What should I ask my surgeon at my pre-op appointments?
Here are some questions you may want to make sure are answered by your surgeon and/or their team during your initial appointment(s).
Procedures:
- What kind of procedures do you offer?
- Do you perform these procedures laparoscopically or open?
- How are the procedures different?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of each procedure?
- What are the potential risks involved?
- Which procedure do you think is right for me? Why?
Experience:
- How long have you been performing weight loss surgery for?
- How many of each type of surgery have you performed?
- What is your individual mortality rate?
Successful results:
- How many of your patients have had complications over the last year, and what were they?
- What is the average weight loss for your patients?
- Do you have any statistics around the long term success rates of your patients?
- What common traits do you see in your most successful patients?
Support:
- What support do you offer both pre and post op?
- How often do you see your patients post op?
- Do you run any support groups or seminars?
- Is there someone I will be able to call if I have a question outside of office hours?
Surgery:
- Will you perform the surgery, or an assistant?
- What kind of checks do you perform on the table before closing up?
- How long would I be in hospital for?
- How much time would I need to take off work?
Life after surgery:
- How long will it be before I resume life at my usual pace?
- How will life be different after surgery?
- What will I be able to eat/drink after surgery?
- What if I want to have a baby (if appropriate)
