Which is more important?

Hi! I'm new to the site. I'm considering Lap-Band surgery and haven't spoken with any surgeons yet. I live in a small town where there are no WLS surgeons. There's a city about an hour away and another about 3 hours away. A couple of local physicians have recommended a doctor in the further city. and he seems to have excellent credentials. I've read the patient reviews on this site too, for the docs in the closer city, and they are all really good. I've also heard good recommendations from people who have been to these doctors. So, what do you think? Should I go with the closer city, since I work full time and it will be a real challenge for me to get to follow-up appointments? Or should I go with the doctor that's been recommended by my local physicians, even though it means 6 hours of driving every time I have an appointment?  It's not easy for me to get time off work and I'm afraid I'll miss appointments because of the demands of my job. Thanks for any insights!

hey bootiful!!! ;~P personally, i recommend going to someone closer. remember teri t. and her leak? she couldn’t go to b’ham to get it fixed because they were “full”. how crappy is that?? you know that i’m going to give high praise to my surgeons (of course!! they’re both WONDERFUL!!!) but there’s also another surgeon in h’ville who does this type of surgery as well as a practice in decatur. they just started in decatur last year when i was researching and i didn’t feel like being anybody’s guinea pig but i’m sure they’ve got all the kinks worked out by now. idk if they do banding there or not but you can check and see. but yeah, to answer your original question... i would chose someone closer. just based on my own experience, can you imagine what kinda crap i would be getting right now from my department if i had to go to b’ham every time? i mean, h’ville is bad enough! (<-----far enough away i mean.)

Thanks, gorgeous!! I was kind of leaning that way myself. Lap-Band doesn't have quite the same risks as GBS either, so I feel pretty confident using the more convenient docs. 

This is tricky.  Regular follow-up is critical and so is the amount of experience your Dr. has, both with the surgery and with the followup. In general I do vote for closer but tough as it is I'd recommend going to a support group for each practice and see what kind of vibe you get.

I think you should interact with both offices before you decide. Can you attend a seminar in both places? I attended seminars for 3 offices before I chose a surgeon. They all had good reviews, but I wanted someone I felt comfortable with, even though it means a longer drive.

You deserve the very best medical care you can get, whether it is 2 minutes or 6 hours away.  First and foremost, don't short change yourself for what might be very few appointments.  From my first orientation meeting through all visits made to my surgeon through the first year, totalled 7.  Everything else I might have needed was handled by my PCP. Most bariatric surgeons (and make sure you do use a specialist, not a general surgeon who sometimes does bariatrics) have large orientation m eetings, and I think they are usually free.  Consider attending one for each surgeon you are considering.  You definitely want one that has a comprehensive plan because this is not an easy journey.  You might also find that you feel more comfortable with one than another, no matter what other people's assessments of them are. Also consider going to at least one of the support groups of each potential surgeon (hopefully they have one or direct their patients to one) just to get more information and insight on the surgeons.  Even if you choose a far away surgeon, you may be able to find a support group you can attend that is much closer. Just some thoughts. Ann

Thanks so much for all the thoughtful replies. I appreciate the insights!

Personally, I would go with the docs' recommendation.  I come from a small town as well and I know that traveling sucks, but the doctors probably have good reasons for recommending the doc that's further away, even if they can't always tell you what they are.