Dilemma--how do I pick a surgeon?

[adamsmom 4]

Here's my dilemma: One surgeon, whose info meeting I attended yesterday, is 15 minutes from my house, as is the hospital/support group meetings/nutritional appts, etc. he is in my current medical group. I want to be successful, so attending support meetings is important--if they're close by, I'll be more likely to attend. This guy has done about 400 WLS. The only positive testimonials I can find are on his own website--although I haven't read anything negative either.

The other surgeon is an hour away, has done over 2000 surgeries, not in my medical group, although I can change it no problem--just takes more time. I have read countless positive testimonials about this doctor. However, I can't drive an hour away all the time--I have a busy fulltime job and kids and a husband and a life. I want to make the best decision. have any of you gone through this? What did you choose to do? :tt2:

[deepinfl 0]

Pick the doctor with the most experience. I went "local", since non-local was at least 2 hours away. In retrospect I wish I hadn't. He was fine, but most of the people he has done here have had some little issue that seemed like perhaps a bit of "practice". Now, of course a doctor has to get practice somewhere, but most everybody here had a slightly different experience..whether it be how the sutures were done, or whatever. I would go for experience. But, bottom line is that it has to be a doctor that YOU feel comfortable with.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I say attend a seminar by each one and pick the one you feel will do the best all around job for you. Who cares if the support group is superb it you can't attend? Aftercare is just almost as important as the surgery itself. Experience in a surgeon is great! But that's not the only indicator. 400 surgeries is nothing to sneeze at. What types of "issues" do the "negatives" have?

[adamsmom 4]

good suggestion--I will attend the other surgeon's seminar. ANother con for the guy nearby is that i have had surgery at the only hospital he uses before and the nursing staff were awful. :thumbdown:I was ignored, even when I pulled the emergency cord because my IV popped out and medicine and fluids were squirting all over the place. :mad2:Whenever I would get a visitor, nurses started coming out of nowhere, fawning over me and acting like I was the only patient in the hospital. :cursing:The reviews of the other hospital are great. :tongue2:They have a special department for bariatric patients and many times previous patients have said it was like being at a spa! :thumbup:Pro for the nearby hospital: they give you self-control IV pain meds, where as the place an hour ago only gives liquid pain meds. I am no fan of pain--can deal with so much, but not a martyr!:tt2:

[deepinfl 0]

Whoa..that hospital sounds yucky!! That would be a BIG consideration because you are going to see them (the staff) more than the doctor. As for the pain meds, I don't know if you will get "do it yourself" pain meds anyway, this surgery is really no big deal. But, regardless..go with your gut instinct. You make some really good points and you need to listen to what YOU are saying. Surgery is surgery and you need to go to the best place and get the best person for the job. It's your body and you will be the one to have to deal with the "cons". Afterwards is too late. Take care, you sound very intelligent and present some awfully good arguments for the OTHER person. As for the local group, we have some people here that had surgery several hours drive away and they still go to our LOCAL group. I don't think they care where you had the surgery, just that you had the surgery. So, you might be able to get in with the local group for your group sessions. I am a bad example for that, though, because I have only been to 2 sessions because I didn't really get anything out of them but a lot of people complaining about their jobs. Oh well. Take care.

Edited October 6, 2008 by deepinfl

[adamsmom 4]

Thanks, Deepinfl. I will check out the other guy's seminar this coming Saturday. It's a schlep, but probably worth it in the long run. I'll let you ll know how it goea

[deepinfl 0]

Great, will look forward to hearing from you. As I mentioned, our local group allows anybody and everybody to join. If you can do that, then it's a win-win for you. Good luck!!