who was your surgeon?

Dr. Frantzides of Evanston Northwestern he was great and I liked him right off the bat.......great place to go 847-570-1422 also his staff is amazing......

Kym, My Dr is Dr Klemm out of Winfield/Wheaton. I have not met with them but I hear he is great. They have a Bariatric Center that is fairly new associated with Central DuPage Hosptial. I meet with him on 3/1! Good luck! xoxoxojenn

I had Dr. James Kane, Jr, also with Suburban Surgical Care Specialists in Elk Grove Village.. I love Dr. Kane and the whole staff.. they're incredible. The pre-op and post-op care has been magnificent and they share my victories as if my victories are theirs.. They're informative and direct and the process was mostly painless -- they have a crack staff that specializes in helping you to get approved.. I just can't say enough about Dr. Kane and the team at SSCS. Stef Lap RNY 11/12/04 390 -> 322 -> 175

I had Dr. James Kane, Jr. of Suburban Surgical Care Specialists (aka New Self Barriatrics). He is a very sweet man and has a LOT of experience with lap and open RNY as well as lap band (his dad, Dr. Kane Sr. also practices there and has even more experience). His office staff is somewhat disorganized at times but don't let that stop you. You have to be persistent. At the time I went for approval, they switched from using a company called Weight for Life to get insurance approval to doing it themselves, so it was a little difficult (I was approved twice). The last time I actually went to the support group, it wasn't worth going to so I haven't been back. I get a lot better support from people on the Main Message board than I did at their support group. I don't know if it's changed or not, but I didn't care for it. I went to the ones I had to go to but haven't been back. The after surgery care was excellent. Any time I had a question, I could call the office and Dr. Kane's nurse would call me back. If it was urgent, I'd get a call back within 15 minutes, but if I just had a general question, she'd usually call back within an hour. They have new patient seminars. That's where I got most of my information on them. One of the doctor's does a presentation and question and answer session so that is very helpful. It just so happened that Dr. Kane, Jr did the seminar I went to and he was the one who eventually did my surgery. Check out their web site (suburbansurgicalcare.com) if you want more information about the seminars or doctors. Jeanette Lap RNY 04/27/04 264/158/130

I went to Barix too.. they are fantabulous!!! Dr.Eric Vaughn My scar is under 6 inches long.

I haven't had surgery yet. Waiting for approval STILL. Went to Dr. Madura at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. Top Notch hospital. I think if you chose from Barix, the wish center, u of I, Rush, and the bigger hospitals you should do well. Experience is what counts, and always find out about their complication rates. If you feel uncomfortable keep looking.

