Dr. Lin does it Again!!!

Dr. Edward Lin of Emory Bariatrics, who operates at Emory Crawford Long Hospital, has saved my wife Julie again. I am so grateful she has such an awesome surgeon as Dr. Lin. He is also a very, very nice and caring person. http://www.surgery.emory.edu/gen_surgery/fac_lin.htm http://www.emory.org/departments/bariatrics/index.html Dr. Lin first helped Julie when he performed a desperately needed revision from a VBG (Vertical Banded Gastroplasty - think of it as a non-Adjustable Lap Band) to a RNY Gastric bypass. Most surgeons would not perform the operation because of the high risk involved with revisions. For one thing, there is about a 16 times greater chance of a leak with a revision. Julie desperately needed the revision as many banded post-ops eventually do. Not only was Dr. Lin the only surgeon we could find in Atlanta who would do Julie's much needed revision, he had already performed many revisions and had much more experience with revisions than other surgeons we had talked to. April 2005, Dr. Lin performed Julie's revision surgery. The revision, though very risky, was a great success. Since her revision, Julie has become much healthier. Now that she can eat protein again without becoming violently ill, even her hair and nails are noticeably healthier. Her life is so much better and she is so much healthier and happier thanks to Dr. Lin. We will be forever grateful to him. Many of you may remember on Father's Day 2006 when I had to take Julie to the emergency room at Emory Crawford Long Hospital at Dr. Lin's instruction. She was suffering from extreme abdominal pain that just kept getting worse. Dr. Lin ordered some tests like a CT scan and he came into the hospital in the middle of the night to operate on Julie. She had an intestinal blockage caused by scar tissue from previous surgeries. Her intestines had strangulated and begun to die and turn grey. Dr. Lin freed her intestines of the scar tissue and restored blood flow to them. They turned back to their normal pinkish color as the blood flow resumed. Dr. Lin was concerned that we had not had any warning signs before it got so bad. Julie and I realized we did have warning signs as she had experienced that same abdominal pain a number of times before, but it would get better and finally go away before we called the doctor so we passed it off as maybe something she ate even though we could almost never think of anything she had done wrong that would have caused the pain. We told Dr. Lin about the warning signs and he asked us to call him or his office to let him know anytime something like that happened again so he could keep track of it. Earlier this year, Julie began to experience some of the same type of abdominal pain about once or twice a month. It would go away eventually, but we called Dr. Lin's office to let them know when it happened. The week of June 5, 2007, almost a year after her emergency surgery, the pain came back. It was bad and getting worse. Julie was planning a trip to Hawaii with her sister the next week. She called Dr. Lin's office and he had her come in for a CT scan. Her pain had already begun to diminish and she didn't want to cancel her trip. Dr. Lin studied the results of the CT scan and decided Julie could go on her trip, but he scheduled her for exploratory surgery on June 19 after she returned from Hawaii. We were worried about the trip, but the pain seemed to have gone and only soreness remained as a reminder. It, too, faded by the time she left to meet her sister in Houston. Julie had a wonderful time in Hawaii with her sister, niece and nephew. She did not have any more of the abdominal pain. I picked her up at the Atlanta Airport on Sunday June 17, 2007. Tuesday morning, June 19 we were at Emory Crawford Long Hospital at 8:00 AM for Julie's pre-op since she had been out of town the previous week. We were told she was to be Dr. Lin's fourth patient that day. It was a very long day. They finally rolled Julie into the Operating Room at 5:30 PM. At 7:30 PM, I was the only person left in the waiting area. I finally laid down on the sofa. Dr. Lin came out and told me the surgery was successful and Julie was in recovery. He discovered her intestines were matted together in three places. It appeared that after her emergency surgery last year, her intestines were so traumatized they became inflamed and as they healed the became matted together. This was causing the occasional intestinal blockage. Dr. Lin cut away the adhesions and separated her intestines from each other. He told me he had to cut through some muscle to get the right instruments to the right places so even though it was laparoscopic she would have some pain from the incisions. Dr. Lin said there was no new scar tissue and he felt she wouldn't have any more problems. He had also put a film around her intestines that would keep them from sticking together when they healed. The film would eventually dissolve. Dr. Lin said he was glad Julie hadn't had any pain while in Hawaii and suggested we should maybe move to Hawaii. Now there's a thought! Dr. Lin told me what room Julie would be taken to after she left Recover. I went to the room and waited for Julie. They brought her in at 9:30 PM Tuesday June 19. Dr. Lin let me take Julie home Friday June 22, 2007 after she appeared to be mostly back to normal except for the very bad post surgery pain which was expected. Julie pain has had a lot pain as she is healing, but she is getting a little better every day. We will both be forever grateful to Dr. Lin for saving Julie not once, not twice, but three times. Best Wishes, Curtis Green Lap RNY Gastric Bypass - Aug. 11, 2003 Dr. John Daly 404-252-0433 @ Northside Hospital -180 lbs ... Ventral Hernia Repair (Pre-RNY Hernia at least 10 years old) Nov. 1, 2005 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Daly 404-252-0433 ... AND ... Lower Body Lift & more Nov. 1, 2005 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Sheldon Lincenberg 770-730-8222 http://gaplasticsurg.com/index.html ... Emergency Internal Hernia w/ Intestinal Blockage Aug. 15, 2006 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Paul Macik 404-252-2220 PS. On August 15, 2006, two months after Julie's emergency surgery, I had to be taken to the emergency room with the same symptoms Julie had with her intestinal blockage. I had different surgeons at a different hospital, but I had an intestinal blockage, too. My surgeon, Dr. John Daly, was out of town so Dr. Paul Macik took care of me. My intestinal blockage was caused by an internal hernia. My emergence surgery experience was not nearly as bad as Julie's because we recognized and acted on the symptoms much faster because of what Julie had been through. If you have abnormal pains or other symptoms, especially if you can't keep water down, please call your surgeon.

