Following an unsatisfactory outcome from my 1st surgeon (I have still not heard from him) I thought I should seek a second opinion… so asked around… and found a surgeon at another Private Hospital who had done Bariatric Surgery for a friend of my sisters (who worked in the medical industry) – with spectacular results (and the patient was VERY happy). It also turns out that this surgeon (35 years previously) had snogged my sister at a school dance… and was also the surgeon for my endocrinologist…. the “stars were aligning” (not that I believe in the stuff).
This consultation was very different to the 1st surgeon… First I spoke to a clinical nurse who explained the various surgical options and then I spoke with the surgeon…. The risks weren’t down-played, but the risks of not doing anything were also highlighted… also we looked at some very interesting stats comparing the long-term outcomes of the various types of bariatric surgery vs traditional weight loss strategies (diet, exercise) (See Swedish Obesity Study).
We discussed the pros and cons of various types of bariatric surgery… Lap Band Surgery was not considered a serious option, and it was clear that Gastric Bypass Surgery has significantly better longer term outcomes than Gastric Sleeve ( see SOS).
Gastric Bypass is a more complicated procedure, but it doesn’t involve removal of the stomach.. It also results in a reduction in absorption of nutrients, so if, post surgery, I slip back into bad food habits, a smaller percentage of that will be absorbed….This type of surgery is less “forgiving” if I over-eat or eat the wrong types of foods, so is inclined to encourage/enforce better eating habits… Because of the reduced absorption, I will need to keep a close eye on nutrition, also will be required to take calcium/multivitamin supplements for life.
I left this consultation completely satisfied that Gastric Bypass Surgery was clearly the best option for me… and in fact not having the surgery was not really an option at all (unless I didn’t want anything to change)… We were even able to set a date for the Surgery – Thursday 20th September, just 5 weeks away 🙂
This session (including the clinical nurse and surgeon consultations) cost $250.