help,need good surgeon

I am overwhelmed by the info on surgeons in Atlanta area. Can someone tell me who they recommend? Thanks

I was very pleased with Dr. Champion. He has done many RNYs. He is professional, experienced, smart and still nice. He has a good aftercare program. He has been around a lot longer than some of the others. Many surgeons these days are going to the weekend lessons and learning the RNY. I have also heard good things about Titus Duncan though I did not research him personally.

There is a very active Yahoo WLS group called WingsAroundAtlanta that has about 700 members. You will get a lot of good feedback on there. My surgeon was Dr. Christopher Hart, who is extremely experienced with laparoscopic RNYs, and has a great reputation. You will also see a lot of recommendations for Dr. Champion, Dr. John Daly, Dr. Titus Duncan and Dr. C. Dennis Smith at Emory, as well as others. Once you join WINGS, you can search the archive for each of these names and see comments that have been made about these surgeons. And, of course, check the obesityhelp.com database, too. Good luck with your search. Susan InGA Dr. Hart postop 2/10/2004 259/218/129

Hi Margie I also used Dr. Champion & have been very happy with him. He is very professional & takes this procedure very serious. His skills are top notch & he usually uses Emory Dunwoody Medical Center, which is also wonderful in my book. He has a very structured aftercare program & believes in walking you through everything. His staff is very helpful & always willing to answer any questions you may have. This is a big step so regardless of who you choose make sure you ask as many questions as possible & that you personally feel comfortable. I wish you all the best & my prayers are with you as you start your journey. Feel free to write if I can give you any other info that might help God Bless, Angel

thanks for the info. How long ago did you have the surgery? How are you doing?

I had surgery August 12. I drove 4 hours to use Dr. Champion though there were closer DRs. I have had no complications at all (knock on wood). I've lost 97 # and still need to lose another 50. I had no pain to speak of after the surgery. I was expecting a lot. I was a little uncomfortable but not in pain. I was up walking pretty quickly. I do not have a high pain tolerance either. I did have pain when he pulled out the drain tube but not too bad. I ended up with some sort of weird itching rash. I was probably allergic to some type of medicine I didn't know of. Truth be told- the rash was probably the worse part. I, in no way, want to downplay the seriousness of this surgery , it is complicated. I feel that complications can be very serious. I also believe that with an experienced surgeon, like Champion, if there is a problem, he catches it and fixes it before other damage can be done. He knows what he is doing. The hospital he uses is also very "fat friendly". It is a small hospital but everyone on the floor is there for the same reason. The nurses I had were very nice too.

Hi I used Dr. Duncan. I love him, I had surgery on March 29th. I have had no complications. His office staff is great and supportive. He is wonderful I couldn't ask for a better surgeon.

Hi again Margie: I sent you an email, but unsure of the address I had surgery on 2/3/04 & have lost about 50 lb so far since surgery. I lost 50 prior to surgery (he wanted me to lose 30 to aide in safety & to shrink the liver which makes the procedure easier). I can't recommend him enough, he is extremely skilled & is on top of things like Sunny's post states. It is very serious surgery, but a skilled surgeon can make all the difference in the world. I also had very little pain. The first day was the only day I can remember anything significant & the rest was mostly soreness. They give you a nice booklet of info with pre & post surgical info & menu examples, which is helpful when you are basically relearning to eat. Any questions not answered in the book you always feel comfortable calling the office to check on. His aftercare program is wonderful & very detailed. The hospital, Emory Dunwoody, is also great. The bariatric unit is very well set up & the nurses are trained in this particular field. It is a very warm & comforting atmosphere. Dr. Champion has an open support group on certain Thursday evenings & it might be beneficial for you to check it out. Also, check out his web site: www.drchampion.com I hope this was helpful, feel free to write me anytime: [email protected] if I can help. Good luck & God bless. Angel

Hi! I see you've had very good responses on suggestions of doctors. Yes, I agree all those listed are great but I want to add my doctor's name in case the others don't work out for you for some reason. My doctor is Dr. Bruce Case in Atlanta and he is absolutely wonderful. I had surgery March 30 and it has been smooth sailing for me. Dr. Case made me feel like I was his only patient each time I've seen him. He really takes him time in my appointments and I was thrilled to see him encouraging me the moment I woke up from surgery. He does use Emory Dunwoody as an option and I'm glad I did. Good luck!

Your choice of surgeons does somewhat depend on your starting size and how much money you're willing to pay out of pocket. I had heard great things about Dr. Hart and my PCP actually recommended him to me, but I am over his BMI limit. If you are over a certain BMI, your choice of surgeons will be limited. I am personally going to Dr. Sidney Appel. He has a great record and I've only heard good things about him. As for the money issue, I know that during the course of my research I found that some surgeon's in Atlanta expected a large chunk of money up front to even start the process. That wasn't an option for me. My best advice to you is to check the local surgeon's area of the website and start calling! Kelle