What do you know about the New Start Program at St. Alexuis (sp?) Hospital in St. Louis,...

Hi everyone: Want to know your thoughts on the program and the doctors. Anybody have Dr. Richardson as your surgeon?

I can't say enough about the confidence I have in Dr. Richardson...he's a highly gifted and thoroughly experienced surgeon. I'm personally down in excess of 240+ pounds with no complications. Any issues, questions and concerns I've had related to my weight loss - he and his staff have ALWAYS been attentive to my needs. Take a look at my profile to follow my progress if you like...and feel free to email me. While I did not go through Newstart, it has always been and continues to be my opinion that choice of surgeon is the number one priority...the other aspects (nutitionist, pre-op and post-op support, etc) while important are secondary. I can tell you however that my interaction with others leads me to believe that Newstart has ALL of the bases well-covered. So yes, a ringing endorsement of Dr. Richardson. Thanks, Cards Fan Springfield, MO STEP OFF THE SIDELINES AND GET IN THE GAME!

Thanks so much for replying. Your story is so inspiring. Thanks again. Melissa

I have gone thru New Start program, had surgery at St. Alexius, and had Dr. Richardson as my surgeon. The most important decision you have to make is who will be your surgeon. I chose Dr. R. because of the experience he has with the procedures. Once I met him, I felt very confident in his expertise and have become even more so since the surgery. He was very upfront about expectations and risks. I also had a stricture repair with Dr. Follwell~I liked him too. Stricture repaired without incident. St. Alexius is no worse than any other hospital that I have been in including St. John's in STL and Washington and St. Luke's in Chesterfield which are some pretty big names. The plus for St. Alexius is that there are so many procedures performed there that the staff has lots of experience. Bad thing is that they, like all the other hospitals, just need more nurses. I NEVER feared for my health, just wished when I asked for a hair dryer that my hair wouldn't have been dry when they brought it~trivial I know, but since you asked.... New Start~good program with lots of follow up support to help get thru the tough stuff after surgery. They were instrumental in providing insurance company what was needed to get me approved. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Hope this helps you make a decision.

Thank you so much for responding. Melissa

The New Start Program was great back when I went through it, and it has only gotten better in the last two years. It is much more organized, and they have many support group meetings...including one with a dietician and 2 with phsychiatrists. Follow-up care is excellent, and I also had no trouble with St. Alexius. The people you will talk to along the way are all very nice and helpful, and Dr. Richardson is one EXTREMELY confident guy. He's good and he knows it, which made me feel really good about choosing him. As Cards Fan said, you can read through my profile to see how my experience with New Start was. Do remember, though, that it is based on an older version of the program. Pamela 352/215/150

Thank you very much for the information. Melissa

Hi. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply but unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) with my weight loss my life has gotten so much busier that I don't get on OH as often as I used to. As for New Start and St. Alexius, I can't say enough good things about them. I absolutely loved Dr. Richardson and have all the confidence in the world as far as he is concerned. I also loved St. Alexius. It is one of the cleanest hospitals I have ever been in. I had no problems with the nursing staff and everyone was very respectful and understanding. I would highly recommend both New Start and St. Alexius to anyone that is considering WLS. Deanna

Thank you for responding. It really helps knowing others perspectives. Melissa