Please help!!

[SanDiegoPhotog 0]

Doctors are there to help people, not to screw them out of money.

Not ALL doctors . . . which is why I suggested the second opinion. Weight loss surgery is a business like any other business. And while it is nice to think that all doctors became doctors because it is one of the "helping" professions, the reality of the situation is that *some* doctors became doctors because they can make money.

There is no harm in getting a second opinion. Or third. Or fourth.

[lovegrapes 0]

I certainly wasn't insinuating that a second opinion wasn't valid. I was mearly stating my opinion which is based on working with many surgeons and knowing a bit about their pshyche. I would say that ego fuels 95% of them. Ego is a good thing in a surgeon because it makes them determined to do the job and do it right--unfortunetely it makes them incredibly hard work with. Frankly, I think surgeons in the US are making nearly enough money. For all the schooling they go through, all the liability and the poor reiumbursement they deserve every dime they make.

What I am certainly advocating is being an informed health consumer. There are so many people who do not understand the gravity of their condition or the means that it will take to make headway against it. Fact of the matter is, an overweight diabetic with prior wound issues that now has a hernia is a recipe or disaster. Therefore taking off some of the weight and possibly improving or eliminating comorbid conditions before a hernia operation is certainly something to look into.

[a little worried 0]

My mother in law does have a hiatal hernia and if you looked at my other responses she does have diabetes. I do not feel that it is appropriate to ask someone what their BMI is and how much they weigh. If I had to guess I would say she is probably around 270 and she is 5'4". She does not have any high blood pressure or any other medical problems other than being overweight and the diabetes. I have no clue what the infections you are speaking of are. I do know that the infection was not caused by being in the hospital which someone else had previously asked.

Edited September 17, 2008 by a little worried
incorrect wording

[Jodi_620 37]

I can not think of any reason for opening this woman up to do a Lap Band surgery and not fixing the hiatal hernia while he is there. Doing it over two surgeries makes no sense, why add to the pain, scars and costs? And I was told and I have read that a hernia needs to be repaired in order to have the Lap Band. We don't know enough about the infection she has but if the infection will not impede her ability to have Lap Band surgery then why not get everything done in one surgery rather than risking two?