Hi Mr. C,  I also had Dr. Lin, he too saved my life...twice...first time was the actual RNY...then about 2 weeks ago I was in for part of a study that he is doing, I complained about some pain...he ordered a CT scan...come to find out I had a block in the small intestine @ the ileum...He came back from home(I felt bad because when he called me I could hear his kiddos in the back ground) and did the emergency surgery.   The man always goes above and beyond what is expected.  I try to tell people to go through Emory, mostly for the great docs, some people what things right away...I have found that the wait that I had was more then worth it.  Tell your wife that I hope all works out and to keep healthy.. Erica :)

Glad you had a good experience with Dr. Lin and Emory.  My experience with them was horrible.  I was suffering horribly at about 2 months out and was told it wasn't his problem.  I've told my husband I would have to be unconsious before I will ever step foot in the door to Emory again.  I tell everyone who asks to not use Emory Bariatrics for any reason.

Hi,  I'm glad to here about how great Dr Lin is.......I have been in pain for 5 months and Dr Lin has run every test that he could think of on me with no luck.  So Tuesday, July 10, he is doing surgery on me......might have to remove my old part of my stomach. Wish us luck. Martha

Martha,  I'm sorry you've been in pain. I'm glad Dr. Lin is checking it out for you. I believe you are in excellent hands. Tell him Julie and Curtis Green said hi.  You're in our thoughts and prayers.  Best Wishes, Curtis Green Cell: 404-358-2352 Lap RNY Gastric Bypass - Aug. 11, 2003 Dr. John Daly 404-252-0433 @ Northside Hospital -180 lbs ... Ventral Hernia Repair (Pre-RNY Hernia at least 10 years old) Nov. 1, 2005 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Daly 404-252-0433 ... AND ... Lower Body Lift & more Nov. 1, 2005 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Sheldon Lincenberg 770-730-8222 http://gaplasticsurg.com/index.html ... Emergency Internal Hernia w/ Intestinal Blockage Aug. 15, 2006 @ Northside Hospital Dr. Paul Macik 404-252-2220  

Thank you, I know that he will find the problem and fix it.  I'll tell him you said "HI". Martha

Hi, Well on July 10th I had my surgery.....Dr Lin went in and looked around.....he said that he did not see anything but he did put a G Tube in my old stomach....I go back to him on Aug 1st.  So until then it's just me, my G tube bag and the pain. Martha

would you please ask julie to give me a call in reference to her revision surgery with dr. lin I'm looking for a doctor that will do a revision of a failed rny. my name is gleda 404-297-0163 thank you so much.