Georgetown Bariactrics????Dr. Bolar?

Sorry about the chopped off replies...this system is acting bizarre! To continue what I was saying.... A patient has a less than 1% chance of developing a blood clot or pulmonary embolus. The second patient died from complications secondary to a leak, which is a less than a 1% chance of happening. Both are very rare and we do as much as possible to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, when it comes to surgery, there are no guarentees and people do die. All surgeons do their professional best to prevent this. Neither of the patients who died was a nurse as the rumor suggested. If we ever had to transfer out a patient and they died, yes, we would be obligated to count it as a patient death. Our numbers are very accurate, and our morbidity rate is well below the national average and well documented. As far as having to repeat all the diagnostics, we would have to evaluate your records to see. Some may or may not have to be repeated depending on how old they were. We do our best to keep costs down for our patients and the insurance companies. We have 6 staff members who are weight loss surgery patients including myself. We offer professional as well as personal experience, and trust me when I say that NO ONE will ever understand you like another weight loss surgery patient! Our surgeons work together on each and every case, decreasing OR/Anesthesia times, which decreases your chances of having complications. We are the only facility in the state (to my knowledge) that offers 100% laparoscopic procedures, and have yet to have to convert to open surgery as the procedure became to technically challenging. Our surgeons are highly skilled, our staff is well trained, we offer extensive education, support and follow-up for our patients. It's a lifelong tool, not a guarentee, and patients deserve the education and support to make the best of the tool they were given. I encourage you, as we do all of our patients, to continue to research your options. Feel confident when you make the decision. When attending seminars ask questions and expect answers. On this support website go to view a surgeon and read the patient comments. Then go to the hospital where you would be having your surgery and read the patient postings on their stay as well. Come to one of our support groups and meet and talk to our patients. We will be more than happy to give you a tour of our bariatric center as well as a tour of the hospital and bariatric care unit. Best wishes! Cathi Roskind, RN Bariatric Education/Support Coordinator The Bariatric Center at Georgetown 888.868.0008

I had my surgery with Dr. Oldham on March 22, 2006. I also had my tubal at the same time with Dr. Trent at the same hospital. I researched my weight loss surgery for about 2 years before I decided to go thru with it. I wish I hadn't waited that long. I have lost 26 pounds in less than 2 months. I feel like a different person. My knees feel better, and my emotional state is much better. With any surgery it is possible for complications and even death. You have to weigh the pros and cons of surgery and decided if your quailty of life is worth the small risk. For me it was and I am so thankful for the staff and doctors at Georgetown Bariatrics. Compare the stats with Georgetown and with St. Joes. You will be impressed with Georgetown.

Where do you go to compare stats with hospitals? I'm having mine at St. Joseph East in Lexington. You mentioned that G-town does not have students in the surgery, are you saying that St. Joe does? I wasn't told anything about students. Please let me know as soon as you can. I had talked with G-town about lap band but decided to go with RNY. It seems to be the best solution for me. St. Joseph came highly recommended as did the doctors there. They've treated everyone very well as far as I know. Gale

Gale, I think you may have misunderstood what was meant by that...I believe they meant they do not have students who assist the docs with the surgery itself.....I don't know of any "student" who has ever been part of performing this surgery, EVER! I have been present when an already qualified surgeon is learning laparoscopic skills..those that are learning are pretty amazing, and are under the watchful eyes of the already qualified and skilled bariatric surgeon who is taking full responsibility for that patient and procedure.. Even if a surgeon performs this alone he always request a scrub that is trained and qualified..no surgeon likes working with anyone who does not know the job and the surgeons to the point of anticipating his moves...( believe me that is an understatement) Now don't tell Dr. Sonnanstine I mentioned this ...BUT.. Dr. Sonnanstine just returned from Saudi Arabia where he was sent by Ethicon to teach other surgeons how to do bariatric surgery...again, these were already qualified surgeons with no students involved at all!! Dr. Sonnanstine trained me for several months as a patient advocate, I was very lucky that he allowed me in the OR with him....the only students ever present were nursing students who only came to observe, never did they touch the patients or instruments at any time..and never came into the OR until the patient was asleep, preped and drapped. The patients dignity is always protected....if you ask they will tell you who will be in the OR at that time, ...if you are not part of the actual surgical team you must have permission well in advance and the patient must sign a release.....this I know from Gtown and St. Luke both, I am sure St. Joe has the same rules and many more hospitals are even more strict.. does this answer your question or concern? I do go off a bit but I have been there ..this is why I do it, so I can answer these questions as an advocate and not as an employee of the hospital, center or doc.. Brenda

to add another note that I may have not made clear...we consider our surgeons "bariatric surgeons" when in reality they are "general surgeons" who specialize in bariatrics.....so again you would not have a student operating on you.. Brenda

I feel better now. javascript:setMainIcon('tongue',15,15) javascript:setMainIcon('tongue',15,15) I contacted the hospital today and asked a few more questions. I forgot about the "student" question. lol Thank you all for answering that for me. I had both my children at UK in the 70's and there were students in my room that I had the UNPLEASANTNESS of waking up to EVERY morning standing around my bed discussing me as though I were not even there. I don't know if students were in the OR or not. I was so young then, I don't even know what kind of papers I signed. How bad is that? A sigh of relief on my end now. I did think you meant that actual students might be in SOME or's and helping with the surgery. I take so many things so litterally. Gale

Ditto what Brenda said about the students. St. Joe east does not have students in the OR. As a nursing student many years ago, I, along with one other student, was allowed in the OR to observe only and we were moved so far away from whatr was going on during the surgery that it was hard to see anything. I had knee surgery about thirty years ago at UK which is a teaching hospital. I did have student surgeons in the room. The Chief of surgery did my surgery. I think he did but who knows for sure. Not me. Anyhow, I knew well in advance the student surgeons would be there and I had to sign a paper. Whoever did it, I ended up with a real fine, beautiful tiny white line for a scar. I was asked a few years ago if a student could sit in on my colonoscopy at a local hospital and I said that i would rather not so my wishes were honored (fr as I know).

I had my bypass done in March & I've lost 57 lbs so far. The Dr.s, staff, & hospital were & are very professional & carring. Both surgeons are in the OR with you & there is no student Dr.s either. Dr. Weiss told me during the pre-op that they had 2 deaths since they have been praticing & they were due to blood clots. That's the risk anyone faces with surgery. I decided to take blood thinning shots after I returned home to help prevent this & I walked, walked, walked & did EVERYTHING the Dr.s told me to do. Within a week I was back to "normal" only 27 lbs lighter. I can't say enough about them. I have went from 6 daily meds to only 2 now & my goal is to be at 0. I would go back up there & talk to them again about your concerns. It's important to have a postive attitude & if you still have doubts it might slow your process. I wish you the best of luck Jenny no matter what you decision.

A friend of mine at her surgery at Georgetown and has done wonderfully. I went with her to first checkup and the doctor was extremely helpful and listened to everything that she asked about and gave her detailed answers. You could tell that he really cared about both her physical and mental health. Good luck to you.

Gale: We use two highly skilled, minimally invasive bariatric surgeons on each patient, never a PA, Nurse or scrub tech. So our patients get Dr. Weiss and Dr. Odham. I doubt St. Joe's has students in the OR assisting...watching from afar...maybe. Louisville had already been performing weight loss surgery when Bolar came to Lexington area. Bolar elected to leave in 2003 and Dr's Weiss and Oldham were highly recruited to start a brand new program. They are the only surgeons who perform 100% laparoscopic surgery, and have never had to convert to open. Best wishes on yuor surgery! Cathi Roskind, RN