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Choosing a Gastric Bypass Surgeon
From recent television and written press accounts, one would think
bariatric surgery is a new field. However, gastric partitioning –
as with the Roux en
Y gastric bypass – has been practiced for about 30 years.
Although not a designated subspecialty of general surgery, bariatric
surgery is a field which requires a set of unique surgical skills.
More importantly, though, it requires experience and dedication to
the performance of the operation, and a commitment of the surgeon
and the hospital to the long term follow-up care of these patients.
Commitment to gastric bypass patients
Just as there is discrimination in society, many physicians and surgeons
discriminate against the morbidly obese with an attitude of "If
you would only quit eating, you would lose weight." Many surgeons
"dabble" in obesity surgery, doing an occasional procedure.
This is becoming more prevalent with the advent of laparoscopic procedures
and laparoscopic banding, which has resulted in more surgeons "trying
a few cases." Where there is no true commitment to obesity surgery,
it is a set up for failure.
Experience in obesity surgery
You should look at the experience and commitment of your surgeon to
the field of obesity surgery. Is there a program of education and
follow-up to help you maximize your success? Does the surgeon have
the experience to choose the right procedure for you? Does your surgeon
have the experience to recognize and treat any possible complications?
You would not go to a surgeon for a heart bypass who read about the
operation in a book and decided he could probably do that procedure.
You would not get on an airplane with an inexperienced pilot and bet
your life he can figure out how to fly the plane. Your choice of gastric
bypass surgeons should be taken just as seriously.
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ObesitySolutions
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Gainesville, Georgia 30501
Phone: 770-534-0110
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