Surgery seminar

[Lumpybumpy]

Hello I was just hoping one of you beautiful people could tell me about the 'warts and all' seminar?
I have an appointment for one next Thursday and I'm just wondering what I can expect and what this means with regards to actually getting funding for surgery?
Do you know if you can take someone with you?
Sorry for all the questions! Lol x

Thanking you muchly ?

 

[Lumpybumpy]

No one? :-(

 

[los in it]

Hi
wish I could help out but my journey so far has not inclded a meet like your talking about my funding was done between my health team and those involved in my case and I was told funding was agreed,
what I was told was they go over each case look at its merits and decide who gets the go ahead and who does not
hope that helps a little im sure someone better will give you a better answer

 

[mighty1888]

Hello, I attended a seminar a couple of weeks ago, you are allowed to bring someone with you and they can sit in the back.

I attended one at heartlands hospital, the biatric nurse was hosted the seminar and she went through 3 different types of operation, the gastric band, bypas and sleeve.

They go through each one in detail as in how the operation is done, what percentage you can of your excess body weight you can expect to lose with each different type, what pre-op diet is needed for each one, and what post op diet is needed for each one. Also how long you will need to do the pre-op diet for, this will be based on your bmi and the type of operation you chose in the end.

From what I gathered the biatric nurse had already spoken to the surgeons and they let you know at the end of the seminar which operations you can have, and you then get to pick one. Not everyone in the seminar was able to have a choice of which operation they wanted, this was based on pre- existing illnesses they may have had.

In regards to funding, this wasn't mentioned, however having spoken to a few people I believe if you have been invited to the seminar then the funding is in place, not sure that's the case, but makes sense. After the seminar they advise you that within a few weeks you will get a call booking in an appointment with the surgeon, once the surgeon gives you the ok for the op your put on the waiting list.

I'm currently just waiting for that call to advise me when my appointment is with the surgeon, exciting times!!

Hope this helps, any more questions you think I can help with throw them at me

 

[los in it]

I had the same meeting as you! I forgot about the nurse saying her bit about each type of WLS surgery and death rates etc it was so long ago ! when I went it was only me there ,all on my own (aahhh!)
in the afternoon 1 other person turned up and that was it

 

[Lumpybumpy]

Oh wow Thankyou both so much, I hope it means I'm just that little bit closer to getting where if would love to be! It would be amazing. I keep reading everyone else's blogs and thinking oh I wish that was me! It's just the uncertainty of it all. I will have been on the 3tier weight management program around 6 months by the appointment, I'm still seeing the dietician and exercise specialist but those appointments are few and far between. Fingers crossed x

 

[SHARONA]

mighty1888 Hi i see they decide which surgery you have..I told the dietition which surgery I would like to go for as I cant really have a band due to gastric reflux and stomach probs and the sleeve i believe is for people whom are quite large before bypass. Did they tell you which one and the reasons why?? Sorry about the questions hope you ok xx

 

[mighty1888]

Sharona - I think they only restrict which operation you can have due to any on going medical conditions you have. During the seminar they told me the surgeon said I could have any operation I wanted, I would only presume this is due to me not having any ongoing medical issues. So I'm not really sure if the people who were only allowed certain operations where told then and there why they couldn't have which ever operation they were restricted from, when it came to choosing which operation you wanted (if you had a choice) it was all on a one2one basis, so I didn't try and eavesdrop.

The sleeve they said was something the surgeons didn't like to do, I don't recall why they said that, but I so remember them saying if you picked that one, the surgeon more than likely would try and talk you out of it. They did say the sleeve is something they may give you if when they go to operate they are unable to access the full stomach due to the liver not being shrunk enough, they also did mention that if you are to big to have the other operations (bypas/band) then they would give you the sleeve first, then you would have to go back once you lost enough weight to have the bypas or band.

 

[Stacey83]

mighty1888 Hi i see they decide which surgery you have..I told the dietition which surgery I would like to go for as I cant really have a band due to gastric reflux and stomach probs and the sleeve i believe is for people whom are quite large before bypass. Did they tell you which one and the reasons why?? Sorry about the questions hope you ok xx

Hi Sharona, just to clarify the sleeve is now a stand alone operation. It can also be the first part of a duodenal switch procedure for others. I had a sleeve 6 weeks ago and it was the best decision I have ever made.

With a starting BMI of 48 and no other medical issues I was given the choice between a sleeve and a bypass. My cousin who had a BMI of 60 was only offered an RNY Bypass etc... There are several options and as they share so much info at this session it is a good idea to take a notebook and write things down as well as the handouts you'll be given.

Following the group session I met my surgeon several weeks later and discussed my two options and what I would prefer. I chose the sleeve and they agreed in principle but did emphasise that this could change on the day of surgery, in theatre etc and told me to read up on bypass as this was the alternative for me. Things went to plan and I got my sleeve, the woman in the bed next to me had a bypass and across had an RNY Bypass we were a surgically diverse ward!

Good luck with your surgeries ladies.

Stacey

 

[SHARONA]

Stacey83 and mighty1888 Thank you so much for more info its all good. I do have a lot of comorbidities including hypertension, top end of pre diabetes, poss sleep apnoea, thrombocytis,hemiplegic migraine, under active thyroid, Hormonal abnormalities and Im not even as heavy of some people just over 20.5 stones. Im hopeing they will give my a bypass in order to get rid of most of these issues I know i will always have the thyroid prob and thrombocytis. We will see just wish it would hurry up now Ive got bad back ache and knee probs sound like a hyporchondriac !