Hubby & I both considering lapband, who's the best doc in LR?

I would assume  (and we all know about that-) that since Dr. Wellborn's offices are on the St. Vincent compound, it might be why he uses that facility more freqently.  Has Dr. Gibbs done many Lap bands? I have heard nothing but praise about his services, but I was under the impression he had not done that many of the proceedures.  But again, assuming and such...  One of my major deciding factors was since I was self pay (no insurance at all), Dr. Wellborn includes 18 months of fills before you are charged individually... I can't afford Dr. Luttrell's fill prices. Luttrell also does his surgery in his clinic, not a hospital. (The same clinic the seminar was held in.)  Just a few more tidbits to mull over...  ellen- how are you feeling post op??  Susan

Hi Ellen :) Thanks so much for replying! I have no doubt that Dr Gibbs surgery skills are good, even though I have heard about his personality from my husband ( who's also a doctor who went to high school with him.......you can imagine that might jade him some .......think back to high school and if the doc was someone you didn't like then, well, it changes your perception . haha ) and from Baptist administration contacts I have.  I had heard that Dr Luttrell lost privlidges at St Vincent and I took it with a grain of salt because I know certain docs will cross hairs with administration or whatever and just stop dealing with one hospital or another. But, I didn't know he's not allowed to practice at Baptist. Now I'm wondering if he lost privledges at BOTH hospitals or if he's still with St Vincent?  I know others LOVE Dr Luttrell ( my hairdresser among many ), but that is a red flag and concern to me. Even given personality mismatches, my hubby has said that he wouldn't dismiss talking with Dr Gibbs. He has no doubts in his surgical abilities. Other Baptist employees have suggested Dr Baker over Gibbs. What are your opinions about that? I know weight loss is faster with RNY and from what you've said I suppose if someone wants to "cheat" their way around any procedure they can. I used to work with a girl at Doctor's hospital who had RNY and she nibbles on snack food, M&M's etc in small amounts ALL day long. Not the way to do it. Back to personalities, I know from my own years in healthcare that some of the better skilled docs don't have the best personalities. So, in all fairness to Dr Gibbs, I wouldn't equate a strong personality with being a bad doctor.  I think I'm leaning more towards lapband because it's less invasive. I may lose slower, but have more peace of mind of less side effects, i.e., dumping syndrome and nutrient malabsorption. Still, I strongly believe in making an educated decision which means considering different doctors and procedures. I think I would be doing myself an injustice to go into this with my mind SET before I gather and process all the info. Thanks so much for providing your point of view!!! It truly helps to hear from people in healthcare. Best wishes to you! One last question: what was the deciding factor that lead you to RNY over lapband? Hugs :) Missy

Hi Missy, I had the lapband also and went to Dr. Luttrell before I went to the surgeon I ended up using. I liked Dr. Luttrell but when it came down to a week before surgery the hospital decided they didn't take my insurance. I couldn't afford to go out of pocket so had to switch in the end. I hate my original surgeon and have since switched to a Dr. in Jonesboro for my fills. His name is doctor McAlexander. He is stritcly lap band. He will not do RNY. The hospital here in Jonesboro is the one I use when I have a need for the hospital and it has a good bariatrics program in place now. Just thought I would let ya know.. Amy 

I had lapband surgery 4/20/07. I had originally planned to go with dr. Wellborn b/c he was the only one I knew of. I think he has more "name recognition" from advertising. After frustration with his outer office, I explored my options and found Dr. Luttrell. He and his office have been great!!! My understanding is that if you are "self pay" you will get in quickly with Dr. wellborn. If you are using insurance it could be quite a while. You should probably just set up a consultation with both and go with your gut. I like the fact that Dr. Luttrell uses a surgery center there in the same building as his office. I was able to go home the same day. I also felt that a small surgery center would have less risk than a large hospital for secondary infections. Dr. Luttrell also does the fills himself with fluoro. I think it is much more exact than a "blind fill." I have asked many people about Dr. Luttrell and have only heard positive remarks from those who know him. Good luck to you!!!

