Inexperienced surgeon (I'll be his 5th)

[Bmaz 0]

I'm scheduled for May 11, the day after my 52nd birthday (guess I won't save the cake, huh?)

My insurance is really a sweet deal but contracted to a center that has specialized in RouxY (bypass) for many years. The surgeon was a hard sell on banding but began doing them because of inquiries/requests. He tried to convince me to bypass "faster initial weight loss" "more maintenance required for band", his co-ordinator also mentioned his preference to RouxY. Everyone associated with him, the PhD, nutritionalist, scheduler, has assumed I'm getting the bypass until I mention the band. They register mild surprise when I clarify. "Oh, he's doing a lapband? Oh, ok." I'm getting a little unnerved here, but I have worked in the medical field, including surgery, all of my adult life. It's hard for me to think he couldn't do a good job, but was told on last visit that he's done 4 (FOUR!) of them.

PLEASE please, need feedback from older bansters or anyone that can speak to this. Whatchu think? Beth

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Come on. If you worked in surgery you KNOW you want an experienced surgeon to handle your case. If you want your gall bladder removed you get someone who's done it hundreds to thousands of times. If you need a hernia repair you don't get a neuro surgeon...you get someone who's repaired OODLES of hernias.

And with the band it isn't just the surgery, it's the after care. Who will do your adjustments? When you have band specific problems will they give you a handbook on roux-en-Y and send you on your way?

You decide what's best but if it were me there is NO WAY I'd let an inexperienced surgeon perform my surgery. Good grief they can't even get straight within the office what you're there for!

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

I agree with Monkey. A doctor who does bypass surgeries doesn't have the support program for lap band.....I would look around for another surgeon on my insurance (surely you don't have just the one choice)!

[suepro 39]

Whilst I agree that everybody wants an experienced surgeon, they have to get their experience by actually performing operations so someone has to be a surgeons first patient for a particular type of procedure.

This surgeon is an experienced bariatric surgeon, experienced in bypass surgery, a much more detailed procedure and I am sure that he will have observed lap band operations before starting to perform them himself.

Having said all that, if you are not confident to go with tihs particular surgeon, then look around for another.

Good luck!

[luluc 6]

do a search on cleos mom (used an inexperienced surgeon).

[Apples2 19]

I say do research on docs that have at least 500 LB surgeries under their belt. I do realize that they have to "practice" on someone but, I can tell you this, I wouldn't lay down on his table unless I had my will up-to-date and a living will in hand.

[clcort 0]

Run, RUN! Do not be a training ground for an inexperienced surgeon who is obviously biased against the band in the first place. I too work in health care and know that the more of a specific type of surgery a surgeon does, the lower his or her error rate. That's why hospitals create "centers of excellence" - they bring together all the doctors who are exerienced in a certain specialty and send all of their patients to them...it just makes sense medically. Insist your insurance provide you with different options, especially one with support system for band and preferrably a certificate of excellence...given to centers and physicians who have a proven track record in bariaric care. Good luck!

[Mr. Green 3]

IMO, a doctor should learn how to do these surgeries by being a resident and working with an experienced surgeon. I would not be a training ground for some doctor that has years of experience doing RNY and then decided to do Bands. You know what they say about an old dog and new tricks. I would be looking for someone who is experienced not only with the surgery, but the after care and treating Band problems if they occur.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

BMAZ - DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT have your surgery done by this doctor. First of all, their insistence in your having the bypass should be your first red flag - he doesn't do the band but only started to do it because of patient demand. That is no way to have surgery done - by a reluctant and inexperienced surgeon.

I went to a surgeon who had only done 22 bands before me (and is a general surgeon) and a month before my surgery I posted a thread asking if that should be a problem and got the replies that the surgeon has to start somewhere and it shouldn't be a problem.

Well, it is a problem and today I just switched to a doctor who has done many bandings and does nothing but bariatric surgeries. My doctor's inexperience showed when I started to have trouble with my second fill. This new doctor looked at the upper GI disk and said I have a slight slip. My inexperienced doctor didn't see that.

So, from my experience I would tell you to run, not walk, away from this surgeon and find one who has done a lot of bandings. You will be thankful you did. There is no hurry either. Take your time and research other doctors. Find out about the number of bands and complication rate, etc.. Good luck.