Moving to Iowa

Hello...my name is Fran.....I am 51 years old and currently live in the Dallas metroplex of Texas and will be having Open RNY within the next few months and then in February (if not before) will be moving to Fort Dodge to get married and reside there......my biggest concern now is about aftercare and then after the weight comes off I will also need plastic surgery....I have been doing research and want to know more about Dr. Kyle Ver Steeg in Fort Dodge....is the hospital he uses a good one? Can anyone tell me if he does aftercare or does he refer you to a PCP who is WLS friendly? Does he also do plastic surgery as well? Since I will be new to the area and my fiance doesn't know a whole lot about this WLS except he has heard that Dr. Ver Steeg is good, I need as much assistance as possible so that my surgeon here will release me to Dr Ver Steeg's care.....any help or resources or leads will be most greatly appreciated! Ya'll have a great day now!

Maybe Dawn can help you out here. Although, I know she isn't too crazy about him right now.

Hi Fran and welcome! Ft. Dodge is a fairly central location so you should have many options. when you are on the Iowa message board, look to the left of the board and click on the bariatric surgeons thingy. this should help some. Besides Ft. Dodge, Ames, Boone, and even DesMoines isn't too far away. That will give you lots of options for surgeons and hospitals. As Vicki said, Dawn isn't real happy with Dr. VerSteeg right now, read her Alive and Kickin post for an explanation. Hope to hear from you soon, and Welcome to Iowa! Elizabeth

Welcome to Iowa Fran, I am not from that area but I wanted to welcome you the board and let you know to ask any questions that you might have. There are some great people on this board from the area you are moving to and they will be able to help you with whichever surgeon you choose. Take care and again, WELCOME! ~Julie

Hi Fran! Welcome to Iowa and your new life! You will find this message board warm and supportive. Hugs abound whenever you need them! I am just a few days pre-op so have the jitters. Can't tell you anything about the doctors you are asking about. I live in Cedar Rapids and am having Dr Robert Keating do my surgery. Will research plastic surgery when all is said and done. Till later! Michelle

Fran, Dr. VerSteeg is my Dr. I am 3 wks post op. (down 24 lbs.) I had some problems with my blood sugar after my surgery..and was readmitted...i almost died. This was a very rare reaction and Dr. VerSteeg was not prepared for it. At first i had some hard feelings twords him, but I now understand that this was a very rare case. Also, all diabetic WLS patients that use Dr. VerSteeg have to go through the diabetes center at Trinity Regional Hospital for their diabetes management and counseling. So at least something good came of my bad experience. Dr. VerSteeg is a very wonderful Dr. He has a great bedside manner and a follow up program complete with physical therapy and weekly support group meetings. I would definately recommend him to you. Let me know when you move I'd love to meet up with you! I can introduce you to everyone at the support group meetings! Good luck with your WLS ~ Dawn Phillips Fort Dodge, Iowa