Questions You Should Ask Your Surgeon

[MsJacquiiC]

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR SURGEON

• Are you board certified?
  
  
• What other certifications or professional memberships do you have?
  
  
• Do you perform the majority of your procedures open or laparoscopically?
  
  
• What types of bariatric surgery procedures have you performed?
  
  
• How many of each bariatric procedure have you performed?
  
  
• What is your mortality rate? Is it greater or less than the national average?
  
  
• What complications of surgery do you come across most often?
  
  
• Is your rate of complications greater or less than the national averages?
  
  
• Which bariatric procedure is best for me? Why? What are the risks involved?
  
  
• How long will I be in surgery?
  
  
• What is the length of my anticipated hospital stay?
  
  
• How long will it be before I can return to presurgery levels of activity?
  
  
• How will my eating habits change?
  
  
• Do you have information about bariatric surgery costs and payment options?
  
  
• Can you provide me with the name of an insurance expert who can assist me in qualifying for surgery?
  
  
• What is the typical excess weight loss and improvement of associated health conditions for your other patients?
  
  
• Do you have patients who are willing to share their experiences, both positive and negative?
  
  
• What information can you give me to help family and friends better understand this surgery?
  
  
• What do you expect from me if I decide to choose a surgical solution?
  
  
• Does your program have established guidelines in patient selection?
  
  
• Does your program offer evaluation and treatment for co-morbid conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea?
  
  
• Is there a dedicated facility and staff for my care? If yes, does this include a dedicated nursing staff and nurse practitioners?
  
  
• Does the program offer support services for psychological needs?
  
  
• Does the program offer registered dieticians?
  
  
• Are the radiologists and anesthesiologists in the program board certified?
  
  
• Will you work with my primary care physicians to ensure total wellness?
  
  
• Will you work with me to get insurance approval?
  
  
• If I am denied by my insurance company, do you offer any financing options?
  
  
• Does the program offer support groups following surgery?
  
  
• Can I have reconstructive surgery here after my weight loss? If not, can you recommend a surgeon?
  
  
• Do you offer accommodations and travel assistance for out-of-town patients?
  
  
• Does the program offer translation services for non-English-speaking patients?

Bariatrics The branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. The term bariatrics was created around 1965, from the Greek root baro ("weight," as in barometer), suffix -iatr ("treatment," as in pediatrics), and suffix -ic ("pertaining to"). Besides the pharmacotherapy of obesity, it is concerned with obesity surgery.

Sleep Apnea A sleep disorder (a comorbidity often seen in obese patients) characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea, lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or a "Sleep Study" which is often conducted by a pulmonologist. A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is used mainly by patients for the treatment of sleep apnea at home.

Comorbidity In medicine, comorbidity (literally "additional morbidity") is the presence of one or more disorders (or diseases) in addition to a primary disease or disorder. The term "comorbid" currently has two definitions: To indicate a medical condition existing simultaneously but independently with another condition in a patient --- (this is the older and more "correct" definition) To indicate a medical condition in a patient that causes, is caused by, or is otherwise related to another condition in the same patient --- (this is a newer, nonstandard definition and less well-accepted) Regarding WLS: Comorbid illnesses (e.g. Type 2 Diabees, high blood pressure, sleep apnea) or disabling conditions related to clinically severe obesity or obesity-related health conditions.

Diabetes Mellitus A disease that occurs when the body is not able to use blood glucose (sugar). Blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin, a hormone in the body that helps move glucose from the blood to muscles and other tissues. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body does not respond to the insulin that is made. There are two main types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. All forms of diabetes have been treatable since insulin became medically available in 1921, but there is no cure.