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Post by Girlrocker on May 11, 2014 10:27:20 GMT -5
You have every right to be pissed off, this is HIS mistake, and what he SHOULD have recommended all along was doing the second half as soon as you were healed. I know you have limited surgeon options there, is there another one for you to seek out? I certainly would understand being reluctant to have a surgeon do a job I had to fight, but you either need to be able to go to someone else or he needs to get on board and do his job. Do not settle for anything less.
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Butterfly
Junior Member
Posts: 57
Surgery Type: VSG
Surgery Date: 26/03/2014
Surgeon: Dr. Andrei Keidar
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Post by Butterfly on May 11, 2014 16:10:50 GMT -5
Thank you EVERYONE for your responses. I've been feeling really lousy about this situation which is why it took me a week to report on the visit with my surgeon.
Goodkel - yes, I have all documentation including the full surgical report and the insurance clearance for the DS.
Nursemelanie - no, there was no one else present when he mentioned completing it in 6 months.
Melanie74 - unfortunately there are no other bariatric surgeons in his clinic. I have been looking online to try and find other DS / sleeve patients of his. So far, I've only found a friend who had Gastric Bypass a few years ago with him. Approaching the insurance company is a great idea and I am going to try that!
Sharyl - I am going to search out other surgeons. I will look in various cities. My only concern is that I've already had 3 bariatric surgeries and so I need someone who is good with revisions - I must have lots of internal scar tissue by now. My surgeon is, hands down, the most highly recommended and experienced bariatric surgeon in the country. The question is which others do the DS and revisions at that???
But I'm not giving up on him either. He has to take responsibility for this. OK, accidents happen, it's part of the surgical risk. I get that. But what's not okay is for him to give up on me and for him to unilaterally decide that the sleeve is sufficient now when a few weeks ago he agreed that the DS was what I needed!
I think that right now I need to heal - not just physically but also emotionally. I feel like I've been through the ringer and I need to get back to status-quo. So I'm not planning on doing anything right now except for research. I feel like I've had the wind knocked out of me and I need some recovery time.
BUT, I am not letting it go. I will talk to the insurance company and see if they will cover the second surgery. And I will do research on other surgeons.
And in the meantime, I am doing everything else I have to do to be as successful as I can be with the sleeve. I am getting in 120g protein, less than 50g carbs, I'm exercising (cardio and resistance training) and drinking lots of water.
Thank you all for the support! - Lisa
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Post by goodkel on May 15, 2014 4:24:56 GMT -5
I know you were just revised from a band to the VSG, so that's two. What was the third bariatric surgery?
If it didn't involve malabsorption, you're dealing with virgin territory and scar tissue shouldn't be an issue. In fact, people "revising" from the VSG don't require an experienced revision surgeon. Any qualified DS surgeon can add the intestinal part.
What you've recently had done, revising from the band to the VSG, probably did involve a lot of scar tissue. The band can be very damaging and cause a lot of scar tissue. You've already completed the difficult part.
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Butterfly
Junior Member
Posts: 57
Surgery Type: VSG
Surgery Date: 26/03/2014
Surgeon: Dr. Andrei Keidar
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Post by Butterfly on May 15, 2014 6:47:51 GMT -5
I had to have my band repositioned as it slipped after 1.5 years.
That would be great if the intestinal part could be done without worrying about scar tissue.
My surgeon, in the hospital, also said that the sleeve as the harder part but when I saw him for post-op follow up, he said the intestinal part was harder. I can't trust what he says now as I think he's covering himself.
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Post by goodkel on May 25, 2014 1:18:38 GMT -5
In a virgin DS, the intestinal portion IS more difficult than the sleeve.
But, in a lap band revision with adhesions and damage from the band, the sleeve portion can be very difficult and complicated, moreso than switching previously untouched intestines.
He may have been speaking off the top of his head without taking into consideration the particulars of your case.
Be sure that you remind him every time you see him that the intestinal part was not completed only because he nicked your spleen. Follow that by asking him if you need to take this to another surgeon to be completed.
In my experience, surgeon egos are such that he would prefer to finish what he started rather than have another surgeon become aware of his mistake.
Please continue to keep us up to date...
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Post by Girlrocker on May 28, 2014 10:30:10 GMT -5
Hi Lisa, that's probably not far from the truth, him trying to cover himself. Exactly, you need to keep presenting him with the facts, and that he simply needs to fix, finish what he started. End of story, no engaging in a debate or discussion with him, letting him draw you in. I also just saw your last weeks post on the weigh in/whatever thread, posting some of your eating days and responded, sorry, somehow I missed it with my work schedule and getting caught up now that it has settled down. weightlosssurgery.proboards.com/thread/9077/weekly-weigh-5-18-14?page=1&scrollTo=129796Keep us posted, don't feel like you're whining or complaining; I know you might need time-outs sometimes too, but don't curl up and feel like you are alone. You have every right to be upset, you are really FAR away from a lot of support options, and a support community is your lifeline, we are your family and will be here for you!
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