Anyone know Dr. Gandsas @ AAMC

Hi there!!

I was hoping there might be someone here who chose Dr. Alex Gandsas out of Anne Arundel Medical Center for a VSG?? I had an informational session scheduled with him for yesterday but needless to say, it was canceled due to inclement weather. I am a little bummed  but have registered for another session on 2/11. Hate to have to pu**** out into next month but what more can I do?? 

Anywho, I am also considering Dr. Kuldeep Signh at St. Agnes in Baltimore. I have heard wonderful things about him as well as St. Agnes being a Bariatric Center of Excellence. The only thing is St. Agnes is kinda far from my house and I am thinking about long term accessibility (nutritionist visits as well as post surgery support groups). Dr. Gandsas is much closer, about 7 minutes from my house, but I don't know much about him other than what his website says. AAMC is not really noted for it's Bariatric Surgery Program, it has only been in existence for a few years. Looking for input from anyone who has had bariatric surgery with him.

Thanks!

hello. I just started going to dr gandsas. I too don't know much about him however I do that has been doing bariatric surgery for a longtime. He has worked at John Hopkins and other well known hospitals. I was at the hospital for some test and the nurse said that he has an impeccable record. She doesn't work for him but she said that none of his patients have come back with issues. Anyway that's who I decided to go with. Praying that

God will be with me every step of the way.

I had a VSG with Dr Gandsas March 21st 2014. I wouldn't really say I "chose" him as my surgeon since I dind't have a choice. It was Dr Gandsas or no one. My husband works at AAMC and Dr G is the only one they will provide coverage for. Anyway, he is an excellent surgeon. Despite his short career at AAMC, he has a long history at other hospitals, including starting the bariatric program at another hospital near DC, the name of which escapes me at the moment. So, the program at AAMC is actually the second he has started.

Although I had complications post-op, his complication rate is well below the average. His program is very detailed and involved. Some people will appreciate this and others will be annoyed by it. The pre-op testing is extensive, to say the least. My complications were due to no fault of Dr Gandsas.

If you are the type of person that needs a lot of hand holding and reassuring, Dr Gandsas may not be the surgeon for you. He is a man of few words but very competent. I found his staff to be similar. Very knowledgable and accessible but they're not going to handle you with kid gloves through the process. You have to be pro-active in getting your testing done and scheduling meetings and appointments.

Keep researching until you are comfortable but don't let Dr Gandsas' short track record at AAMC have a big impact on your decision. He was very attentive post-op and i felt very confident in his care. When I had to be readmitted a week after surgery (i got an infection post-op and had to have a second surgery), he, or his partner, came to check on me at least twice a day and when the decision was made that we were going back to surgery I was back in the OR within 2 hours at that was at about 7 in the evening after he had already spent all day going between his office and the hospital.

Hi Tina! Thank you so much for taking the time to send such a detailed reply, I really appreciate it. I actually had surgery with Dr. Gandsas this past July and I could not be happier! I have already lost 102 pounds and it's been almost 6 months. I totally agree with everything you just said, Dr. Gandsas is a man of few words and the rest of his staff is pretty much the same but I have no complaints. I would do it again and I would recommend this team to anyone who, like you said, does not require hand holding, lol. 

Thanks again and I hope you are doing well!!