DR JOHN OLDHAM

CAN ANYONE TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT DR OLDHAM, I'M GOING TO SEMINAR ON MONDAY THIS WILL BE MY THIRD AND LAST I HAVE DECIDED TO DO IT ANY FEEDBACK

Dr. Oldham is in the same practice and uses the same PAs and ARNPs that I used for my lapband.  I like Dr. Oldham even less than I do Dr. Weiss.  You will see them for your pre-op visit and then just before surgery.  If you ever need to see them again you will have to have some kind of complication, they do not personally follow their patients.  Dr. Weiss was my primary surgeon but back when I had my surgery they were both in surgery with you.  Now they have a ARNP or PA in with them so they can do more surgeries.  They are a surgery mill.  They do the surgery and the ARNP and PAs do the rest.  I had a leak and I had it for over 7 months before they decided that I had a problem.  Just prior to my port replacement Weiss came in the room and talked terrible to me.  You can read my journey on my website in my signature line.  Frankly, after I had my surgery I left their practice and they have had many people to leave and go to various other doctors.  They are excellent surgeons but their after care really stinks.  Also, they are not the best surgeons in the state of KY as they claim.  They do not do high risk cases either.  You also do not get to choose your doctor unless he is the only one that does surgery at the facility you plan on using.  I'd go to Dr. Sonnanstine in Georgetown, KY if I were you or use one of the doctors in TN before I would go to Bluegrass Bariatric Surgery Associates. 

Just noticed you were an RNY patient.  I have heard a few of his RNY patients complain about the same thing and that they were not called back with the results of their labs.  I'd still go to Dr. Sonnanstine or someone else. 


Just my 2 cents worth,

Dr. Oldham did my RNY in Louisville two weeks ago. I have nothing but good things to say about him. I was in the hospital four days and he came and checked on me several times each day. He is very nice and extremely knowledgeable. I am also seeing him for my follow up appointments.

So glad to see your good results with Dr. Oldham.  I think things have changed since they were in G-town.  So I've heard.  I am in beginning stages and researching and am glad you did well.  I live in Lexington and will be having surgery at Central Baptist when it's approved.  I understand I have a really good insurance and it should not be any hassle to get it going and approved-would love to have the surgery before Christmas!  Let me know how you feel.

Dr. Oldham did my lap band surgery in March 2007.  I saw him the day of my consultation and haven't seen him since, not even the day of my surgery.  I was knocked out before he came in the room.  I agree that his group runs a surgery mill.  The post op care is lacking to say the least. I have changed practices. 

Since you live in Tenn I would recommend checking out Dr. Husted at Lake Cumberland Hospital in Somerset.  He is one of the top 5 bariatric surgeons in the United States.  I personally know the Program Director at the hospital.  She runs a top notch program and since Dr. Husted is one of the best, I would recommend you check them out.

I had Dr. Oldham.  Although I think he is a good surgeon and I have not really had any major problems with their practice, I would probably not use them if I had to do it over again.  I don't like the fact they you never see the surgeon after you have surgery.  I would think that even with LapBand patients, they would do something other than just do a fill or unfill on their patients.  They have never checked my blood or anything other than a fill or unfill.  I think they started going down hill when they left the Georgetown hospital.  That facility is so geared to WLS and I think the staff there helped patients get things accomplished with the doctors office.  However, once they left G'town, we don't have the hospital staff to help get us to the doc.

I would for sure check out Dr. Husted and Lake Cumberland Hospital.  Call Cathi Roskind (program director) and talk with her.

Sharley

DO THEY CHARGE A PROGRAM FEE

I honestly don't  know if Lake Cumberland or Husted charge a program fee.  Yes, Dr. Husted did.  It was $500. 

I'm really not trying to say bad things about Dr. Oldham.  I do still think he is a great surgeon. (plus he is cute as hell).  He has performed many RNY surgeries.  Personally, Tracy and Holly are great at what they do and I really do love seeing them.  I just think that a surgeon should follow up some with the patients after the surgery and at least once a year for follow up.  I don't mind at all have the PAs do my fills, I just think we should see a surgeon every once in a while. 

Now, if I didn't already know Dr. Oldham and how they operate, I would probably still consider them.   However, I honestly made the decision to go with them because at the time they were doing surgeries at Georgetown hospital which is a Center of Excellence for WLS.  That meant a lot to me and made my final decision a lot easier.  I would have never thought I would have surgery at G'town for anything, but since they are a COE, I wanted to go there.

Although this is totally off base from the surgeon itself, I really don't like the new office in Lexington.  The seats are very uncomfortable for short people.  Who ever picked them out must have been tall.  I just think the office does not have the "homey" feel it did in Georgetown.  It was like a family there.

The last I heard neither Dr. Husted nor the hospital charge a program fee.

I had my surgery with Dr. Oldham on Friday, 9/25/09, in Mayfield.  I live in Paducah.  So far, so good. 

I met with Dr. Oldham the morning of my surgery.  He was very friendly & down to earth, and very informative.  I felt very comfortable with him and that is saying a lot, because I had a lot of anxieties going into surgery. 

Had Dr's Oldham & Weiss not made themselves accessible in Western Kentucky, I don't know where I would have gone for my surgery.  But, I do know it would have been a drive of at least a couple of hours.  Meaning, a drive of at least a couple of hours (each way) for each fill & office visit...and, basically each fill would have taken a day away from me.  A day away from my work @ Easter Seals, which I HATE missing...a day away from taking/picking up my son from school...a day away, period.  So, I will gladly sacrifice seeing Dr. Oldham, to only drive 25 minutes to the Mayfield office for my fills and office visits with his PA, Lori, and Program Director, Petra.  They too, are very knowledgeable and friendly.

Dr. Oldham did call me at home on Monday morning to see how I was doing.  Not a PA, nurse, or receptionist...it was Dr. Oldham.  It was a very nice gesture...not typical of surgeons, or physicians in general.

Dr. Oldham performed the surgery...but my body is ultimately my responsibility.  If I feel that something is out of sync or I am not responding well to the fills, then it is my responsibility to inform the PA and insist he/she investigates what is going on.