Dr. Information....Good & Bad

I've been researching WLS for about 3 years. In 2003, I was schedule to have Lap with Dr. Neuhoff in November, but God gave me a little blessing instead (Josh =)). I''m currently 5'10" @ 287. Other than being overweight, I'm o.k. I check for Diabetes 2 on a monthly/bi-monthly basis. I am taking medications to help with the Diabetes 2 if I do get it. I've been back to reaserching again. But I'm getting more and more upset/nervous/worried. I just got done reading the complications and regrets forum, seems the post are very informative. My question is more for Arizonians who are postop. What Doctors would you recommend? What Hospitals would you recommend? What complications did you have? I have read many many post and profiles regarding people with MAJOR complications. I need to know the best way to avoid complications. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Tiff

Tiff, I had Dr Doxey who was with Dr. Blackstones office and was very pleased. I did everything I was suppose to when and how I was suppose to so I had no complications what so ever. I go to support meetings and this helps to keep me on track. I seen many docs before choosing Dr. Blackstones practice. Even though I did not have Dr. Blackstone herself I was still very very happy with my surgoen. Unfortunately he left practice with Dr. Blackstone but I still think he was great. Here is my adice, take it or leave it, you can sometimes overboard on the bad information like the memorial pages ect. Do the research but understand that the bad information concentrated on those particular areas is just that. There is far more good that this surgery gives than bad. Like I said just my two cents. Best of luck in your dicision. Tanya 355-325-179-160

Hey Tiff, I had Dr Simon, he is in the building w/ Dr. Neuhoff. I REALLY like him. I am almost 6 weeks out and honestly I feel great. I have had no problems as of now (fingers crossed knocking on wood). If other things havent worked for you this may be your best chance. Congrats on your son. Make sure you have a good support team and babysitting. If you look at MOST NOT ALL of the complicatins it is people that have had ALOT of problems otherwise. Make sure it is best for you and your medical history. I know Dr Simon and if he isnt sure he wont do it. Keep us posted. Tracie

Tiffany, My supervisor and a coworker had thier surgeries (open RNY) done by Newhoff (he is just learning to do the surgery laproscopicly) and me, my husband and my supervisor's husband had Lap RNY done by Dr. Steven Simon who works Arizona Bariatrics with Dr. Newhoff. We all researched the doctors and the surgery extensively before choosing to go with these doctors and we have all been very happy with that decision. The coworker is 5 years out, lost a total of 110 lbs and has maintained 100lb loss for the 5 years. As far as I know she has had no complications. I had my surgery in June 2004. The only complication I have had is that they did not operate on my head also. It has taken very long for me to get used to the head hunger and hair loss, but I would do it again tomarrow. My supervisor had hers the second week of July 2004. She had problems with the incision not closing well, but she is loosing weight, feeling better than ever and looking fabulous! My husband had his in the 3rd wk of July 2004. He had a little problem with one of his incisions getting infected but it cleared up quickly. He can eat anything and has already lost more than 110 lbs. (Yep, he's a hottie!!) My supervisor's husband had his in November. He had a problem that they had to go back in and reopen the botttom outlett (I'm not sure of the technical terms but you get the picture). He has been doing great! I would never reccommend this surgery for anyone (not even my husband). It is a very personal decision that should be researched, pondered and prayed upon by each person individually. IT IS ANYTHING BUT THE EASY WAY OUT OF OBESITY!! That being said, after a person has decieded it is the right path for them, I would HIGHLY reccommend Dr. Simon and Dr. Newhoff (We chose Simon because he has had a lot of practice in Lap which is the surgery we wanted). No matter who you choose (if you choose to do it at all) please do the legwork. Research the doctor, the hospital, the surgeries, the complications (which it sounds like you already have a handle on ), the benefits and especially how you will have to live the rest of your life. WLS not only changes a person's lifestyle but it changes every aspect of thier life. And I am grateful for every minute of the life I now have! If you have any more questions or just want to chat, please email me. I would be more than happy to talk about it. Patrice 227/146/135 (ONLY 11 LBS to go to my personal goal!!!)

I just read my post and felt it did not give Newhoff the credit he deserves! Dr Newhoff has been a bariatric surgeon for over 25 years and the only reason I did not go with him is because of my choice of surgeries. My supervisor went with him BECAUSE he only did open and it was the operation she wanted. Sorry I have been so LOONNNGG winded. Patrice

