Where did you get your DS done?
k9ophile
on 5/30/11 4:32 am
on 5/30/11 4:32 am
I can personally recommend Dr. Houston in Nashville. Dr. Shaw is also in Nashville and Dr. Boyce is in Knoxville. Also some good docs in the Dayton, OH area. So while you will have to travel, it won't be all that bad.
"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us." Stephen Covey
Don't litter! Spay or neuter your pet
k9ophile
on 5/30/11 8:42 am, edited 5/30/11 8:43 am
on 5/30/11 8:42 am, edited 5/30/11 8:43 am
On May 30, 2011 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, sunshinerayne wrote:
Thanks! Are you related to Dr. Houston?
LOL! No, I'm his favorite patient. At least that's what I tell him. He really is a good surgeon. I know about a dozen of his patients. He was recommended to me by a friend who had a RNY performed by him. I work with 5 people who had him do their RNYs. I know 6 or 7 of his DS patients through our local support network. I've referred a friend to him who wants the VSG. He performs the 4 most commonly performed WLS's. It's hard for me not to sing his praises. He can come off as arrogant, but then, that 's pretty usual for a surgeon.
"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us." Stephen Covey
Don't litter! Spay or neuter your pet
It is hard to find a place because it's hard to find a surgeon. It is hard to find a surgeon because many are interested in doing RNYs which are easier and quicker to crank out which means they make much more money. Learning how to perform the DS takes a lot more skill and education since it is a more intricate surgery. You want someone who has had enough training and experience.
It will also depend on what is important to you. Are you ok with your surgeon performing your DS open if that is all that is close to you? Or do you want it done lap? Personally, I wanted to have mine done lap and while there are 2 surgeons in my area that perform it open, I didn't want that. There are two surgeons who perform it lap on the other side of the state but I figured if I was going to travel anyway, I wanted to go to who I considered the best - someone who has seem many, many cases and really believes in the DS and is an advocate for it. So I decided to go to Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco rather than have it done here in Michigan. Best decision I ever made.
Good luck finding what you're looking for.
It will also depend on what is important to you. Are you ok with your surgeon performing your DS open if that is all that is close to you? Or do you want it done lap? Personally, I wanted to have mine done lap and while there are 2 surgeons in my area that perform it open, I didn't want that. There are two surgeons who perform it lap on the other side of the state but I figured if I was going to travel anyway, I wanted to go to who I considered the best - someone who has seem many, many cases and really believes in the DS and is an advocate for it. So I decided to go to Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco rather than have it done here in Michigan. Best decision I ever made.
Good luck finding what you're looking for.
My Macronutrient Breakdown
Daily Average for the Last 30 Days
Like this widget? Get your own at ObesityHelp.com
The DS carries substantial long term risk for malnutrition. It has serious and potentially dangerous implications and complications. Many surgeons don't want to do them for those reasons, and in my view, the hesitation is justified. The DS is not for everyone - it means a lifetime of commitment, attention, and vigilance. And expense. And surgeons cannot possibly take on a lifetime of aftercare for every surgical patient, and knowledgeable post-DS care is extremely difficult if not impossible to find.
On May 30, 2011 at 6:10 AM Pacific Time, newyork***** wrote:
The DS carries substantial long term risk for malnutrition. It has serious and potentially dangerous implications and complications. Many surgeons don't want to do them for those reasons, and in my view, the hesitation is justified. The DS is not for everyone - it means a lifetime of commitment, attention, and vigilance. And expense. And surgeons cannot possibly take on a lifetime of aftercare for every surgical patient, and knowledgeable post-DS care is extremely difficult if not impossible to find.
As much as I hate to admit it, NewYork***** is more right than wrong.
The surgery is much more difficult and much more specialized than most other WLS. The hospital bill for my surgery was $127,00.00 at Abington Memorial. Cigna paid just shy of $10K of that. That's gotta be a money loser for someone.
The DS is a lifetime commitment of attention and vigilance. You have to keep on top of your vitamins and protein as well as blood work and understand what all the numbers mean. Forever. And ever.
I don't depend on anyone but me (and advice and insight from the helpful members of this OH forum) to make sure I stay healthy.
That said, I should have done this 10 years before I did.
As many other have said here over time, The folks at Abington Bariatric are great. Dr. Antanavicious was a great surgeon and the hospital care was great. I would highly recommend the practice to anyone thinking about the DS.
The office staff for aftercare is another case entirely. I grew tired of getting bad advice on vitamins and protein. The office staff treats DSer like RNY folks and we don't get the level of care we should post-op. I also got tired of driving 2 hours from southern PA to Philly, arriving 15 minutes early for an 11AM appointment and waiting 2 hours for 5 minutes with Donna. The surgeons are great but the office staff could stand a bit of love.
I am seeing my PCP for my blood work now and with the help of the fine folks here I am doing very well.
j
The DS carries substantial long term risk for malnutrition. It has serious and potentially dangerous implications and complications. Many surgeons don't want to do them for those reasons, and in my view, the hesitation is justified. The DS is not for everyone - it means a lifetime of commitment, attention, and vigilance. And expense. And surgeons cannot possibly take on a lifetime of aftercare for every surgical patient, and knowledgeable post-DS care is extremely difficult if not impossible to find.
As much as I hate to admit it, NewYork***** is more right than wrong.
The surgery is much more difficult and much more specialized than most other WLS. The hospital bill for my surgery was $127,00.00 at Abington Memorial. Cigna paid just shy of $10K of that. That's gotta be a money loser for someone.
The DS is a lifetime commitment of attention and vigilance. You have to keep on top of your vitamins and protein as well as blood work and understand what all the numbers mean. Forever. And ever.
I don't depend on anyone but me (and advice and insight from the helpful members of this OH forum) to make sure I stay healthy.
That said, I should have done this 10 years before I did.
As many other have said here over time, The folks at Abington Bariatric are great. Dr. Antanavicious was a great surgeon and the hospital care was great. I would highly recommend the practice to anyone thinking about the DS.
The office staff for aftercare is another case entirely. I grew tired of getting bad advice on vitamins and protein. The office staff treats DSer like RNY folks and we don't get the level of care we should post-op. I also got tired of driving 2 hours from southern PA to Philly, arriving 15 minutes early for an 11AM appointment and waiting 2 hours for 5 minutes with Donna. The surgeons are great but the office staff could stand a bit of love.
I am seeing my PCP for my blood work now and with the help of the fine folks here I am doing very well.
j
Most Active
Recent Topics
