Where to do my surgery? Singapore vs. Saudi

Thread Starter  

Hi, I am planning to get banded, but not sure where to do it. I am originally from Saudi Arabia and work in Singapore.

In Singapore, they have the best bodies I have ever seen. Everyone is so healthy and fit. But I was able to find a good general surgeon who does the LAP-BAND^®. Health care is top quality in Singapore as well. I e-mailed the surgeon asking him how many LAP-BAND^® surgeries did he do so far, but have not got an answer. Was that a rude question to ask? Here is the link to that doctor's profile. .::susan lim surgery::.

(am not sure if it is against the forum laws to post links to doctors, but I really need someone helping me knowing if this is a very qualified doctor)

On the other hand, I heard about a reputable doctor in Saudi Arabia who has done this procedure hundreds or thousands of times. Obesity rate in Saudi is also much much higher than here in Singapore.

I would appreciate it if you could give me your thoughts to help me making a decision. Wishing everyone a slim happy life. Cheers.

I wouldn't think asking that question was rude. It is one recommended we ask when choosing a surgeon here in the US. His unwillingness to respond is what would concern me. Have you tried calling the office and asking? I looked at the website you provided and they really don't provide much information on their weight loss surgery program. Saying you can do the surgery is one thing. Doing it and providing proper support and follow-up care is something else entirely and a very important thing to consider before making a decision about a surgeon.

I know I haven't been much help, but I do wish you luck and a bright, happy SLIM future. ;)

Kathy

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Could you ask the singapore Dr for a reference to a recently banded patient that you could talk to and ask questions? What was their experience like etc.

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Banded 11/27/07
Band removed 8/5/08

I do not know Dr Kum Cheng Kiong but I did a search about the doctor... Turns up tons of articles, seminars, classes , and surgeries that he has performed. I would say its safe to assume that this is a well established doctor. Maybe go in and meet with him and see how his 'bedside' manner is?

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4/23 Surgery, 2.75/4cc band

Thread Starter  

Kathy. I have read a lot about what should I do and the lifestyle changes that I should expect. However, I know nothing about what kind of after surgery care that I should get. I only know that I have to do some fill adjustments every couple of months. Anything special that I should ask the doctor?


Shortgal, Yes I can. Thats a great suggestion. However, I am not sure how the doctor will react to this. There are HUGE cultural differences that I am still unaware of even after 2 years in Singapore. Maybe I will ask a local friend if this is acceptable.


Brandy, Thanks for the support. I am totally aware that he is a very good surgeon. Actually Susan Lim (the clinic owner) is one of the world leading surgeons in her field. She is the second doctor in the world to do liver transplanting surgery. She is also a very good friend of me and my family. And she referred me to this doctor. But at the end, he works at her clinic. As i said, I am concerned to do it in Singapore because of the very low obesity rate, which implies that surgeons here are not among the most experienced surgeons.

I have also read some posts from Kabeerah, who lives in Saudi. She did not mention the name of the doctor there, but I think we are talking about the same doctor. After reading Kabeerah posts, I disregarded the idea of doing it in Saudi.

A new idea came to my mind is to travel either to Australia (7 hours from here), or to the US to do my LAP-BAND^®. Since most of you have done the surgery, do you think it would be necessary to fly overseas in order to have the procedure performed by a very experienced doctor? Or is it a very basic procedure that does not really need that hassle, and would be much better to do it with a less experienced doctor and be closer to home?

Again thanks for stopping by and giving your thoughts. Cheers.

The only recommendation that I can give you is to find a doctor close to where you live. I was banded on 1/23/08 I go to my doctor frequently (4 times last month for fills), and also see his nurse and nutritionist for weight checks and overall support. Post-surgery care is very important with the LAP-BAND^®. Good luck.

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Many people travel to get their bands done. I wasn't willing to travel out of fear that I would need immediate assistance and I wouldnt be able to receive it.

