Questions about which hospital to pick
Hello All,
I just found this site and find the info very helpful as well as a great support system. I am just getting the process started to have the RNY surgery, but I have a couple questions for whoever can answer. I have been trying to research where to have the surgery done. I live in the thumb, and really all I know of is Henry Ford Macomb, Beaumont Royal Oak and Henry Ford Detroit. I have been leaning toward going to HF Detroit, no particular reason why, but I would like to know more about the site and experience. I have also looked into the Barix Clinic in Ypsilanti. I don’t really care about the drive, but would prefer somewhere closer for ease in making the follow up appointments.
The information I am looking for is basically:
What were your impressions of any of these places?
Do they offer private rooms, or do you have to share with someone else?
How was your Surgeon? Pleasant? Are you pleased with your experience with him/her?
If you had to do it again, would you go back to the same Surgeon and Hospital?
Any information on any of these hospitals would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, and I look forward to hearing from and talking to everyone.
Tom
Hi Tom,
I suggest you add St. Johns Weight Loss program to your list of places to check out.
I had my RNY revision done there in December, and couldn't have been happier with the care and the actual hospital. http://stjohnweightloss.com/default/learn-about-surgical-wei ghtloss-options
The rooms are not strictly private, but the nurses told me that they strive to keep the bariatric surgery patients in a room by themselves. I was in for 2 days and did not have a roommate.
Dr. Gary Katz was my surgeon, and I felt very comfortable with is level of knowledge and skill.
I had my initial RNY done at U of M, and St. John is a totally different experience. At U of M, I had to wait forever to get any kind of help from the nursing staff. They brought me the wrong trays of food, and just did not seem to have any time for me whatsoever.
At St. John, I always had someone checking in on my mom (who stayed with me) and myself. The nurses were so caring and the doctor checked on me continuously. He even called me every night for a week after surgery (yes, on the weekends too!) to check on me. One other great perk...Dr. Katz sent an alternative medicine team to the room to see if I had any pain issues. They work with massage and acupressure, etc. I didn't follow up with that, but it was cool to have them stop by.
One more thing to consider when choosing a surgeon's office: the pre-op diet. I knew I would never make 2 weeks on a liquid diet. Dr. K required 5 days, and some of the docs in the practice don't require one at all.
My only issue with St. John is their billing dept. I keep getting anesthesia bills that my insurance show as being covered and I can't seem to get that resolved. But other than that, I'm a happy customer.
Good luck with your research. I'm sure you'll find the facility and surgeon that will work best for you!
I suggest you add St. Johns Weight Loss program to your list of places to check out.
I had my RNY revision done there in December, and couldn't have been happier with the care and the actual hospital. http://stjohnweightloss.com/default/learn-about-surgical-wei ghtloss-options
The rooms are not strictly private, but the nurses told me that they strive to keep the bariatric surgery patients in a room by themselves. I was in for 2 days and did not have a roommate.
Dr. Gary Katz was my surgeon, and I felt very comfortable with is level of knowledge and skill.
I had my initial RNY done at U of M, and St. John is a totally different experience. At U of M, I had to wait forever to get any kind of help from the nursing staff. They brought me the wrong trays of food, and just did not seem to have any time for me whatsoever.
At St. John, I always had someone checking in on my mom (who stayed with me) and myself. The nurses were so caring and the doctor checked on me continuously. He even called me every night for a week after surgery (yes, on the weekends too!) to check on me. One other great perk...Dr. Katz sent an alternative medicine team to the room to see if I had any pain issues. They work with massage and acupressure, etc. I didn't follow up with that, but it was cool to have them stop by.
One more thing to consider when choosing a surgeon's office: the pre-op diet. I knew I would never make 2 weeks on a liquid diet. Dr. K required 5 days, and some of the docs in the practice don't require one at all.
My only issue with St. John is their billing dept. I keep getting anesthesia bills that my insurance show as being covered and I can't seem to get that resolved. But other than that, I'm a happy customer.
Good luck with your research. I'm sure you'll find the facility and surgeon that will work best for you!
Brenda,
Thanks, I had forgotten about St Johns. Where did they do the surgery at? I would also probably use Dr Katz, as he is listed at the new St Johns Macomb. Were your appointments done there? That is much closer to home than any of the other places. Not that that really matters, I want the best surgeon doing the process. I dont care about a having a bit of a commute to appointments, but if I can get that closer to home that is great. Thanks again for your reply.
Thanks, I had forgotten about St Johns. Where did they do the surgery at? I would also probably use Dr Katz, as he is listed at the new St Johns Macomb. Were your appointments done there? That is much closer to home than any of the other places. Not that that really matters, I want the best surgeon doing the process. I dont care about a having a bit of a commute to appointments, but if I can get that closer to home that is great. Thanks again for your reply.
Hi,
I used HFH in Detroit. I loved my doctor and his staff. They were all very kind. The rooms are private and it is a newer ward. The nurses were very attentive and my entire experience has been wonderful.
