Did you have two surgeons?

Some centers have two surgeons who work side by side during the operation (faster, more redundancy/safety). Do you know of any who do this?

I did. 

They each billed the insurance company for half of the surgeon fee.  It was good to have two surgeons, because if one was not available for questions, the other was.

I did in the sense that there was a resident doing the surgery while the surgeon watched/assisted.  It took all of 45 minutes.  It does take 2 people because of the laparascopic equipment, but they don't both have to be surgeons.

Yes, my surgeon does this.  They always schedule two surgeons for the surgery.  I only communicate with 'my' surgeon but the other is there in the operating room to assist. 

I did. One did my RnY and the other repaired my hiatal hernia.

I did.  I have my actual surgeon, but for people with very high BMIs, like me, they tag team the surgery.  

I know that most surgeons who are relatively new to bariatric surgeries have a second surgeon in the OR with them until they have a certain number of surgeries under their belt.  How long that continues varies widely, I'm sure.

My surgeon occasionally utilized a second surgeon, but generally did not. I suspect it was only on cases where she anticipated potential complications.

For general, non-bariatric surgeries, she sometimes had a "surgical PA" along side her.  I am not sure what the point of that was, since I had never heard of a "Surgical PA" before and apparently she is not allowed to actually cut anything. My insurance company refused to pay for the PA when she did the surgery to remove the mess of adhesions that were causing my intestine to "grow into" the mesh from my hernia repair and causing intermittent partial obstructions.

Lora

Dr Gagner told me that there was another surgeon there to assist but I never saw him/her. Must have arrived when I was out and scadaddled before I woke up. Same thing with my plastics. I was told there was another one there but never saw him. 

Eric, Just wanted to say "THANK YOU" for such an amazing site!!!!!! I've learned so much and met so many new friends. Because of you, people are reaching out and helping others with WLS. Thank you. Christine

I did, too.  I don't remember seeing a bill for each of them, but one was fairly new to the procedure and learning....more of an apprentice as well as assistant.