Who is the best surgeon in the Chicagoland area for WL surgery?

Hello

I am getting ready to get a referal from my doctor for surgery and was wondering who is the best surgeon I could get. My doctor is in Park Ridge, IL and I do not know anyone who does this type of surgery. I live in edgebrook.

I also want to know what I will need to do to get ready for surgery. Special diet, vitamins etc?. How long does it take once approved to get the surgery?

I have HMO Illinois insurance.

Thanks
Victoria

Welcome to the IL board.

Well, that is a loaded question. Most (and myself included) will say our own surgeon is the best of the best. It also depends on how far you want to go for your appointments and also who is in your network that you can be referred to.

My doctor is in Downers Grove and his name is Dr Jeffrey Rosen with Lifeweigh Bariatrics. 630 261 9393.

There are fantastic doctors with the Kane Center. My DH and my niece had their RNY with Dr Peter Rantis.

There are many members of this board that have had their surgery with various doctors in the Chgo area and the 'burbs. You might want to look at the different comments for each of the doctors that are featured via this link from here on OH. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/IL/a,doclisting/type,46/ 

Hi Victoria,

I as well as several others use the Kane Center. I have Dr. Guski as my Dr, and others use other  doctors  connected with the Center.  They are a Center of Excellence.

Your Doctor will tell you what you need to do to get approved for the surgery. But, they all require certain things. You will need clearances from a Cardiologist, lung Dr, nutritionist, a psych evaluation. and whatever else he wants. He might even want you to be on a supervised diet for 6 months.

Once you have finished everything that is required, and you have gotten the approval, surgery can be done within a short time, depending on his   schedule.

Good Luck and come back often.

LISA

You could click on the surgeon's name for each of us who list our surgeon over there to the left when we post (under our avatar). It takes you to a info/review page.

I made my decision based on where all my med records & other docs are, easiest for me to get to daytime appts downtown, plus the hospital my insurance includes in the PPO, in case I needed med care for complications.

I have to say I'm disappointed in Northwestern's training/prep of WLS patients on the "regular" post-op diet, vitamins/supplements, and exercise. Very disappointed.

Also, at NMH, I felt like there were the haves and have-nots on staff with the nurses/docs the have and the aides the have nots, especially on the recovery floors. It felt bad. I'm comparing it to the good, united and diverse vibe at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. I was delighted with the care there, although it had nothing to do with WLS! For me, that feeling matters.

Depends on what type of surgery you want and other factors. There are four kinds of WLS:

-duodenal switch (DS)
-gastric bypass (RNY)
-VSG
-adjustable gastric banding

I ONLY wanted the DS and ONLY wanted the very best surgeon I could find, so I flew to San Francisco to see Dr. Rabkin (he comes to Chicago almost monthly for our support group meetings).

You could hardly swing a dead cat in Chicago and NOT hit someone who does the RNY or Lap-Band, so I think you'll be fine with people's recommendations here if that's what you want.

If you'd like to hear more about the DS, the surgery with the best long-term weight loss results and best long-term resolution of comorbidities such as Type 2 diabetes, visit www.dsfacts.com.

Best of luck to you.

Nicolle

What well known group butchered you? Im am so sorry that happened to you and that scares me so much.

 

Thanks

Victoria

I of course, loved my surgeon, Connie McClelland in Harvard IL.  

One of the things that I did was to make appointments with several surgeons and meet them, discuss their practice, their treatment plans, success rates etc.  I also met their staff.  I went with the surgeon and the practice that I felt I would receive the best service and the one that I felt positive about!  I think you can sense if it is a good fit for you or not.  

The first place to start is with your insurance company.  Request a written copy of their policy of surgical weight loss coverage and what they require to be done before they will approve surgery.  Many have hoops to jump through.  It is more than just deciding to have the surgery and scheduling it.  

if you want the real deal and great bedside treatment and all the bells and whistles with the after care and so on, go to Stoyan Kokocharov in Wheeling.  He did a revision on me from a well known group that butchered me and dang near killed me. I would recommend him from the start and to the end. He is in with Chicago Surgical.

Follow up with Alexian Bros. Hospital for diet and nutrition, most everybody is the same with some slight variation but same result....us being healthy and thin!
Good Luck!