Quote:
Originally Posted by bridgetgirl
You will want a Surgeon who has done over 200 cases. Dont accept anything less, you are not an expert unless you have done 200. Ask for his CV. It's like his resume, you can find out what medical school he went to, any additional training he may have received specializing in GBS. Ask why he specialized in prior to the surgery. Ask how many patients have died as a result of him performing GBS. Ask how or why they died. Then you can compare the amount of cases vs. the amount of deaths and see where he fits in the national average. There are alot of resources available that can help you on line. Gastric Bypass.com - Your Guide to Weight Loss Surgery may be of some help. Also try Obesity Help - Weight Loss Surgery, Obesity Support Groups, Obesity Forums, Surgical Procedures there you can info and different surgeons in your area. |
I was a bit more stringent than the 200 surgeries number. I wanted a surgeon that had performed in excess of 500 as a starting point.
I first researched the Surgeons in my area, no matter what their speciality. Googled and Medical searched the ones I found. It is amazing what you can find on the internet. After narrowing down the number to the top three, I went to all of their seminars. Specifically asked about their stats. Number of surgeries, number of deaths, leakers, re-surgeries, etc.
The three I chose, one does the open DS, and two specialized in LapRNY. I asked the doctors, why they preferred one surgery over the other, I asked them to comment on other surgeons.
Then I prayed.
I prayed more, and made the correct decision.
You are dealing with your life here. Do not take this decision lightly.