Dr. Schoen

Hello, I have just started my 6 month pre op plan and if all goes well will be having a RNY performed by Dr. Schoen at the University Of Colorado Hospital...have any of you had any experience with Dr. Schoen or UCH ???

Thanks

He is AWESOME! I had my surgery September 2, 2006. I loved him. He was very helpful with questions. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Thats all I can say.

Hello,
My name is danielle. I am 31 and I am almost 5 weeks post-op from Rny from dr. schoen at UCH. I have to be honest and tell u of my experience. I like Dr. Schoen hes good at what he does. But hes a lil too dry in personality for me. BUT a good surgeon.  I had no problems after surgery. I had alot of pain where they pushed on my body and the most pain I had was in the tube that will protrude from the middle of your stomach (that sucked). It made healing very hard. He took the tube out about 9 days after surgery (that sucked). But once I got that thing out it was smooth sailing. NOW onto UCH! I hated my stay there and it was the worst experience at a hospial I could have imagined. First, the nurses didnt no jack about my surgery so that made me very uncomfortable. I stayed for 3 days and in those 3 days I saw Dr. schoen once! the day after surgery. The other days he had his INTERNS come in and they seemed to come in packs of 3's which is weird. I called them the 3 stug's. LOL!  They had no idea what they were talking about either. I asked them questions they couldnt answer and I found that unexceptable. THEN when I got discharged the INTERNS put on my directions to continue taking medications that I was not supposed to take anymore SO there were alot of oooppss on the way out! The surgery was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I wouldnt change Dr. Schoen for a minute but UCH I could have done without!  Just letting you no the real deal. Im just that kind of person! If you'd like you can cqll me sometime and we can chat!

HI, I'm scheduled to head up  to UHC some time soon for the rny surgery. I have read a lot about learning hospitals and found your experience not out of the ordinary. Here is my question. What would you suggest to help our experience at the hospital better visit ? Please fell free to give as much advice and help as you can recall or may want to share. thx for your time.

I had my surgery with Dr. Schoen on September 7, 2007.  He is fantastic, very helpful and very kind.   Lisa his nutritionist is great.  Kelly, whose class is required by Dr. Schoen, is not in the office but her class is helpful.  Though, if you need more information than is provided in the class, be prepared to pay a hefty hourly rate, that in my case is not covered by insurance, so I was unable to go. 

I plateaued very early, at about six months, and needed additional help to deal with emotional losses, my mom died and my husband had surgery all in the same week last September.  I thought my surgery would keep me from eating through the stress, but it didn't.  I gained weight and by the time I was able to ask for help, I didn't find it either in the doctor's office and actually, haven't had any responses to my call for help from this forum either, but I can understand that.  No one in our situation wants to hear about set backs or weight gain.  However, be aware that it can be a reality.  This is a tool and can only do so much.  When you plateau, it can be very hard to get back on track.  And if you are undergoing a massive amount of stress, like I was, that plateau can be a gain.  I lost about 95 pounds at the 6 month mark.  I've gained back 25 of those pounds in the last year since my mother died.  Dealing with stress and stress eating is still a problem for us.  Surgery is only a part of the answer and I'm having to relearn everything just as I did before my surgery.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to go to the support group.  I didn't go because I live in Firestone and didn't want to make the drive to the Garfield clinic.  Also, the one time I did go to the support group it was not a good time as there was one woman who, rightfully, was very proud of herself and her loss, but didn't allow other to get in a word edgewise.  I know that I had lots of questions and wanted to hear from other patients but was unable to.

Anyway, Dr. Schoen is a wonderful surgeon and I liked him very much.  I wish the best for you and hope your surgery is great.  If I could do it all again, I would and I would choose Dr. Schoen.  He is the best.

I met Dr Schoen once. I was going to the GI Dr's at University. Lets just say if I listened to him I would not be alive right now and my herniated intestine would have ruptured. He was not to concerned with the amount of abdominal pain I had then as well.  But then that is my exp from just one visit with him. He did not follow though with me either. I got the opinion of him that he did not have the time for me and he was to busy. But then most of the Dr's at University act that way.  I have heard allot of good things about him from  many people he has done a gastric bypass on. SO it might be better to hear from them but this is just an answer on my experience with him. And the GI Docs there. I am not a huge fan of University's Doctors as you can tell but  (In-patent there is pretty good though). But then I am not a huge fan of Swedish Hospital In-patent l either. But the Dr's at Swedish has taken pretty good care of me. Just decide what is best for you and ask ALL the questions you need to as to make you feel comfortable no madder where you go to.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Kathy