Newbie

I have my first consultation with my surgeon coming up on Feb 11th. I was hoping I could get some help with creating a list of important questions I should be sure to ask him during the consult. Are there any questions you wished you had asked before your surgery that would have helped you better prepare for what to expect post op?

Thanks, 

J~

From  Web MD:    

1. Is this the right time for me to consider weight loss surgery?    

2. Which type of weight loss surgery is best for my situation?    

3. How will the bariatric surgery help me lose weight?    

4. What are the risks of this surgery?    

5. How could bariatric surgery affect other health conditions I have?    

6. How long will I be in the hospital, and off work recovering?    

7. What type of follow-up care will be necessary?    

8. How much food will I be able to eat afterwards?    

9. Are there certain foods I won't be able to eat?    

10. Will I need vitamins after my surgery, and if so what types?    

11. When can I start exercising after surgery?    

12. How likely is it that I’ll regain weight after surgery?    

13. Are you board-certified by the American Board of Surgery?    

14. Are you a member of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons?    

15. How many weight loss surgeries do you do each year?    

16. How many of your patients have died from weight loss surgery? The average death rate is less than 1%.      

17. How often do your patients have complications? What side effects are most common?

The questions I asked in addition to the above:    

What is your level of experience? How long have you been a Bariatric surgeon? How long have you been any kind of surgeon?

What is the difference between losing the weight on my own versus having surgery?  

What kind of surgery do you recommend for me based on my health history and weight? What is best for  my GERD  and Barrett's esophagus, as well as high cholesterol?

Why do you recommend this particular surgery?  

What are the risk factors for each kind of surgery, what are the benefits and disadvantages?  

Can the surgery fail? What will be due to the surgery, and what will be due to me not following recommendations and treatment plan?  

What are the statistics for success?

What are the factors supporting success?  

If there is a type of weight loss surgery you don't recommend or perform, why not?  

Is the surgery reversible if I change my mind or I have complications?  

How will the surgery effect my body and health over the long haul?  

Will I have to change any habits after surgery?  

If there is a malabsorption factor to the surgery, how long will that last?  

What will maintenance be like? What will I have to do to manage that?

As you can see, I asked lots and lots of questions, and took notes with the responses so I would remember them and think about them later.  I think being proactive for oneself is essential- it is our one and only body, and it is major surgery. Once done, our bodies will never be the same.  

The other thing I would suggest would be to make sure your choice of type of weight loss surgery is based on professional expert consultation. You will find that people here are pretty passionate about what type of surgery is best. Here we can only offer our anecdotal experience and nonprofessional opinion- not a good basis to go on.  

There is no best weight loss surgery- they all have their advantages and disadvantages, as well as level of risk and complication factors. Your surgeon should be the person to make the choice with you, based on your particular needs. You may want to get a couple of different surgical opinions.

Good luck with your journey!

Thank you so much Anne! This is an awesome list! I also appreciate the advice and have actually made appointments with two different surgeons so far. I just want to be as informed as possible before surgery. I want to make the right decision based on my needs. I feel like I am on the right track.

Thanks again!

Johnelka