HELP FINDING A SURGEON--PLEASE!

Hi. I am trying to wade through the ton of information I have right now and finding a surgeon is not proving to be an easy task. I have researched Drs. Schweitzer, Greene, Roe, and VonRuden just to name a few. How many do I research? I just don't know how to decide on a doctor. Most of them participate with my insurance. Some of these docs charge $500 program fees which is a little concerning to me for some reason--probably because people in my life say that it seems like they are just out for money. There is a huge difference in when some of the docs can see patients and do surgery too. Schewitzer can't see me until January. Roe and Greene have openings ASAP, but they are also the 2 that I have found that charge the program fee--any connection to their being less busy?? Then there is the open vs. laparoscopic RNY to decide about. All the docs seem to have good things said about them in the testimonials. There is some difference in bedside manner, etc. I just wanted to know what parameters you used to make the decision on your surgeon and if there are any surgeons that you have heard particulary bad things about. That is my big fear--picking a surgeon and THEN finding out something bad. This is such a big decision!! Thanks for your time! Denise

My surgeon is Dr. Greene. I was started seeing him before he started charging the program fee, but the things that the fee pay for, I have had to pay for myself. And, no, he is not less busy because of it. It covers 3 things, the psych eval., several meetings with the nutritionist, and use of the exercise facilites at Shady Grove Hospital's cardiac rehab dept. for several months. I had to pay for my nutritionist and for the cardiac rehab useage. Insurance covered the psych eval. with a previous psychiatrist. The exercise program at the cardiac reahab dept. is really pretty good, especially if you haven't been exercising before. But, I don't know that it will be worth it for you as you are in Bowie. That is a good 45 minute drive at the best of times. I would suggest staying with a doctor that is around I-95. It will be easier for you to get to appointments and such. If they have support group meetings, go to them and talk to their patients. They can give you a better idea of what the doc's are like. Oh, drat, I can't remember if it was Roe or VonRuden, but several people I talked to just didn't like his attitude. Like he was god's gift to the world and be happy that he deigned to spend any time on you. Check these guys out thoroughly. Good Luck, Keetara Germantown, MD Lap RNY, 6-15-2005, 150 cm bypassed Dr. Barry Greene Sept. 2004 327 Highest 6-14-2005 265 Day before Surgery Current 240 Goal 145

Dr. vonRueden is the BEST!! Ask anyone who has had surgery with him. It always amazes me how much he AND his staff care about each patient. Lap is better than open if the right surgeon does it. You will heal much faster and have less scarring. I can't stop saying enough great things about DVR..so I will never tell you to even think about someone else. Good luck with whoever you choose but you really shouldn't settle on a surgeon..not ever. Even if it takes longer to see him or schedule surgery..it is WORTH every minute!! Good Luck Diana 279/192/137

Thanks ladies for the feedback. You should both be very proud of yourselves!! What amazing results! I guess that mainly I need to narrow down my choices, go meet them and then decide who I find to be the best fit for me. Of course I want a technically excellent surgeon, but I also want to like him/her. I'm lying if I say I wouldn't prefer it be sooner than later, but really I am very lucky to already have insurance approval and not have to deal with all the bull and time that could take. I am a little afraid that if I don't move ahead with this and wait for my pre-approval to lapse (ends 12/31/05) then they are going to somehow take it back or something. It seems to good to be true that I was pre-authorized prior to even seeing a surgeon (my PCP did it). Anyway, thanks again. I'll keep searching. Denise

Denise, I second Diana's recommendation of Dr. Von Rueden. He is an excellent physician and his office staff are the best! I rate him a perfect 10 and would recommend him to anyone. Good luck on your journey! Hugs, Tracy 303/248/130