It took me 10 months from start to finish but most of that time was because of my insurance.
I think they done a great job explaining things and they were never in a rush to see the next patient.
Good luck on your journey.
Cheryl
I used HFH in Detroit. I loved my doctor and his staff. They were all very kind. The rooms are private and it is a newer ward. The nurses were very attentive and my entire experience has been wonderful.
It took me 10 months from start to finish but most of that time was because of my insurance.
I think they done a great job explaining things and they were never in a rush to see the next patient.
Good luck on your journey.
Cheryl
Hi Tom -
I had my surgery at Hurley in Flint and many people from the thumb area also use Hurley. In fact, Hurley holds a monthly support meeting in Vassar to accomodate their patients in that area of the state. I highly recommend them -- they are pioneers in Michigan for bariatric surgery.
I'll answer your questions -- but I caution you to not focus too much on the hospital stay experience and your surgeon's bedside manner as your sole deciding factor. The aftercare program as your clinic needs to be at the top of your list ... and I'll list some things to look for below.
Hurley Bariatric Clinic -- friendly, efficient and pleasant. They are a very busy office so their organizational system needs to be stellar to work smoothly - they've got it down to a science.
Hurley Hospital -- after surgery you're in the burn unit with a special section for bariatric patients. Which means you have extra nursing staff in this unit and are nearby the ICU burn rooms - so lots of attention after surgery. Beds and furniture are all obesity-friendly size.
Surgeon -- Although Dr. Farhan was the man who did my cutting, I still think of Dr. Obeid as my true surgeon as he's the one I first met with and learned the most from. I loved him!
Dang,,, interruption. be back to finish later...
Ok. I'm back. :-)
Surgeon & Center --- do your research on the surgeon's tract record specifically - how many surgeries, deaths, major complications, years of training, lap vs open experience, type of surgery most performed/preferred, etc. Also how does the clinic do as a whole with those same questions? Are there new surgeons on staff who are in the OR with your surgeon and what role does the inexperienced dude play in your surgery. Or if they use the tag-team approach (like Hurley does) - is it always the same two surgeons working together or do they rotate? At Hurley, all the surgeons are good, your primary surgeon performs the operation but another of the good surgeons is assistant during the operation.
Also--- find out what the background of your surgeon is. Does he ONLY do bariatric surgeries or does he do other stuff too? Dr. Farhan is a trauma surgeon (head of the trauma department still, I think) which made me feel very comfortable because if anything happened during my surgery, he'd have the experience to deal with whatever happens. whereas if I chose a surgeon who used to do xyz type of surgeries but only does WLS now... he might be "rusty" if something goes wrong in the OR. For instance, the lady who had her WLS before me the morning of surgery had complications that had nothing to do with her WLS. When Dr. Farhan got in to do her RNY, he found a tumor on one of her organs that he was able to remove while he was in there doing her RNY. A surgeon who was only focused on the RNY might have missed that.
Ok... next question. LOL. My whole approval process took 15 months because I was jumping through insurance hoops before I could get scheduled. This is a typical length of time.
AFTERCARE --- this is the most important part to be researching. Yes, finding a good quality surgeon with lots and lots of experience is essential. But if the best surgeon in the world is 5 hours away, what good is he going to do you when you have an emergency and need to see him immediately? And what good is his support meetings going to do you if you can't drive to his office a couple times a month? Your surgery and hospital stay is done and over with in less than a week. But you have the rest of your life to deal with WLS and all that goes with it. You need a program that will treat you forever - not just medically, but with all their services. So here are some things to think about:
** Is the office close enough to be convient for follow up appointments and participataion in support meetings or special programs they offer?
** DO they offer support group meetings? (People who attend regular in-person group meetings are more likely to have successful long term weight loss results)
** DO they offer special programs? I've attended two different group therapy sessions with the psychologist. I've gotten involved in an informal walking training group that meets once a week and at the end of summer, we walked a 10-mile race together. Just a couple examples of what clinics might offer.
** Do they have a wide array of staff members to serve you? Nutritionist who is readily available via email or phone? Nurses? PA's? Psychologists? MD's who specialize in bariatrics (called a Bariatrician)?
** What level of education do you receive before surgery and how much education is available afterward as new science emerges about what we need to know 5 or 10 years down the road?
Ok... rambling over. LOL! Hope this helps you decide on the best facility for you.
Pam
I had my surgery at Hurley in Flint and many people from the thumb area also use Hurley. In fact, Hurley holds a monthly support meeting in Vassar to accomodate their patients in that area of the state. I highly recommend them -- they are pioneers in Michigan for bariatric surgery.
I'll answer your questions -- but I caution you to not focus too much on the hospital stay experience and your surgeon's bedside manner as your sole deciding factor. The aftercare program as your clinic needs to be at the top of your list ... and I'll list some things to look for below.
Hurley Bariatric Clinic -- friendly, efficient and pleasant. They are a very busy office so their organizational system needs to be stellar to work smoothly - they've got it down to a science.
