What did you NEED to know from your docs?

[recreatingcate 132]

Hi everybody!

I'm relatively new here, so real quick: I'm Cate, 24, and looking at a January '17 surgery. I had my consult today, and will have my initial meeting with the surgeon in a little less than a month! EEK! I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed, and I'm making lists of things to ask my NUT and my surgeon.

What were questions YOU asked your NUT and surgeon, that you felt you needed answered before surgery could happen? I know these questions exist, but I'm drawing blanks!

[futurefeatherweight 64]

I talked to a couple of different surgeons efore deciding which surgeon to choose and what weight loss surgery to have. For me, seeing improvement in my diabetes was the most important thing, even more important than losing a large amount of weight. So I stated my goal and expectations and then asked the surgeon which surgery he would recommend for me and why. The surgeon may also ask you if you are ok with the idea of an irreversible surgery (vsg) vs reversible (gastric bypass or lap band) or if the idea of an implanted device (lap band) makes you uncomfortable to help him suggest the best option for you.

If weight loss is your biggest concern, ask about how much weight the surgeon would expect that you will lose with the surgery. Ask about the success rate and the rate of complications. Ask about the pre-op and post-op diet requirements and expected length of recovery. Be sure to inquire about the surgeon's pre-op requirements because there are some surgeons that make you go to several months of classes and weigh ins before they deem you ready for surgery (sometimes this is because of insurance requirements which cannot be avoided and other times it is just part of the surgeon's standard plan).

One of the surgeons that I met with would have had me jumping through hoops for months collecting fees all along the way. The surgeon that I ultimately went with was upfront and very easy to work with.

[Sai 785]

I asked what size bougie do they use (mine doesn't use bougies but they use the endoscope instead). I also asked what percentage of the stomach they remove since doctors have different techniques and the size of my stomach would be at the end (MTV). Most of my questions were surgery specific questions.

Other questions that weren't surgery specific was whether the 30-30 Water rule applied to Protein shakes (It doesn't). Hmm, what else? Calorie goals once I'm cleared for solid foods. How long I'd be at the hospital after surgery. Could they give me extra anti-nausea meds after surgery since I am prone to nausea anyway (and motion sickness)

Things like that.