Thanks so much. :) My hairdresser used Dr Luttrell and LOVES him. We're going with Wellborn. He was a good "fit" for us. My hubby has a cpap machine and they like to moniter you overnight with your cpap machine. My hairdresser told me she had heard that Dr Luttrell lost his priviledges at St Vincent, but she still thinks he's great, etc. But, then I heard he lost his priviledges at Baptist, also.  My hubby and I are both in healthcare, so that's a huge red flag for me. I know you are correct in saying that many people love Dr Luttrell and have had great success. But, since it's advised that my hubby's cpap is monitered overnight in the hospital we need a doc who has priviledges to admit to a hospital. AND, all of that may have changed with Dr L....I know docs will lose priviledges for a variety of reasons ( like not keeping up with their charting, etc ). AND, maybe those are just rumors? I didn't put much weight into it the first time I heard it, but I heard this from many sources. Like I said, if someone likes a doc, they should go with him and my hairdresser and friend LOVE Dr L. So, i think it's all about finding a good "fit" for you. With us not being insurance patients the fills are included in our price for 18 months. So, for those and a variety of other reasons our doc feels like a good "fit" for us. Plus our PCP who we know well and trust prefers Dr Wellborn and said he's "Brilliant!"  As for advertising, funny but Luttrell is the one I knew from ads.  I do agree with you about secondary infections in hospitals. UGH But, that can happen and surgery center's too.  But, I agree that the odds are greater at a bigger institution. Either way, I'm sure both doctors are very talented and good at what they do and each probably has their pluses and minuses. Good luck to you, too! :)

PS. Abominableglib: I LOVE the pic of your dog!!!!! SO cute! What kind of dog is he/she??? We have a bichon frise and he's our baby. He's getting old ( 16 years ) and having problems and it's just breaking our hearts. :(

Good luck to you both. The dog is a Bichon. We have 2-Oliver and Lucy-and LOVE them. It's so sad when they get old. Our Sheltie is on her "last leg." Good luck with your surgery. See you on the Losing Side. :) Do you have a date?

ohhhhhhhh I thought it was a Bichon! It is so sad as they get older. I had two Bichon's growing up and my hubby fell in love with our family Bichon. So, after marriage we got our baby, Benson. We LOVE him and it's going to kill us when we lose him! There's still not a day that goes by that we don't talk about my family's Bichon, Razor. Razor's name WAS Bridget, but it didn't fit. She was more like a HE and had Razor sharp teeth. Not a typically good natured Bichon except with family. But, we LOVED/LOVE that dog. They're family members! Best wishes to you, too.......we're having our surgery on July 12th......so the countdown is ON! I was saying today that Ben's going to love having us home recouperating cuddled up watching movies with him. hehe :) Also, we amazed that this little 18 lb dog eats MORE than US! hahaha Good doggie genes. haha :)

Even though I haven't had my surgery yet, I have done LOTS of research and I am going with DR BAKER. He gets referred many of the high risk patients that other surgeons will not or cannot deal with.  He also gets referred revisions.  I have been to his seminar.  He presents all of the information regarding WLS, does not "push" people either way.  As a matter of fact, he doesn't try to sell you on WLS at all.  He simply presents the facts, etc.  His website is http://www.obesity-surgery.net/index.html For cash payers, lapband is around $12,000 and RNY is around $16,000.  (At least that's what it was about 6 months ago when my aunt had hers done with him.  She was self pay.) What I liked most about DR BAKER is that you can tell he honestly cares about people changing their lives.  He honestly cares about obesity as a national health crisis.  He recommends that everyone get involved in the Obesity Action Coalition so that your voice can be heard. He actually says that he will pay your entry fee if you will jog with him in the marathon the year after your surgery.  He makes that offer to every one of his patients.  He is all about not just the surgery but changing your life permanently for the better.   Not only that, but he is the only surgeon in Arkansas that some insurance companies will pay for (ex. Anthem BCBS, etc) because his complication rate is so low. 

We're set with Dr Wellborn, but I've also heard great things about Dr Baker. I'm sure you'll be in good hands! From what I know all the docs in central Arkansas truly believe in helping patients be successful and healthy for life. We're lucky to have good options here! If we weren't going with Wellborn, Baker would be our pick. As I've said, it's all about the right "fit" among other things. There are supporters for all the central AR docs and probably some people who don't like one or another. Best wishes on your surgery! :) Melissa