best surgeon in KY.?????

Hi all! Can someone tell me the BEST AND MOST EXPERIENCED surgeon in Eastern Kentucky is? I am approved and had all my testing done and still very scared and nervous about this whole thing. I am wanting Gastric Bypass Lap--I am only 100lbs overweight with little medical problems. I am having second thoughts about the whole thing. I have 2 children and I have found some statistics today on WEBMD.com regarding the death rates of this surgery--it said 1/50 instead of the 1/200 like my surgeon stated. Now can anyone tell me any good articles online regarding this? I am at my wits ends and my husband is scared to death now. I have already been approved for this and had all my testing and I need some advice and direction. So if you have any goods sites to refer to me please do. I read all posts and it takes me awhile sometimes to get back to u but I do read them all. Here is the article I found if u would like to read. http://my.webmd.com/content/article/95/103161.htm I want to thank everyone before hand for reading my post and answering them if u do....... Nervous in Kentucky! (LOL)

Hi Davina, I don't know much about the other surgeons in KY, but I will tell you that I was a very high risk for WLS, and am 50 years old. Dr. Argotte has taken such great care of me, that I can say nothing but great things about him. He now has a new office in Paducah Ky. on the parking lot of Lourdes Hospital where he does his surgery. He has done more than 200+ surgerys, and has never had a death yet. He takes every precaution to keep his patients safe, and won't operate if he doesn't feel you can survive. He is a true angel. Also, his office staff take care of all the insurance paperwork, and you don't have to be bothered with any of that. Good luck on your quest, and God Bless you. Jenni 300/244/145 -56 lbs.

When I was in the introduction seminar for the facility that did my surgery, their mortaility rate was at 1/3 of 1%. They have an excellent reputation (all 3 of their surgeons). I specifically chose the youngest/newest of the 3 because of an experience an acquaintance had with my surgeon (Dr. Josh Steiner). Our surgery had a higher risk factor because we do not take blood transfusions. She experienced a bleeding problem and he moved heaven and earth to pull her through... and did so completely respecting her desire for no blood products. THAT was the kind of doctor that I wanted on my side. 2 weeks ago a close friend who weighed 457 had his surgery with Dr. Steiner and came through with flying colors. Their facility and employees are fantastic. They have an excellent educational program and a superior after care program. Rhonna

I would have to say dr. Tompkins and Dr. Wheeler at King's Daughter Medical Center in Ashland. They both do lap rny and that lap band procedure. As of today there has been no deaths reported for the two. They both do extensive pre-op and post-op monitoring. Articles I can not lead you to because I haven't researched since having my surgery. Any questions about the KDMC experince I can. Hope this helps.

I love Dr Shina and Staff in Louisville they are great!!!

I went with Dr.Wheeler at kings daughters. They have a great program. I had gastric bypass in june with Dr.Wheeler and couldn't have been any happier with him. He is straight forward and he and Dr.Thompkins are both excellent surgeons. Dr.Wheeler did 3 bypasses and 4 gall bladder surgeries the day I had mine. He is a extremely talented surgeon. I have lost 153lbs to date. I was 413 and am down to 260 at present. Another good thing about K.D.M.C. is they have at least 2 girls I know of that work in the surgical weight loss program that have had the surgery and can give you alot of insight on what to expect. That and the pre-op testing and follow up care are excellent. By you living in Grayson I think this should be in one of your top choices. rusty blankenship wheelersburg,oh 413/260 goal-200

I believe Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Thompkins at Ashland are the ONLY doctors who do the RNY or Lap-Band in Eastern KY. At least, I haven't heard of any others. I know a few people who have had surgery with them as well as one who is just starting her journey with them. They are happy with their experience. As far as the mortality rate, your surgeon may be telling you HIS rate, not just the national average. My surgeon's is 1 in nearly 600, so you really have to look at the doctor's experience instead of national averages. Research I've read states that the more surgeries a surgeon does, the better their mortality and complication rates are going to be, and the better your chances of having a good experience will be. Everyone on here will want to support their own surgeon, and I am not any different. I fully believe that it is worth driving a few hours to get top notch care. Georgetown Hospital was wonderful for me. The docs are both Advanced Laparoscopic surgeons and do all of their surgeries lap. They have not had to do open or convert to open even once, and have done almost 600 patients. Both surgeons are in surgery with every patient. The support group is fantastic. I've made so many new friends and contribute my success to being part of the group. Three of the nurses that every potential patient sees at the beginning of their journey have had the RNY so they know first hand the good, bad and ugly. They don't gloss over the potential problems. Having said that, being close to your surgeon's office and a support group may be the most important thing for any patient. One of the main causes of failure is because patients do not keep up with their support. I believe that the docs at Ashland do have a support group in place. If you would like to stay close to home, I would suggest you e-mail some of their patients directly asking for advice and experiences. It worked for me when I was researching my docs. Good luck on your journey!

Davina, I was a lot like you. I had my concerns and was a bit confused by all the different information. I did my research and talked to the five other people I know who had this surgery. All of them went to different places. I had mine at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland and Dr Wheeler was the surgeon. If you have not gone to one of their seminars than please do that. They have one once a month. I had spoken to many medical personel in the area and they all recomended Dr. Wheeler. He is an awesome surgeon. He has a great reputation. He and Dr. Tompkins and KDMC have developed a WLS program that is very thorough. I had testing that several of my friends who had this surgery did not even know should have been done. They take every precaution to prevent complications that are common to this surgery and they are very thorough with their pre op education. You go into the surgery knowing exactly what to expect. You know what to watch for, you know what to eat and when you can do it. The staff in their office and surgical weightloss program at KDMC are wonderful. You can call anytime or email and ask questions and they get right back to you. They have a support group that meets once a month. The second thursday of each month and the next meeting is Jan 13th a 6pm. You should come. One of the staff is always there. They have nurses and assistants that have had the surgery and a dietician on staff that is very helpful. My stay at KDMC was awesome. The nurses were respectful and very attentive on the surgical obs floor. They allowed my family to stay with me and were always quick to respond to my needs. I just can't say enough about them. All of them. From the surgeon to the nurses to the rest of the staff. They have been great! If you need any further information please feel free to email me. Blessings, Sandy

IMHO, the best surgeon is not in KY at all. He does DS and is in Dayton OH! If I couldn't have had the DS, I would have chosen Dr. Derek Weiss in Georgetown, KY. They have an excellent reputation and the support is magnificent. His office has literally written a book on aftercare. When I was researching, Georgetown Bariatrics had no deaths. They only do lap RNY or the adjustable band. Good luck to you! -joanne s

Dr.Weiss was my surgeon and I can not say enough GREAT things about him or the Georgetown staff. You can call ANYTIME with any questions or concerns and the after care and support are the BEST!!!