I live in Indiana but work in Illinois. I am going to have my DS surgery on March 28 with Dr. Alverdy at the University of Chicago. His partner Dr. Prachand is also excellent. I would definately consider them. I have included information from the hospitals website. Please consider all the information on all the types of surgery before you decide. Most insurance companies will approve you for the RNY without too much difficulty, but they will also approve the DS, which in my opinion, is a better surgery for many people, but you have to decide what is best for you. Julia The surgeons and the bariatric surgical team at the University of Chicago Hospitals are among the most experienced and innovative in the world when it comes to laparoscopic weight loss surgery. Our surgeons have performed more of these minimally invasive procedures than any other surgeons in the Midwest. In fact, we were: * The first to perform laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in the Chicago area * The first--and currently the only--surgeons in the Midwest to perform laparoscopic duodenal switch surgery, which offers hope for the most severely obese patients. Laparoscopic approaches offer the same potentially life-saving results as traditional open weight loss surgery--but with significantly less pain and fewer complications, such as wound infections and hernias. Patients typically return home two to four days after their surgery and usually return to work and other activities significantly earlier than they would after traditional weight loss surgery. Benefits to Consider Traditional "open" weight loss surgery requires a single large incision extending from the lower edge of the breastbone down to the belly button, typically 10 to 14 inches in length. In contrast, the laparoscopic technique requires five or six small incisions ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inches in length. First, the surgeon inserts a laparoscope, which is a thin tube with a tiny video camera on the end of it, through a 10-millimeter incision in the middle of the abdomen. The surgeon then inserts surgical instruments through the additional incisions to perform the operation. Throughout the surgery, the laparoscope's camera projects a high-resolution, magnified image of the surgical field onto multiple video monitors, allowing the surgeon to perform the procedure safely and with high precision. Patients from across the country come to the University of Chicago Hospitals for weight loss surgery. Our surgeons perform more than 250 weight loss surgeries a year, with the great majority done laparoscopically. With their surgical expertise and the strength of a supporting multidisciplinary team, we are able to help many patients who are often considered to be too obese or high risk for laparoscopic weight loss surgery. Another sign of our surgeons' expertise: Their rate of surgical complications is lower than the national norm, despite the larger and higher-risk patients treated at our center. The University of Chicago Center for the Surgical Treatment of Obesity: A Comprehensive Obesity Surgery Program The key to the success of our bariatric surgery program is the multidisciplinary approach we take to treating obesity. We have assembled a team of experts who provide unmatched expertise before, during, and after weight loss surgery. In addition to surgeons, our team includes other specially trained physicians, dieticians, nurse practitioners, and a clinical psychologist. The decision to have obesity surgery is an important and often difficult one. It is important to keep in mind that any bariatric surgical procedure is a tool to help the individual, not a cure. In order to have the best outcomes possible, it is critical to make significant changes in diet and lifestyle following surgery. All of our patients undergo a thorough pre-operative multidisciplinary evaluation to make sure that surgery is the most appropriate--and safest--option for them. In addition to a complete evaluation by our surgeons, patients meet one-on-one with dieticians and psychologists who have specific expertise in the management of obesity. These experts assess whether patients are well suited and well prepared for the surgery. In addition, our expert physicians and nurses follow patients for years after surgery to ensure the best outcomes possible. Furthermore, patients who have chronic conditions related--or unrelated--to their obesity have access to hundreds of knowledgeable experts. The University of Chicago Hospitals is home to some of the world's most respected specialists in diabetes, heart disease, digestive problems, and other health problems. World-Class Surgeons When performed by a skilled surgeon, laparoscopic weight loss surgery is a safe and effective treatment for severe obesity. Our surgeons are recognized for their expertise and innovation. In fact, they have taught laparoscopic techniques to other surgeons around the country. In addition to being recognized for their surgical skill, our physicians are also well known for their research. They are uncovering new approaches to weight loss surgery that may benefit patients in the future.

I had Dr. Wallace from Suburban Surgical Care and I have no complaints about him. The post op and pre op care were fantastic. The only thing is, I do not care for their support group meetings.

I also used Dr. Rantis at Suburban Surgical Care. I have full confidence in him and recieved meticulous care through all phases. This group has a very long tradition of commitment to baiatric surgery going back to the '70's with Dr. Kane Sr. They are highly regarded by other physicians in the area for their surgical care/expertise. They truly care about providing the best possible outcome for you and as a group have done THOUSANDS of bariatric surgeries.

someone else already posted that they used dr. alverdy at university of chicago. i have to add my two cents and say that he was my choice in 99. i visited some of the dr.'s listed and back then they just didn't have the experience or the statistics. even today dr. alverdy has top notch statistics. i did great with my rny 330-165. dr. alverdy has you meet with everyone in one place... so their isn't any running around. for me that was good cause i HATE chicago particularly the south side, but i wanted the best in chicago. Now I have to have a revision. Back in 99 only the super super obese were getting the DS. unfortunately, with more info on the rny they know it may not be the best for everyone especially with long term weight loss. I did well for 5 yrs... and then poof it (that evil weight) started coming back. many people can't get their insurance to pay for a DS so i think RNY is a good 2nd choice. Even today my dumping still works. I really wish they could just tweak the RNY and make it the way it was till last summer, but Dr. A and many other surgeons are recommending the DS to *some patients because of the long term results. I am not trying to scare or discourage you. However, I would really check him out. He really knows his stuff. Back in 99, a few of the doctors listed above were scared to do lap. He was the first in chicago and he can do it on the super obese where as many of them can't or won't. Since he considered me a lightweight at 330, I was confident if he could handle someone at 650, he could do me. His after care was a bit different as well. Some doc's don't let you eat right away. After going home he puts you on soft foods as this lessens the chance of gallbladder problems if you have them. I trusted him with my RNY and I am trusting him to do my Revision (nothing physically wrong with the RNY... just the nature of things, hence why i am using him again). Hope you have a great surgery and excellent results! ronnie