First Meeting with Surgeon

[sberrys 0]

I'll be having my first meeting with the Realize Band surgeon on Thursday and the insurance coordinator said they'd send off my stuff for approval after my meeting with him. I'm excited and hope that things move along quickly! :w00t:

Does anyone have any advice about what questions I should ask my surgeon?

[isaviolinist 11]

You should definitely ask him what his plan is for follow up care - is it covered in a program fee you pay? Do you have to pay for fills out of pocket? Does he do them in office or under fluoro? What is the average amount of saline put in the band on the first fill (not the average for all people, but the average for he and his patients). I asked my surgeon questions about how long he had been performing surgery, what rate of success he personally has seen with his patients, how much % of excess weight do his patients lose on average, his personal mortality rate (which for my surgeon, is 0%), how many fills he has to do on average before getting good restriction, how many instances of flipped port/slipped band/erosion he has personally had with patients he operated on, his opinion on how difficult it would be for me to get approved by my insurance and if he could help the process along, what he though about gastric band vs. sleeve or RNY and which he thought I was the best candidate for, whether my previous gall bladder surgery (which was complicated...the surgeon cut my common bile duct and had to open me up) would present a greater risk for complications during surgery - including if it would mean I would have to have the surgery open instead of laparoscopically, etc. I made a list of questions on my computer, printed it out, and brought it with me to the appointment. This is your chance to get to know your surgeon, make sure your comfortable, and get all your answers to your questions before the big day! Take advantage of it :w00t: Good luck!

[sberrys 0]

Wow thanks for the great response! Good stuff! :w00t: