Helen, first I want to wish you luck and then tell you to take a deep breath. It will go fine. I just went along with a friend last week for moral support to her one-stop clinic at Hope so I will give you the answers that applied to her, hopefully that will be helpful.
What I wanted to know is -
Will I be asked why I want to lose weight ?
They did not specifically ask my friend why but they do want to know where your head is at about expectations post-surgery. If they do ask, give them all your health-related reason as well as your self-esteem ones, they need to have a full picture of your goals.
Will I have to get undressed ?
No, my friend did not have to undress, she had a section scar that Mr. Ammori inquired about but he did not ask to see it.
Will I be weighed ?
Yes you will be weighed and your height measured.
When you have all gone do you go alone or with you other half ?
I personally took my hubby to mine and I accompanied my friend to every aspect of her appointment, everybody seemed open to a supporter attending.
Will I have bloods taken ?
My friend was sent to the pre-op department directly after her one-stop as she is now scheduled for surgery in the next 6-8 weeks. However, she was the only person from the one-stop clinic that was sent for bloods so in most likelyhood you won't be sent for bloods the same day but at a later appointment.
Will I get the stuff for a sleep apnea test ?
No, the department of Cardiology does that test and is set-up on a separate
appointment directly from that department.
How much longer will I have to wait for the OP (If they agree I can have it ) ?
The wait from pre-op assessment to surgery is currently 12-18 weeks but that timeline can be altered by other tests and appointments you might require. My friend had all her other appointments out of the way (sleep apnea, psych assessment & weight management) so she is ready for surgery.
I will give you a run down for her appointment:
1st - she arrived at Ladywell bldg, checked in and waited with a group of about 6 pre-ops. 2nd - she was taken to be weighed & measured. 3rd - a group session was held with the Bariatric Nurse Michelle Eden where she did a presentation explaining the band and the bypass. People were able to ask questions. Then the Bariatric Dietician gave a short presentation of the steps for post-op eating. 4th - she was called in to see Dr. Sayed who has the same function as Dr. New which is consultant endocrinologist. He reviewed my friend's medical record and double checked that they had all her test results. He then passed her file to Dr. Ammori. We had a bit of a wait to see Dr. Ammori so we chatted to the other pre-ops. 5th - she saw Dr. Ammori, he made sure she knew what she wanted, talked about the complications and risks of surgery, he reviewed her medical history and he decided she was ready to be sent to the pre-op department to get her final tests done. He asked her to do the livershrinking diet for 3 weeks. She asked him when she could expect a date and he was a little vague but gave her a window of time being 6-8 weeks, I think he has to be vague until it is actually on the books, I was not given my exact date at my pre-op assessment either. It is probably a policy so that if someone with very urgent needs is seen after you, they can schedule the dates accordingly and not have to take back your date. It took roughly 4 hours for the assessment one-stop clinic.
Hope all this info helps you,
Nic
p.s. - she was never asked about her slight gain since last seeing Dr. New or told she needed to lose x amount of weight before the op.
