Quote:
Originally Posted by BeccaTyme
My surgeon only does Open RNY surgery. He is the chief surgeon at the #1 rated hospital in the US (John's Hopkins) so I am very confidant with him. But....I just got off the phone with my sister in law who had the Lap RNY surgery four years ago. Which one is best? I have a surgery date and am really excited but now I'm worried that I mad the wrong decision and should find a doc that does Lap RNY.
Any advice?
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I had open with my surgeon because he has the lowest complication rates around. He was taught open, does open and gets good results. He also does lapriscopic surgery all the time, but not with the gastric bypass. (Took out my good friend's gall bladder the other day - she also had a very quick recovery)
My recovery was nothing. I could have danced out of the hospital. Now I was in great shape before hand, but the point is, I was comfortable with him. If he had told me he was going to use a crowbar and hack saw, I'd have most likely stayed with him. You have to feel good about the person cutting into you.
Everything everyone said is true - but for me - the surgeon was most important. A couple of other things that made me happy with my decision are that he does the endoscopy first - so you're under general anesthesia during that. That made me happy. Then afterwards he does a leak test while you're still out. That made me happy. The lap folks around here do those things while you're awake and I get a bit squirrelly about those things.
ANYWAY! There are no guaruntees. You have to decide what you think. Talk to his patients. Ask to see scars. I went to a few support groups and sat down with people he'd done this surgery on. Every one of them did really well - healing as fast as, if not faster than the lap people. You have to do some research and find out. Ask your surgeon's other patients about "hell week". I didn't have one, frankly, but maybe that says as much about me as my surgeon. We were a good match and that is what it comes down to. I'd do it again in a heart beat.