My doctor doesn't do single incision - should I find a new one?

[Fitted T 3]

I'm planning for surgery this summer and asked the doctors office if they do single or multi incision. They said they only do multi. I feel like I'd prefer the single to have less scars but I don't know of another doctor in my area that does the surgery. Will the scars not be that big of a deal or is it worth it to find another doctor who does single incision?

Thanks!

[Frikinanni 17]

I have 5 small incisions on my stomach in a star shape. I was also initially concerned about my scars but they’re pretty small and not that big of a deal- at least to me.

[Creekimp13 5,840]

Compared to the stretch marks and loose skin....the teenie little scars are a moot point. To me, anyway.

Another thing to consider....single incision procedures are newer, and surgeons haven't done hundreds or even thousands of them in their careers....like multi incision procedures.

I want my doctor to be VERY experienced with what s/he is doing when they're working next to my spleen.

food for thought.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Creekimp13

[kakatlady612 1,053]

I haven't had my surgery yet but compared to the stretch marks I have from carrying and birthing 3 9lb babies 5 more teensie tiny scars- nothing!! I have an 5 inch long abdominal scar from a gallbladder-appendix removal 30+ years ago, it healed to a fine line and these will too. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Go with the multiple incision your surgeon recommends.

Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

[sillykitty 10,780]

I wouldn't worry about it. 4 of the 5 incisions are really tiny, and I don;t think they will scar at all. Certainly nothing I'd change surgeons over. I'd suggest using scar gel, after they have closed, if you are concerned. This is the one I have and am planning to use, https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TBYW74/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

My scars aren't even visible. stretch marks were worse, but even those are very faded now.

[Sleeve1stFitNext 924]

I have 5 incisions and compared to my loose skin, it is nothing. Once I have my stomach fixed, I may be left with just 2 or 3. I have no complaints here.

[Seahawks Fan 771]

3 hours ago, Fitted T said:

I'm planning for surgery this summer and asked the doctors office if they do single or multi incision. They said they only do multi. I feel like I'd prefer the single to have less scars but I don't know of another doctor in my area that does the surgery. Will the scars not be that big of a deal or is it worth it to find another doctor who does single incision?

Thanks!

Good luck with that! If you have endoscopic sleeve surgery you’ll have no incisions but laparoscopic is almost always 5 incisions.

[sleevedin2018 41]

I'm planning for surgery this summer and asked the doctors office if they do single or multi incision. They said they only do multi. I feel like I'd prefer the single to have less scars but I don't know of another doctor in my area that does the surgery. Will the scars not be that big of a deal or is it worth it to find another doctor who does single incision?
Thanks!

My surgeon is an extremely experienced one (he actually pioneered the first gastric sleeve in Australia after training in the U.S) and when I asked him about single incision, he looked me dead in the eye and said “if I ever saw one of my students doing a single incision sleeve, I would smack them upside the head” LOL. The reason being is that complications are much higher with single incision because of the restricted range of motion and lack of view of your other organs (higher potential for spleen/liver knicks, leaks, etc).
He managed to do my sleeve with only 4 tiny incisions, and one is hidden in my belly button. You can always discuss this with your surgeon but I actually think your surgeon is a good one if he doesn’t do single incision.

[PrayingForWeightLoss 337]

I had 5 small incisions. The one next to the belly button is now invisible. The other 2 look like skin discoloration now more than scars. For me the single vs multiple incisions was not a decider for my choice of surgeon.

[Maggie1955 158]

I had 5 very tiny incisions - I had laparoscopic robotic vertical sleeve gastrectomy. My doctor told me ahead of time that the incisions are smaller when performed robotically. I didn’t specifically ask for it to be performed robotically, it was just luck that my surgery was scheduled on a day where the VSG’s were performed that way. I wouldn’t be too concerned about the tiny scars - you can always use Mederma or BioOil to help with healing.

[EndlessGoals#2018 46]

I ended up only getting 3 incisions and my doctor said it was great because he was able to do what he needed with just those. I think the doctor, if they’re good, will assess and make the best decision for you. My incisions are tiny and you can barely see them....and I appreciated the fact that he made one of them pretty much on top of the little scar I have from when I got my gallbladder removed like 10 years ago so you can’t even see it

[Seahawks Fan 771]

A couple days after surgery and then a week after surgery. They look much better now but still a little bit of red. Surgery date January 18th.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Seahawks Fan

[Stacy160 201]

Seahawks Fan.... Ignore my caffeine-deprived self this morning, as well as the message I just sent you. NOW I see where you said those pics were from a week after and it's going away. *bonk*

[Stacy160 201]

But to get back to the topic at hand lol... I had 5 scars as well...4 tiny portals and one main one above the belly button, which was about an inch and a half long when new, and is now half that. The others I have to search for to find, even knowing about where they are.