Anxiety

Ok so I meet with my Surgeon on January 6th. I've already been told my surgery should be 2-3 weeks from there. Im getting so nervous about the surgery. I suffer from anxiety issues...ick. I went hunting on my surgeon Dr. Dean. J Mikami at OSU Wexner Medical Center. I couldn't find any bad reviews. I found one yesterday that was disturbing. I guess I know there are situations that go awry. Now im nervous. How did everyone else deal with this stuff?

If you found something unsettling about your surgeon, I encourage you to ask him about it. I would hope that a reputable, respectable surgeon would be forthcoming about any complications that his patients have experienced post op (minus identifying specifics, naturally, to respect HIPPA laws). I knew my surgeon was my guy when he told me that he has only ever lost ONE patient, and then went on to tell me exactly what happened (unknown underlying heart condition that caused a heart attack when the guy went home). If, after talking to him, you aren't comfortable, then it is your right to find another surgeon. I'd rather push surgery back by a few weeks than put my life into the hands of someone that I didn't have 100% confidence in. In the "big picture" it is more important to have a competent, talented surgeon, than to hurry up and have rush things along with someone that you aren't sure about just because you can't wait another minute to get surgery over with.

Best of luck! Here's hoping your current surgeon puts your mind at ease!

There is no way to sugar coat this. EVERY SURGERY HAS A RISK ASSOCIATED WITH IT. They ALL have the risk of death associated with it. But in all seriousness the odds are better of you walking out of your house right now and getting hit by a falling meteor than dying from this surgery. The death rate is incredibly low. You wouldn't be normal if you weren't at least a little nervous about it.

The best thing you can do is to make sure that you do everything right and trust that your surgeon will hold up his end of the bargain. That doesn't mean to watch everything they do and do not be afraid to ask questions or to question everything.

I'm creating a list of questions but my mind keeps going blank -  What are some good questions to ask? 

Things I asked (and things that he volunteered that I didn't even think to ask)

*What is your mortality rate?

*What is your rate of post op complications? What sort of complications have your patients experienced?

*How long are your patients in the hospital? What might cause you to require me to stay longer?

*How can I contact you or your nurse if I have complications post op (even after office hours)?

*What are your post op food stages and WHY do you have them set up like this?

*What sort of post op follow-up schedule do your patients follow?

*(If you are interested) What sort of support groups are available through your program?

I am looking at Dr. Dean Mikami as well to be my surgeon. I do not have a set date yet but I researched him and the other male surgeon at OSU. I have not found anything negative in regards to their surgeries at all. I did see one where the patient was concern that he/she felt rushed. 

Thank you to the member for posting the questions. I will definitely write those down and take with me to my visit.

I asked my surgeon why he practiced WLS. I loved his response.

What did he say TexasTerritory?

He said he liked maintaining a long term relationship with his patients on their path to health. I liked that answer.

That is a very good answer to me. That should make anyone feel better. Thanks for sharing with us.