Dr. Oldham & Weiss Update - Please read

I have had someone send me an email (PM) that was going to use Dr. Weiss and Oldham and based on my comment about them, they were concerned and wanted more information about why I was upset with the doctors.  I would like to clarify something because I think she misunderstood and I want to make sure everyone else understands what I meant. 

Dr. Oldham was my surgeon for the LapBand surgery.  I do think he is a great surgeon (and yes he is nice eye candy).  I have not had any problems from my surgery.  When I said I was upset I meant that I felt like after having this (or any surgery) the surgeon should do some follow up care for that patient instead of someone else in the office.  That is really my only problem  with the after care.  I have seen Tracey and Holly for most of my fills and I dearly love them.  In fact, I had been having a few problems for several weeks and I am off on Fridays.  However, these two ladies were not in the office in Lexington on Friday's so I scheduled an appointment in Louisville so I could go and see Tracey to talk to her about my problems.  So, I do not have any issues with the office staff.  One day I was upset because I did have an appointment with Holly and they had sent her out of town.  I felt like the office should have called and said she was not going to be there and did I want to still come or reschedule.  But thas was very minor.

So, as I said, my only issue is  that the surgeon doesn't do any follow up from the surgery.  I believe that anytime you have surgery, your surgeon should follow up a couple times.  Do I want the surgeons doing my fills - no because these guys probably have done so few that I would not trust them with my port.

I just wanted to clarify this because I didn't want anyone to think that I was upset with the office staff or didn't like the way my fills are done.

Thanks for reading.
Sharley

I too used the group for my surgery. I had Dr. Weiss. He was great. As far as follow up goes I guess I too would like to see him periodically during follow ups, but I am totally pleased with the NP that I see. Lori has been nothing but nice and very helpful to me, and I knew BEFORE I had surgery that this was how it worked with this group. I could have chosen another group if this wasn't acceptable to me. Stephanie, Lori and Anita are mainly the people at the office I go to and they are all great, make you feel very comfortable which is very important to me.
Janice

Follow ups are where I had my problems too.  I also think the world of Holly, Tracy and Lori, but I do think I should see a doctor from time to time.  I have a feeling with enough feedback that could happen.  Dr. Weiss also did my surgery.  He was a little rude when he did the port replacement and is another reason that I left, but he is an excellent surgeon and I wouldn't have problems with him doing surgery on me again, but I am also happy with the doctor I am seeing now and am finally losing, which is the most important thing to me.

Jacqueline

Shirley, I think it says wonderful things about you clarifying this post.  Dr. Weiss is a wonderful surgeon and I agree with “eye candy". 
He has put together the most incredible follow up staff around.
I hear good things on here about Dr. Sonnanstine but I have to wonder.  If he sees all of his patients for follow-up, how can he eventually do it all?  I believe he will either burn out.  Or short change his patients.  No doctor can keep up that pace.  I am sure Dr. Weiss and Dr. Oldham searched and trained the NP's to do the job right.  They have a huge patient base and knew long term follow-up care was impossible on each patient, and then give to the pre-op patients the attention so deserved.

Dr. Sonnanstine is dedicated to 1 hospital by his own personal choice.  He feels HE can serve his patients better if he does it personally. He knows that is impossible if you go to several different hospitals.  He is not maligning nurse practioners, or PA's, or anyone else. That is his personal choice. I do not believe his patients are shortchanged because of it nor is he suffering or will suffer from burnout.  I feel this way as his PATIENT, NOT EMPLOYEE. Just in case this comes back and bites me in the butt as the other post had.  And still not his employee.  I believe his system works for him as Weiss and Oldham's and any other surgeon for that matter, works for them. Him seeing his own patients is like any other surgeons seeing theirs' for follow ups. Some surgeons see them, some let other staff see them. This doesn't mean they are going to shortchange their patients or burn out, does it?  Like I said, he works in 1 hospital, the other docs (and THIS IS NOT MALIGNING THEM) work in several.  Of course they need help to see people in all those places.  That's just common sense.

So tell me the difference between traveling to give patients outside the areas an opportunity for WLS vs. a surgeon who is absent while he travels to other countries, other states. Etc.  (As has been mentioned in his profile) Perhaps he could use the experienced medical staff to over see his patient’s needs in his seemingly repeated absence. 

Louis, I have. Dr. Tom does not see patients all over the state.  They do.  Simple.   They do things their way, he does things his way.  To each their own. Have a great week and I hope your patients do well.

And one final thing...I have worked with both. I have seen how both do things. Again, Weiss and Oldham do things their way, Sonnanstine does things his way.  As long as it works for them and their patients, so be it.  Some people like the way Weiss and Oldham do things, some like the way Sonnanstine does things. Thank God we live in America, where we are free to choose (at least for now....) . Again, have a great week with great patients.

His patients are tended to in his absence.  In fact, he is dedicated to his patients that he has cut family vacations short to come back and take care of them if there is a problem. He does not leave his patients hanging when he is away teaching other physcians how to do procedures or when out for personal reasons.  But again, he does things his way and other physcians do things their own way.  He is not the only physcian in practice that is by himself. Other physcians cover other physcians. In order to keep the COE (Center of Excellence), certain criteria must be met. That includes patient coverage while he is away by board certified physcians who have been involved in a certain number of cases.  They are available to handle run of the mill stuff. If there is an emergency, he handles it, including returning from trips if necessary. I know for a fact his has done this.  It is obvious you have much respect and admiration for your physician. I am glad.  I feel the same way about my physician.  To each their own.

I just wanted to let all of you know up front I am not attacking anyone's choice of surgeons, hospitals, or type of surgery.
I am a staunch supporter of my surgeon Dr. Tom.
However I have met many of the other surgeons listed on the KY forum and quite a few in the Cincinnati area and I must say I have the up most respect for all of them and their staff and even their families.
I think bariatric doctors and surgeons are very special breed of doctors. They do some of the most dangerous, stressful and let's face it creative surgery.
I think that all of us had good, bad and ugly experience with many types of doctors that have come and in out of our respective lives over the years.
I just hate to see all of the end fighting between us OHer's. I know that we are a sounding board for each other in good times and in bad. I just really wish that we can all drop the arguing about some comments that have been made recently (I am extremely guilty of b*tching about other people and I apologize)and go back to supporting each other in a positive light. I respect all of you and there are some days were if I didn't have the people on this board to bounce stuff off of I would turn to food. Besides that I just think all of us are better than being catty(as my mom puts it). There are just so many other things going on with all of us personally, in our respective communities and the world as a whole that I think we should just focus our energy on more positive things like posting even the tiniest of tiny goals, funny stories about our families and friends and just being good support for each other.
I really do value all of you and I hope this post didn't offend anyone.
Love and prayers,
Wendy