Who is the best DS surgeon in Atlanta?

Hi all,

I had an open DS last November in Dayton, OH from Dr. John Maguire. TRULY a talented excellent surgeon and a staff that is unparalleled. But my fiancee works at NCR and they moved their national HQ to Atlanta and so we relocated in March. I am down to 430 from 598 when I checked in the hospital last November 9th, my surgery is working great and I have had very little problems. But I cant fly or drive back to Dayton all the time and if I have an emergency I need to find someone special here in Atlanta. I went to see Dr. Dennis Smith in Marietta. He might be talented but he was very very neurotic and quite rude to me. When I first met him, he came in in a gruff and exclaimed "What am I supposed to do with YOU?!" and then because he didnt have all my labs, he went about making me feel like it was a royal pain in the ass to even talk to me, and that it was MY fault that he didnt have the labs. His head RN was very nice and seemed knowledgable, but man I wouldnt send my worst enemy to talk to Dr. Smith. I dont care if he's the coolest thing since sliced bread on the operating table, hes never touching this body.

I then talked to the head RN at Dr. Maguire's office (who is simply one of the best nurses I have ever met, and she is just awesome beyond awesome [Kim]) and she suggested I see Dr. Celio Burrowes at Atlanta Medical Center. Dr. Burrowes staff was quite excellent, friendly and very attentive. I was super impressed. Dr. Burrowes was pretty dry and uninterested in concerns that were not directly related to the surgery. Im not against seeing him regularly for follow up stuff even if we didnt really hit it off like I did with Dr. Maguire. But Atlanta Medical is pretty old and kind of run down, far from what I would call "state of the art". I value my body now more than anything and I would really like to find the best choice for DS surgeons in Atlanta. Who do you folks recommend? Someone in Atlanta with an amazing staff that works out of a state of the art facility (maybe Emory? I dont know the area so I dont know what are the good and not so good hospitals yet)

Also what about plastic surgeons? Its going to be at least another year and probably more till Im ready for plastic surgery, but I would like to find the right one there as well.

Also... :-) where is the best support group at that has a DS group?

Thanks for your answers!

Welcome to Georgia!

There aren't a lot of DS doctors in the Atlanta area. I did all my pre-op at Emory, and it is a good, clean, modern facility, but they don't offer the DS there. I was trying for Dr. Smith also, but his staff didn't have their act together among other issues, so I had to move on. Dr. Maynard is a DS surgeon in Atlanta (open procedures only). Some of his patients on this website seem to like him and have said he is a good surgeon. There is also Dr. Chasen in Augusta (2 hours east of Atlanta). He is new to the DS (only having done a few). A little further is Dr. Houston or Dr. Spaw in Nashville--4 hours from here. Dr. Houston uses a very nice, modern facility.

There are a couple of DS support groups around. There's one in Stockbridge that meets the second Saturday of every month. What part of Atlanta are you in?

 We are ITP on the north east side, off 85/ briarcliff/ north druid hills area. Definitely looking for a good group to come and hang out with :-) Thanks for the warm welcome!

The best DS surgeon in Atlanta is not in Atlanta, he's in Nashville... Dr. Hugh Houston.

Agreed!

Welcome to Atlanta! 

If you are interested in staying in the local area and Dr. Smith is definitely out than Dr. Maynard is your only other option.  He performs his DS surgeries at Atlanta Medical Center although I'm sure he has priviledges at other hospitals in the city.  His support group meets at Rockdale hospital which is directly across the street from his office in Conyers.

Can I ask why you are so concerned about state of the art facilities when you have already had your DS?  Your in follow-up mode now right? Most of what you will be needing will probably be done or ordered by your primary care physician anyway so you will need to find a good PCP here as well. So if state of the art facilities are your concern, find a PCP at Emory or Piedmont.

As LaShelle mentioned, there are several Atlanta DSers who travel to Nashville for Dr. Houston so if you are of a mind to do that, she is the one to talk to.

Again, welcome to Atlanta and if there is anything we can do to make your transition easier, feel free to ask.

Lia

 Well if I am going to travel for my DS issues, it will be back to Dayton Ohio (not much farther than Nashville) because Dr. Maguire and his staff are absolutely amazing, not to mention they know me and what they did better than any). The reason I want to find the best in Atlanta is for emergency. If I had a bowel obstruction or some other complication resulting from my DS. I wont want to have a surgery in Atlanta Medical Center, that much I know. Or at least how I feel after one visit there. But Dr. Burrowes staff was excellent and Dr. Burrowes seemed knowledgeable even if we didnt really hit it off like best buddies. But if I was to have a situation where I need surgical attention I want the very best I can find in the very best facility I can find locally. The process of this surgery and the 170 pounds I lost so far has made me hyper-interested in my body and wanting the very best care I can get for it. And so now I take the time to plan for contingencies and a big part of that is having the right DS surgeon at the right facility have seen me, have my records and my labs, and be ready for me if I need them.

I have been interviewing PCPs and have met one at Emory. He wasnt bad but kind of young. So I will keep looking till I find the right one. 

Thanks for the pointers

Welcome to Georgia.

If you want to be followed by a surgeon wouldn't it be better to be followed by someone who performs the DS?  I didn't know that Dr. Burrowes does that surgery.

If you want to stay local, it sounds like Dr. Maynard would be your best bet, especially since you did not care for Dr. Smith's bedside manner.

And since you are not having surgery, I would not worry about AMC.  The chances of you having to go there are slim.

 Hmm I was told by Dr Maguire's office that Dr Knowles did DS, but maybe they got it wrong? Thanks for the tips on Dr Maynard :-) I will make an appt to visit him. Its just touchy for me, after experiencing such amazing care on so many levels from Dr Maguire, to find someone on his level that I can go to for an emergency. Why are there so few DS doctors? Just because its a lot more work than a lap band or RouenY? Or just because the invasiveness makes it only realistic for serious levels of obesity?

Seems to me that the DS surgeons are few and far between, at least here in Georgia.  Hopefully the number will increase in time as the demand for the procedure increases.

It is definitely more work than a RNY or lapband and a much longer surgery.  It's probably a myth that those with lower BMIs can't benefit from the DS.  I think it is more an issue of education and the fact that many insurance companies still consider it experimental or just do not offer it as an option.

Let us know how you make out.