Things to Consider While Choosing a Bariatric Surgeon Abroad

1. Things to Consider While Choosing a Bariatric Surgeon Abroad

2. Bariatric surgery is an important life changing decision and should not be taken lightly especially if you are planning to get it done abroad. Bariatric surgery is essentially a weight loss surgery and has helped hundreds and thousands of patients worldwide shed extra weight and regain a healthy and confident lifestyle. Cost of bariatric surgery in Mumbaiis cheaper compared to other regions of India. There arevarious types of Bariatric surgery including gastric bypass surgery in mumbai, sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch, adjustable gastric band, and biliopancreatic diversion. Since weight loss surgery is aimed for long-term and sustained weight loss you need to be extra careful in choosing the right bariatric surgeon abroad. Also, it is not just the surgeon that you need to

3. think about, making an informed decision about the facility also plays an important role in selecting the surgeon. • Listed below are some points to help you make a better selection of bariatric surgeons for the surgery abroad • Check for referrals/reviews • Ease of communication has made it very convenient to check for bariatric surgeon referrals/reviews. You can get referrals from your doctor, friends, colleagues, and patients online. Experienced Bariatric surgeons like DR Aparna Give Bhasker clinic in Mumbai, is surgeon to approach if you are looking for weight loss surgery in mumbai. Even the accreditation organizations have a list of bariatric surgeons and facilities that fulfil the norms to the current standards. You can also look for groups on social media to help guide you better. Just a word of caution that always read the fine print. Try to filter out the advertisements from the actual recommendations.

4. Experience • Once you have shortlisted from your referrals, the next step is to check for the bariatric surgeon’s experience. Does your surgeon have enough experience to meet your expectations for bariatric surgery? Is he or she able to answer all your questions and talk to you in detail? Also check if the surgeon has access to good staff and resources. Check in concerned groups and you can also read the papers published by them online. Ask for the surgeon’s success rate, how often does she/he do the surgery that you are seeking? Does he favour a particular type of bariatric surgery? If yes, why? Answer to all the questions and the research will help you narrow down the list further. • Communication • Since you are travelling abroad for the surgery, it is important that you choose a bariatric surgeon who is available through phone, skype, Google meet or WhatsApp for discussion and follow ups. You should be able to clearly understand his accent and language and vice versa.

5. What clinic/hospital? • The facility you will have your surgery in is as important as the choosing the bariatric surgeon. Check for various things such as how easy it is to commute from the hospital? What is the clinic’s reputation? Is the clinic close to hotel/hotel facilities? Do they offer travel and transfer assistance? What payment and exchange rate do they offer? Are they clean? Do they have good emergency services? • Also, ask for before and after photos of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery at the clinic. You can also connect with their old patients to getter an actual review. • Cost and Insurance • Make sure you have a detailed talk with the bariatric surgeons about the cost involved in the surgery and find out whether your insurance provider caters for bariatric surgery. Flights, accommodation, post-op care costs should also be calculated. • A bariatric surgery is an invasive procedure and therefore you need only the best bariatric surgeon to perform the same. Be careful in your selection and you can also take help of creditable medial tourism companies or agents to help you shortlist.

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