Thunder Bay Peeps

It's is probably old news, but just in case, here's what I know. Apparently there is a huge backlog of patients at Hamilton, so Toronto Western and St. Mike's have opened their doors to help with the overload. I know two people from Thunder Bay who are going to TWG and St. Mike's, one right now, the other at the end of April. Apparently they are helping with over 30 surgeries. Also, Thunder Bay's surgeon is supposed to start working here soon, but don't now when surgeries will start. That's all I've got.

I heard Dr Gupta is going to start in May, and he is from the US but was trained in Canada, I heard also that he will be doing his own scopes and that they are ensure the rooms conform to set standards for bariatric surgery ie toilets must be floor mounted vs wall mounted.  I am excited as I will probably get to have my surgery here at home and think that's awesome .  I'm curious as to what the wait list looks like in this area?

Dr. Gupta, backed out...that was the last I heard in february

Another one backed out? For goodness sake . . .

I think it's great that we finally won't have to travel for this surgery.  My understanding is that those already referred down east will continue down east, and that new referrals will stay here.  Don't know how true this is, and things can change on a dime, too.  I hope you get to stay here.  I wish we had a reconstructive surgeon here who could deal with our post-bariatric surgery skin issues.  That one makes going to Toronto area very difficult - I'm lucky that I have 3 nieces in the area, so I can impose upon all of them for my post-op (that is, IF my referral ever get sent in!)

Tania from the center told me that four were sent east in February but all others would be left to wait in Thunder Bay , so what might that mean for a local wait list any idea?and Megan our plastic guy is aging and with so many having wls who knows what the future holds I'm hoping we can get a good plastic surgeon as well  .  I'm good at dreaming big lol

They can't all be left to wait, as I know one going right now (surgery may even be done as we speak), and one at end of April.  I'm just glad we're getting our own surgeon - we're a big enough centre that it is warranted.  As for a plastics guy, yes, Mark is getting up there in age, as are we all!  I've just heard mixed review on his work - some are happy, some are not.  I think I'd rather go to someone tried and true with stretched out skin.  Now if the eventual new guy is good with chicken necks, I might try him/her out some day!  That's the one part of me that I feel really ages me - sagging neck skin.  Has anyone heard of "thermage"?  I'm also interested in that as a way of tightening things up some.

Megan are you saying the line up is long long ? Do you know of lots that are waiting? I was thinking if Thunder Bay did only two per week that still equills 8 per month and other centres seem to have funding for more that 2 per week?..... Yes I know I have way too many questions but they would not want this new surgeon to be waiting for people to operate on they will want a waiting list for him I would think?....

I really don't know anything other than what I posted.  No idea just how long the line is, just that it's long enough that other centres have taken on some backlog.  Also, you have to remember that Thunder Bay is a small centre compared to Hamilton, so that might affect how many are done per week.  I'm not surprised that there is now such a backlog.  Processing has taken longer and longer as more and more people enter the program - totally understandable.  

Megan that's why I went through what I went through to get my panni approved from a specialist in the field in Scarborough....just read RATEMDS....LOL

So are you saying that Thunder Bay is getting a new plastic surgeon????