight and got to where I wanted to be 110 on 5ft frame. Happy happy...until....lap band slipped and I had to have it removed...lots of quick weight return.. I

have read so many comments from so many people on the sleeve as it is my next surgery. I think if you read the lapband to sleeve revision forum you will better be able to decide if you want to waste time on the lapband first. Many doctors do not even do the lapband anymore due to its failure rates which are becoming more and more apparent as more people are having to do revisions. At the time I wanted the less permanent option because that feels safer, but in the end you may have to deal with a revision, have slippage, have indigestion, have erosion, and many other things that can go wrong with the band. If I can spare you that I would because I have been there and done that.

I read that the weight loss with the sleeve is much more immediate and you really start to see results quickly. In my experience with the band I lost during my pre surgery diet, then the first couple of weeks after surgery because swollen and sore, but then I could eat and I did. It took over a year for the fills to be tight enough to restrict my eating and finally stop gaining and start loosing. They only can put so much in each time they fill you. When I finally was at a point that I loved my weight I had the vomiting issues. I put up with that for months because I didn't want to gain. Had regurgitation, indigestion etc. Finally had to get band loosened as I couldn't keep anything down...turns out band had slipped...removal......

You will read of many people that still love their band and have been successful, as there are many. But please consider that this is something that they may have to have removed at some point and there are complications with removal of bands, especially that have been in the body for a long time. Please take the time to read up on revisions, check statistics, and talk to people that have had the band and both love it and hate it. Cause even those that love their band as I did have to admit it took awhile to work, and they may have other issues such as the reflux and regurgitation. whatever you decide I wish you the best. Just please do your research, as you seem to be doing, so you can feel what you choose was best for you with no regrets, even if you end up doing a revision later on. And you will if that becomes your option, because you are going to love being smaller and healthier. Best of luck to you and always happy to chat about my experience.

Edited June 18, 2015 by AvalonNeeCee