SSM Weight Loss Institute at DePaul (St. Louis - Questions

Hi,

Just got my call last night that UHC has approved the surgery!!  Yeah!!!  Now Dr. Scott's office has me scheduled for a class next week (all day).  Instructions, pre-op testing and on that day I will receive my surgery date.  Can't wait.  Now, anyone out there had this class and tests.  What do they discuss and what tests do they perform?  Also, if you have had this class, how many days from that class was your surgery??  Thanks so much.

Melissa

Hi Melissa,
I did not have my surgery at DePaul but I am from Edwardsville. I went with Doctor Wagner with the St. Alexius New Start Program. Just wanted to say HI and congratulations! I don't see hardly any people on here from St. Louis so I thought it was cool to see your post. And then I saw you are in Maryville!! I'm 2 miles from Maryville. How cool! Welcome!
-Kate

Thank you.  This is cool.

Hi Melissa,

I also have UHC insurance and they are really good and fast about approvals.

In the all day class they show you dvds with the dietician, an explanation of the surgery and your stay in the hospital, and one with Dr. Morales (Dr. Scotts partner) explaining the different types of surgeries and the risks.  You will see either Dr. Scott or Dr. Morales for a final surgery clearance and they will answer any questions you have.   The actual surgery date can be anywhere from a week to a month or more away, depending on what they have open and which surgeon you choose. Looks like you have chosen Dr. Scott, but Dr. Morales is great too.  He's very personable and will answer all your questions in detail.   I was going to him for my lapband fills and followup, and saw him for all my followup appts for my VSG.  He was actually the main surgeon on my revision, with Dr. Scott assisting.   It probaby shouldnt be any more than a month away, now that they have 2 full time surgeons.  I had my class on July 28 and had my revision surgery on Aug 18, but I requested that week.  i might have been able to get a sooner date.  Also, since I was a revision had to have mine done on a Wed, because Dr. Scott and Dr Morales do their revisions together and they do revisions on Wed.   They do the pre-op testing at the end of the day.  You have an ekg, lab work, pulmonary function test and chest x-ray.   Also,   it seems like they are making most of their patients do a liquid diet before surgery.  There were 11 people in my class and it was just me and 1 other woman who iddnt have to do the liquid diet.   I guess I didnt have to becasue I was a revision and my weight was not that high. 

I have had 4 surgeries total at the SSM Weight Loss  Institute and they are great.   I had my first band placed in Sept 06.   Had to have emergency surgery to have it removed in Sept 08.  Got a second band in May 09, and it slipped too, so I had revsion to VSG on 8/`18/10.    I was just there yesterday for my 3 month post-op appt and everything is going great. 

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

Sherry

Sherry,

Thank you.  That helped a lot. 

Hello  Had my VSG with Dr Scott on 11 2 and home on 11 5. All day class is stop start. stop start.  bring something to drink or hold water in .  DVD's to watch, Nurse Practicioner to talk with and a sales pitch from the pharmacy downstairs. Lunch break to the CAFE at De Paul, I recommend the sandwiches, they make fresh.  More DVD's and then names is a hat to get set for date of OR but do no trust that date till they get the results of your pre op testing.  My date was cancelled and rescheduled till I got Cardiac Clearance.  Had uneventful recovery. Love Maja   Ps  best thing I brought to the hosp was my own pillows in flannal pillow cases. and lip balm.

Thank you.  What is cardiac clearance?

A cardiac clearance is if they find anything unusual on your ekg, they will call you and tell you that you have to be seen and cleared  by a cardiologist to have surgery.  If your surgery date is really close, they might want to cancel and reschedule to a later date, after you see the cardiologist.  I didnt have to have this done, but if it happens they are just trying to make sure everything is ok and you and you are healthy enough for surgery. 

 I used Dr Scott at DePaul on 6-1-10. Was in hospital 2 nights. Was up walking around room within an hour of getting out of recovery room. Had to do surgery on a Tuesday per office. Went for class around 2nd week of May. Surgery date set was 2.5 weeks later. Class is long & drawn out. mostly watching DVD's, some lectures, met with Dr. Scott for 5 minutes that day & date was set. (This was my first visit to office, everything else had been done by mail/phone. Did not go to office until class after I had insurance approval.) Class moves at very slow pace. The class was not  as geared toward to VSG. All paperwork & booklets they gave said either Band or Bypass which I thought was poor planning on their part. Hopefully that was just because they were getting started more on the VSG since Insurance companies had just started covering.  I did all my bloodwork/preop testing a few days before class so it was all in computer. They do no tests at class.  I work for SSM so I just went to St. Mary's outpatient & they did everything at one time. took me about an hour or so. Since surgery, I had to return at 1 week post op, 1 month post op, 3 months post op. all visits took a very short time. I will be going towards end of this month for a 6 month visit & just prior to will have all labs repeated so they can compare with previous labs. I was told just yearly visits after this 6 month one. I have lost a total of 62# so far in just over 5 months. Went from a size 22 to a loose fitting 12. I hope to lose another 35# since I am only 5-3.  I did not have to do any special diet prior to surgery. I believe they decide that based on your exam with the MD & whether he feels your liver needs to be shrunk to make surgery safer. Met Dr. Morales once while in hospital, he seemed nice. I recommend a small fan for hospital (hot in room), lip balm, Gas-x strips- melt in mouth, slippers /robe & walk those halls. seriously 6-8 times a day. I did not need any additional pain meds except 1 time. pain pump they laid in incision worked great. did not use anything but Tylenol after home. Back at work in 10 days as an RN doing full patient care. 
Feel free to email me if you have any additional questions. [email protected]. awesome to hear of someone else from St. Louis. I really wished their office had had a buddy system of some sort to match people up that are undergoing surgery with ones that have done it. esp. with the VSG.
Good Luck! Robin

Thank you so much for responding.  Everyone's information was great.  Hope to have surgery before 2011.   Thanks again.