Theres a few things to consider if you want to travel far. First of all make sure you find a doctor that is close by to do your fills/unfills... This is gonna be one of the most important parts of the journey if you want to be successful with the band. If you have to travel for hours on end to get an unfill you will be in alot of pain. The second is alot of doctors aren't willing to do the after care if they didn't perform the surgery... definetly something to think about. The surgeon in my area will not do aftercare if it's not his patient... This is one of the reasons I chose to use the clinic I did.

I am sure that if she has a doctor at her facility and she is a world renouned surgeon she expects the same out of them. I do not think that the fact that their population not being obese would really detour anyone from using him as a surgeon... Most surgeons in the US and Mexico are general surgeons who specialize in LB or Laproscopic surgery... Meaning my surgeon might do a couple hernia surgeries today, a bowel surgery tomorrow, and then on Monday perform LB on a couple people. I think the skill is that he is able to perform multiple surgeries with the skills. I think the more they know like that the more beneficial the doctor is to you.

I took about 7 months to choose my surgeon and I think I made the right choice.

I understand where you're coming from when you say the culture is much different.... Some cultures are very easily offended by questioning their skill. But if this is the case with someone who is about to perform a surgery on you then you really might want to look at more surgeons.

Please becareful when choosing someone only because of the number of surgeries they have done. You do not want to end up with an asssembly line surgeon.

Oh I am so sorry for the long post.

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4/23 Surgery, 2.75/4cc band

I don't thnk it matters where you get your surgery. What matters is the Dr. that you choose. You have every right to ask how many surgersy he has done. Did I read you live in Dallas? Dr. Roberto Rumbaut is in Monterrey Mexico which is pretty close to you. He is one of the very best. He has done more LAP-BAND^® surgeries than any other Dr. in all of the americas.

Maybe I read it wrong but I got the feeling originally from Saudi Arabia and work in Singapore.

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4/23 Surgery, 2.75/4cc band

I agree, aftercare questions are very important. If you had surgery in U.S. would you have a Dr. in Singapore for aftercare and fills? Would you be comfortable not having your family friend's clinc do the surgery but asking them to do your aftercare? That might be touchy.

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Banded 11/27/07
Band removed 8/5/08

Thread Starter  

Pam, thanks for the reply. Thats a valid point. Finding an experienced surgeon in Singapore is indeed my best option.


Brandy, long post but very encouraging. Thanks for being so supportive.


Perkysg, I have asked a Singaporean friend if asking this question is accepted in the culture. She said as you said that I have every right to ask it. I will be calling the clinic and talk to the surgeon. And I am a Saudi working in Singapore talking to American friends :).


Shortgal, can you please help me understanding what "aftercare" is. Beside fillings and unfillings, what should I be looking for? any regular checks, X-rays, or something specific that I should look for?

Cheers.

Aftercare would be mostly fills and possibly an unfill. But if you had any post op complications it would be nice to know your surgeon is close by. Occasionally, people have an infection at the port site after surgery, that would be an example of an aftercare need.

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Banded 11/27/07
Band removed 8/5/08

Thread Starter  

I found a doctor who has done the LAP-BAND^® 250 times as it says in his website. This is the link to his page LAP-BAND^®.com.sg

After googling him, i did not find that much. While Dr Kum Cheng Kiong turned into many papers and conferences that he participated in, but nothing yet about his experience in lap banding. Even his personal profile in his clinic does not say anything about lap banding.

Which one would you recommend to go for, given this info.

Cheers.

I am planning to have the surgery done in Singapore in July at Alexandra Hospital. They have done over 300 lap bands. I have been very impressed with the care there - fyi.

i'm singaporean :) i did mine with dr baladas (LAP-BAND^® sg site) on 29 may and so far it's been okay. i trust that surgeons in singapore are all capable. honestly i did not take time to suss out all the surgeons that were able in this field. i didn't have any sort of pre-op diet or care but just went with my gut feeling. alexandra hospital looks good too, and it's cheaper than the one i went to. it is a little more fuss than mine, but since i couldn't wait anymore, i went with dr baladas.

on hindsight i should have done more research before rushing into it. but what's done's done, so i might as well make the best out of it. good luck with your decision! perhaps you should make an appointment with the docs to ask all questions before making up your mind :)

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Banded 29/5/08