Our Program

Seminars:
We hold seminars in various locations throughout every month. Their purpose is to educate and inform patients on the rationale for surgery, how patients are selected for consideration for surgery, and their surgical options. An overview of all available procedures - with their relative risks and benefits - is given, as well as expectations for a typical hospital stay. Post-op aftercare issues are covered as well, including what dietary guidelines to adhere to after surgery, and what supplements are required after surgery, specific to procedure. The seminars are surgeon led; giving prospective patients an opportunity to ask questions about surgery and aftercare. Prospective patients should use this time to assess their "comfort level" with their surgeon; there are few life decisions greater than this one - deciding which operation and which surgeon is right for you in this journey.

Consult:
Prior to consult with Dr. Husted, patients should download and fill out the New Patient Packet. You may bring this to your initial consult or fax or mail it to the office beforehand. A sizeable portion of our patients are from outside the area, and choose to have their initial consult over the phone. These are scheduled just like any other consult, the only difference being that they are done from a distance, over the phone, and no physical examination is performed. Patients undergoing consultation over the phone will have a chance to meet and be examined by Dr. Husted at time of their second consult, prior to surgery. Most patients have their second consult one or two days prior to surgery, although some patients have their second consult the morning of surgery, before being admitted to the hospital. The timing of the second consult is largely up to the patient's comfort level; some patients prefer to meet the day of surgery to minimize their time in Kentucky, some patients prefer a day or two to ease into things in order to get comfortable with impending surgery. An evaluation by a psychologist and a nutritionist prior to surgery is standard.

Aftercare:
Post-op aftercare consists of two components - office visits (either in person or by phone) and support groups. We have several support groups that patients should attend, as this is part of their total care. A list of our support groups with meeting times can be found under the "support groups" section of this website. In addition, this website features a discussion forum which functions as an online support group. The discussion forum draws input and comment from a wider net than that of a local, live support group. Although this acts to complement the local support groups, many patients without access to a local support group choose to make this their primary support group.

Office visits can be either in person or by phone. Patients will need an accurate weight and a recent set of lab work - if needed - for the follow up appointments to be most meaningful. Diet, exercise, psychological adjustment, family/support interactions, general health, and eating patterns are all topics of discussion during follow up visits, with the goal of helping you make the most of your surgery. Surgery is a tool; wellness is the goal.