Hurley Hospital -- after surgery you're in the burn unit with a special section for bariatric patients. Which means you have extra nursing staff in this unit and are nearby the ICU burn rooms - so lots of attention after surgery. Beds and furniture are all obesity-friendly size.
Surgeon -- Although Dr. Farhan was the man who did my cutting, I still think of Dr. Obeid as my true surgeon as he's the one I first met with and learned the most from. I loved him!
Dang,,, interruption. be back to finish later...
Ok. I'm back. :-)
Surgeon & Center --- do your research on the surgeon's tract record specifically - how many surgeries, deaths, major complications, years of training, lap vs open experience, type of surgery most performed/preferred, etc. Also how does the clinic do as a whole with those same questions? Are there new surgeons on staff who are in the OR with your surgeon and what role does the inexperienced dude play in your surgery. Or if they use the tag-team approach (like Hurley does) - is it always the same two surgeons working together or do they rotate? At Hurley, all the surgeons are good, your primary surgeon performs the operation but another of the good surgeons is assistant during the operation.
Also--- find out what the background of your surgeon is. Does he ONLY do bariatric surgeries or does he do other stuff too? Dr. Farhan is a trauma surgeon (head of the trauma department still, I think) which made me feel very comfortable because if anything happened during my surgery, he'd have the experience to deal with whatever happens. whereas if I chose a surgeon who used to do xyz type of surgeries but only does WLS now... he might be "rusty" if something goes wrong in the OR. For instance, the lady who had her WLS before me the morning of surgery had complications that had nothing to do with her WLS. When Dr. Farhan got in to do her RNY, he found a tumor on one of her organs that he was able to remove while he was in there doing her RNY. A surgeon who was only focused on the RNY might have missed that.
Ok... next question. LOL. My whole approval process took 15 months because I was jumping through insurance hoops before I could get scheduled. This is a typical length of time.
AFTERCARE --- this is the most important part to be researching. Yes, finding a good quality surgeon with lots and lots of experience is essential. But if the best surgeon in the world is 5 hours away, what good is he going to do you when you have an emergency and need to see him immediately? And what good is his support meetings going to do you if you can't drive to his office a couple times a month? Your surgery and hospital stay is done and over with in less than a week. But you have the rest of your life to deal with WLS and all that goes with it. You need a program that will treat you forever - not just medically, but with all their services. So here are some things to think about:
** Is the office close enough to be convient for follow up appointments and participataion in support meetings or special programs they offer?
** DO they offer support group meetings? (People who attend regular in-person group meetings are more likely to have successful long term weight loss results)
** DO they offer special programs? I've attended two different group therapy sessions with the psychologist. I've gotten involved in an informal walking training group that meets once a week and at the end of summer, we walked a 10-mile race together. Just a couple examples of what clinics might offer.
** Do they have a wide array of staff members to serve you? Nutritionist who is readily available via email or phone? Nurses? PA's? Psychologists? MD's who specialize in bariatrics (called a Bariatrician)?
** What level of education do you receive before surgery and how much education is available afterward as new science emerges about what we need to know 5 or 10 years down the road?
Ok... rambling over. LOL! Hope this helps you decide on the best facility for you.
Pam
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Visit my blog: Journey to a Healthier Me ...or my Website
The scale can measure the weight of my body but never my worth as a woman. ~Lysa TerKeurst author of Made to Crave
I'm going to reply to Pam even before she is finished!
Aftercare is the most important thing. I totally 100% agree. If you have a program that just abandons you after your surgery, you will not be successful.
When looking at programs, make sure they are knowledgeable about nutrition and lab work down the road.
A sourpuss doctor or non-private room would not be a deal breaker for me if the program was able to support you long after surgery.
Aftercare is the most important thing. I totally 100% agree. If you have a program that just abandons you after your surgery, you will not be successful.
When looking at programs, make sure they are knowledgeable about nutrition and lab work down the road.
A sourpuss doctor or non-private room would not be a deal breaker for me if the program was able to support you long after surgery.
Thanks Brenda M. for your post Dr. Katz is my surgeon and so far I feel very comfortable with him and his office staff is right on top of things which I like. My surgery is on May 3rd and I'm still a little nervous not so much with the actually surgery but with the hospital-thanks again for your post it has ease my mind..... a little 
I can't stress enough how wonderful my stay at St. John's was. Put that worry away.
Is anyone staying with you? My mom stayed with me because with my other surgery, if I needed something it would be hours until someone answered the call light.
This time, they took my mom down to the holiday buffet they were having and insisted she eat with the staff instead of going out of the hospital to eat. They let her sleep in the empty bed next to mine, and were just all around professional and sweet.
Is anyone staying with you? My mom stayed with me because with my other surgery, if I needed something it would be hours until someone answered the call light.
This time, they took my mom down to the holiday buffet they were having and insisted she eat with the staff instead of going out of the hospital to eat. They let her sleep in the empty bed next to mine, and were just all around professional and sweet.
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