You may be one of the minority that really can carry the weight and not suffer terrible side effects from it, but I find that many people don't realize all the things that are wrong with them that really are directly related to the obesity, some smaller, some larger. For starters, since you just had a baby, got any incontinence? I was incontinent for ten years after my second child and a few months after the surgery stopped using a pesary (gadget that holds up the bladder wall), and pads altogether! Except for an occasional unusually strong sneeze, I don't lose a drop now! Do you have acid back-up? Are Tums on the regular grocery list? Do people tell you you snore? A lot of overweight people have apnia and don't realize it. Do you get back aches? Sore knees? Sore feet? Do you get winded when you walk? How's the blood pressure? I had callouses on my feet to beat the band for years before I had the surgery. Despite constant pedicures every time I took a shower - I remember being soooo ashamed of showing my feet. The hard crusty skin on them also made them smell when I wore shoes all day. Now my feet are smooth as a baby's butt with very little maintenance and don't smell at all. I also had lots of skin tags, which, by the way, are one of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome, which, looking back, I believe I had. I had heart palpitations regularly. I still get them occasionally, but rapid heart beat used to be a regular feature of my sleep/wake cycle. Scary stuff. I couldn't bend over at all without choking my air passages off and almost passing out. Gardening was out and I had to use one of those grabber devices to pick things off the floor. I garden now all the time. Let's see.....what else? I'm sure I could think of more if it wern't bed time already. Any of it ringing a bell with you? I'm sure I don't need to go into the depression that all of that causes. Nothing that affects one's body so severely can skip being a big downer on the brain part as well... I'm going on 45 years old and 9 months after the surgery, I'm bouncing around like a 20 year old. My p.m.s. symptoms aren't anything like what they used to be. Whereas I used to sit in a chair and watch the world go by, cause it was just so hard to even get up, I now get out every weekend with the kids and hike and enjoy nature. My regained mobility is absolutely precious to me. I tell people it's like getting my life back on a platter. I had Juarez. He's a very proficient technician and loses very few patients. I'd definitely recommend him. I recommend this surgery sooner or later to anyone who is your weight (I was 5'9" and 289 when I had mine (163 now). Maybe you don't have the complications of morbid obesity setting in yet, but it's just a matter of time. The body can't keep going efficiently with that kind of weight for anywhere near as long as someone who is a more normal weight. If you don't need the surgery right now - and you truly may not- it's just a matter of time before the co-morbidities set in and then you will. And at the point where the killer diseases start to set in, the decision becomes a much more easy one. For most of us, we take a small risk of losing our lives with the surgery, but it pales in comparison to the almost surety that we've got enough disease processes going on to be dead as a doornail [fer sher] in another couple of years. It really helps make the decision a whole lot easier. Good luck with whatever decision you make. - Stephanie J

Hi, I had my open rny done by Dr. Newhoff. I didn't have any complication's at all. He was also recommended to me and I was and am very pleased with him. He doesn't make you do a bowl cleanse or require you to loose so many pounds before surgery, like some Dr's make you do. They also offer a nice support group class. Jesslyn 465/274/160

I had LAP RNY on 12/13/04 with Dr. Vallares at the Bridges Bariatric Center at Phoenix St. Luke's Hospital. I had no complications (so far and I don't foresee any in the future). Dr. Valleres joined Dr. Zahn's office in the fall of 2004 (602-716-9200). Dr. Villares attended the top two medical schools in the country and did his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is certified in laproscopic surgery. He is very knowledgeable and takes the time to answer every one of your questions. The Bridges Bariatric Center has a whole program for WLS patients, including a dietician, psychologist, support groups, etc. The main thing is to walk, walk, walk. After surgery, WLS patients are a high risk for blood clots for the first 3 months. Make sure you blow into the little device they give you to keep your lungs clear so you don't get pneumonia. Dr. Villares also has his patients on a strict protein drinks only diet for a week before the surgery. It shrinks the liver so he is able to do the LAP procedure easily with as little trauma to your system as possible. I was actually painting my living room walls a week after surgery. Dr. Villares said that as long as I felt like doing it, there wasn't a problem. The only restriction he had was that I not lift over 10 pounds. The more you exercise, the faster you will recoup and the better you will feel. I went back to work after 2 weeks and have had no complications whatsoever. Good luck to you and I hope you have as good an outcome as I have been blessed to enjoy.

Thank you all for your comments. I think one of the main reasons I'm nervous about having Lap RNY stems from the whole child depending on me thing. If I become incapacitated and cannot take care of my child, that leave my husband and mother. As much as I love these two people, I feel that I gave birth to my child I should take care of my child. I also want to have more children and there is a 2 year wait after surgery to become pregnant. So with that said... At this time I don't have any obesity related medical problems. I take tests on a tri-monthly basis to keep track of my health. I also take a diabetes medication to help stave off the type 2 diabetes. I have always had acid reflux problems. And I have had ulcers my whole life. But in the back of my head I have the poking pain that says what happens to Josh if you die, become incapacitated, are unable to take care of yourself. Thank you for letting me voice how I feel. My husband, who is very supportive, has decided that whatever I want to do I can do. But isn't really helping me with the decision process. So I'm back to weighing my pros cons and hopfully lost pounds. Any suggestions on weight loss methods prior to surgery? I'm currently taking corti-slim. My aunt has lost 70 lbs on that.

Tiff, I had my surgery on 1/13/05 with Dr. Juarez. He is excellent. I felt comfortable with him. I only wish that St. Lukes provided better service. I think the poor man thought I was a lunatic. Good luck! Randi