How much value do you place on having a "local" surgeon?

Given the choice of having a local surgeon (say an hour or two drive) with a great reputation but only maybe 50 DS procedures (total) under his belt  VS. flying across the country to see a well known DS specialist, which would you choose?

I guess what I am trying to wrap my mind around is how much value there is to having a local surgeon. Any?  I am suspecting there is more value in having a very experienced surgeon, but I can see that it would be great to have someone local for follow-ups too.    How often do you see a surgeon after your surgery anyway?

What are your thoughts?

Thank you so much!

My surgeon has done around 50. His reputation is growing and deservedly so; he is an excellent surgeon.  I like having him 75 miles away.  I hope I don't ever have to have him cut on me again, yet it is nice to know he's not too far if needed. 

This is not easily answered as there are many variables that can't be measured in miles or number of surgeries performed.  At least to how my mind works in choosing a surgeon.  You will have to make your choice on what is the most important to you.

Yes and how annoying is THAT??

Have you decided on a surgeon outside of Iowa yet?

Yep, Iowa is pretty much SOL. I lived in Iowa City for a bit, and the distance and insurance issues (they covered the DS but ONLY if it's done in Iowa... but there are no surgeons there, so... uhhh..) delayed my DS by about a year. Really lame. 

It's worth the fight and the travel though! Good luck.

 My surgeon is 1,000 miles away.  You would think in Chicago, there'd be choices as far as DS surgeons, but nope.

I've gone down once, at my 6 month anniversary, but have been cared for wonderfully by my PCP, who has his own little cottage industry of DSers -so he's well versed on the subject.  That's important, I think.

well I had to fly for my DS, this is a difficult question to answer.  there are many variables, if you are at all a difficult case, local no.  (revision, health, complications, age)

the first year you should see a health care professional about every 3-6 months (more if you have issues) to have blood work done and to evaluate your supplements and to change them depending on how your blood work looks,  this does not have to be your surgeon, a pcp, a GI, an endocriologist-someone preferably who understands DS, but that may not work either, for me anyway I have no health professional who is familiar with the DS.  Some never see their surgeon post op and are managed with another dr.

Difficult to make that decision, too many factors, like I said if you are easy, virgin WLS, no health issues, you feel comfortable, he has done surgeries like RNY for a while (if he is only lap band I would say, no) he is used to at least staple lines etc....

good luck on your choice....

I agree with airbender. Good food for thought in her post.

My surgeon is local and I do follow up with him, or his office every 6 months, and now attend the monthly support group his RD runs. Having him close is like an insurance policy. If I have an emergency, I know I can go to his hospital where the ER has been trained by him to treat all WLS specific issues and he's always on call.

--gina
 

I would have preferred a local surgeon, but as someone above stated, that was a NO go for me b/c there isn't a DS surgeon in all of Iowa.  It is what it is.  I feel fortunate that there was one, VERY experienced, within 4.5 hours and was covered with my insurance.

Now if I was a complicated case, as airbender stated, I would NOT go with the less experienced surgeon. 

My pcp has been great working with me, ordering my blood work, etc.  If she wasn't I would be searching for a new PCP.  She knows that I have done my research and that I am on top of all my needs and supplements.  So she essentially orders what labs I request her to order.  I don't really feel confident in that she knows what t do with them or how to read them when all the results are in, but I go to other people I trust for that...

I haven't seen my DS surgeon in over 10 years,  and I'm 11+ years post-op.  What has been critical is having a good "team" whi*****ludes a very good and attentive internist (my PCP),  a hematologist,  gastroenterologist,  and endocrinologist.

There is nothing a DS surgeon can (or should) offer me,  and there was nothing I needed from a DS surgeon beyond the immediate post-op period.