Denise, I am an "alumnus" of Dr. Greene's program, and so my remarks are going to be more biased in that direction -- although I have read many good things in the past few years about the other doctors you mentioned. I began my journey with Dr. Greene before his recent institution of a program fee which, as Keetara pointed out, is not simply an "out for the money" cost, but in fact, is intended to cover certain of the required steps in his program. Dr. Greene has many patients that travel from greater distances than Bowie to come to his support group meetings, as well as a number of Bowie citizens. If you have not done so already, I would highly recommend attending one of his pre-op orientation programs. There is no cost, there is no need for reservations, and it does not obligate you to do anything. The schedule with location information and links for directions are at his web site at www.AdvancedWLS.com. While I can't speak for the other surgeons you noted, it is important to note that Dr. Greene has some strict pre-operative requirements which he imposes on his patients. As with some of the insurance companies, I believe he now wants to see a certain period of time prior to accepting you as a candidate for surgery where you attempted some weight loss attempts, even if unsuccessful. However, once you do start down the road with him, he *will* require you to start losing weight before surgery. This has turned many people off from working with him, however, I believe it was beneficial to me and I have heard the same from many others who have had their surgery done by him. The purpose of the pre-op weight loss is, primarily, to shrink your liver -- a repository of fat -- which he must work behind with his instruments to do the RNY surgery laparascopically. All of this, and more, is explained in his initial pre-op orientation program. In the meantime, keep asking questions, and doing your research. In the end, you are your best advocate. Good luck. Leesa

Denise, First, congrats on taking these first steps in what is a lifelong journey. You will find that most people think "their" surgeon is the greatest (myself included). Attending pre-op sessions helps, typically you can talk to the surgeon and their staff at these sessions (or my surgeon's ). If you have scheduled appointments or just calling the office, don't be afraid to ask the "hard questions". I know in my search I didn't get returned calls for weeks and when I did some were less than professional. In the end you have to go with your comfort level. For me, post op program was important. Statistics show people who attend post op support groups have better long-term success. Not my statistic just read somewhere. As for the differences in lap versus open. Recovery is one huge reason for lap. While everyone is different, I never felt "sick" and while I was tired, my energy level improved every day. Normally surgeon's who do both will want to do lap if possible and then have open as a last resort if they need to. Again, best wishes on your journey. Lisa

Hi Denise - I'm also another patient of Dr. Greene. And, like previous posts, of course, I think he's the best. I started seeing right when he was beginning the program fee. It covered my psych eval, the exercise program, and the nutritionist. Because of the timing, I had the option to do it or not - I could have seen everyone individually. After checking into it, it would have cost me more than the $500. As others have commented, he is really strict preop (and post op) but I think that helped me in the long run. My recovery has been relatively easy and I think its because of his requirements. Before I decided on Dr. Greene, I was o the waiting list for Schewitzer - at that point a 4 month wait just for an appointment. I eventually chose Dr. Greene because of a few things, the support group meetings, recommendations of friends who'd had surgery with him, and the recomendation of my PCP. So far I've been very pleased with my decision. What might be good for you to do is to meet with each of the doctors. Set up an appointment, meet with them, then go from there. Just because you pick one to have a consult with doesn't mean they have to end up being the one you choose for your surgery. Good Luck on your journey, Lynn

Wow. You guys are so informative. I actually have an appointment with Schweitzer too--JANUARY!! 6 months out. And that is just to start the ball rolling. Feels a bit too long for me. I think it will be quicker with Greene, but perhaps not by much because I don't know what his preop requirements are. How long did it take from 1st appt to surgery for y'all.The strictness thing worries me and makes me feel hopeful all at once. I think I need some structure to beat this weight issue, but also don't want to have someone coming down on me if I fluff up because of my period (which I do to the tune of 5lbs or so a month but then it is gone). Thanks! Denise

Denise, I can only speak for myself, but I believe the "structure" imposed by Dr. Greene was critical in getting my mind in gear for the long haul after the surgery. The timing with Dr. Greene will depend on a lot of factors, including getting all of the required pre-op tests completed (whi*****ludes a sleep study, unless you're already using a CPAP machine). I started my process in March 2003, and had my surgery by the end of July 2003. In that period of time, I completed my tests. I also had to go self-pay because my insurance would not cover the surgery; but I did try the appeal route during the same period of time I was waiting for the surgery. The insurance issues, however, did not hold me up. Between late March and late July, I was able to drop 33#s; this was from a starting BMI in the high 50s. Dr. Greene was very pleased with this progress. I'm in agreement with Lynn, though, that the strictness of the program, and my efforts to stick with it, have contributed significantly to my success. Good luck in whatever path you pursue. Leesa