HELP! What did you ask your surgeon?

[hernewselfie 43]

I have my pre op appointment with surgeon next Monday (9/12) and I am making a list of things to ask him but I need help. What all did you ask your surgeon at your pre op appointment? Tell me everything! I am having bypass also so if you had that please let me know why you chose that over sleeve because I am writing those points down as well Thank you!!!

[doabeachedmermaid 1]

Hey! I haven't had my pre-op surgeon appt yet but at the nurse practitioner appt I definitely had a bunch of questions. Here's a few:

- Based on my body type, etc...what percentage of excess body weight could I expect to see in the best situation?

- What exercises are best post-op? Do you usually suggest Water aerobics, yoga, etc? Which are better than others to help promote healing?

- Is there an emergency line that I can call specifically for bariatric patients?

- What type of clothing should I wear post-op at the hospital and at home following the hospital?

- How long do you expect me to stay at the hospital?

- How much movement can I expect to be doing during the first few days post-op?

- What are the signs and symptoms of something going wrong post-op?

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I have my pre op appointment with surgeon next Monday (9/12) and I am making a list of things to ask him but I need help. What all did you ask your surgeon at your pre op appointment? Tell me everything! I am having bypass also so if you had that please let me know why you chose that over sleeve because I am writing those points down as well Thank you!!!

Frankly, I didn't go to my first pre-op appointment with a lot of questions. I did a lot of listening and most of my questions came from that. If you don't understand something then ask for clarification until you understand clearly. Take notes.

If you have made up your mind about a procedure before even talking to your surgeon, then be prepared to hear him out and ask questions if he has a different recommendation.

[KristenLe 5,979]

Ask what pre-op testing they require, how long will you be out of work, are there meds you'll need to stop taking, possible complications, etc.

[hernewselfie 43]

Hey! I haven't had my pre-op surgeon appt yet but at the nurse practitioner appt I definitely had a bunch of questions. Here's a few:

- Based on my body type, etc...what percentage of excess body weight could I expect to see in the best situation?

- What exercises are best post-op? Do you usually suggest Water aerobics, yoga, etc? Which are better than others to help promote healing?

- Is there an emergency line that I can call specifically for bariatric patients?

- What type of clothing should I wear post-op at the hospital and at home following the hospital?

- How long do you expect me to stay at the hospital?

- How much movement can I expect to be doing during the first few days post-op?

- What are the signs and symptoms of something going wrong post-op?

Those are great! THANK YOU!

[Loudy227 96]

I asked my surgeon how many bariatric surgeries he does. (Six a week was the answer). And how many of each type of surgery. I had the duodenal switch, so I wanted an experienced surgeon for that particular surgery.

I read that you might take it as a warning sign if your surgeon is offended by that question. Mine was totally comfortable.

Also ask, if it's relevant to your, which surgery will help diabetes or other health conditions you might have. I went in asking for a RNY, and my surgeon said the DS surgery has a better outcome for diabetics and those looking to lose more than 70% of their excess weight. The gastric sleeve might not be best for those with severe GERD. I believe that gastric sleeve is the most popular surgery and there's been a lot of success with it.

Good luck on your journey!

Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

My surgeon actually gave an I depth overview of everything: experience, process, how to avoid complications, etc., etc. He has done thousands of successful surgeries so he really was thorough. He offered much more information I would have even known to ask about.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

I didn't have a lot of questions for my surgeon at my first appt because I had gotten them all answered at the seminar. There were 3 of us there that night so we had a chance to ask all sorts of questions that perhaps would be lost to a bigger group. I asked him about how many patients he had lost either during the procedure or the following 6 months. I asked why they leave the stomach that was detached from the pouch in. I asked what the long term prognosis for keeping the weight off was, the highest weight he would operate on(I was 429lbs at that point and afraid I was too big to get the operation locally). I asked about the straw thing and just anything that came to mind. You need to walk into this knowing all the risks and benefits and intricate details you wonder about because this will be a huge adjustment to your life and you need to make your decision based on facts and not fantasy-not that I think you are, but wow there were people in our pre op surgery class eating doughnuts and drinking soda and thinking they would be able to return to that "and just eat less total" after surgery and arguing with the nutritionist and she told them they absolutely could not drink soda or expect to eat doughnuts without consequences. I chose the RNY. I did ask my surgeon for his opinion and he told me either would be a good choice for me, but with my starting weight as high as it was, that I would get the maximum benefit from RNY as the fact I had a history of reflux meant that I wouldn't be needing a second op later to convert to RNY should it become worse-as it often does with the sleeve. I knew I only wanted to do it once and do it to the best of my ability. Something interesting he said in chatting had me knowing RNY was better for me was that cancer runs in my family. If you get esophageal cancer-as is common with reflux patients like I was, they can use the lining of the old stomach to repair and rebuild your esophagus down the road. If you have the sleeve, the extra stomach is removed and with it your best chance for a solid repair that wouldn't be easily rejected since it's part of your own body. To me that is important. Good luck at your appointment. It really for me was the best decision of my life.