Surgery in MO

Would anyone in MO who's had surgery be willing to share their experiences? Like which hospital was your procedure performed in, what did you think of the services you received there? same for surgeons? Are there any hospital/surgeons that you would definitely not recommend? I hope that it's ok to ask these questions-if not please forgive me. I'm new here and still learning. thanks- Melissa

Hi, Melissa! I had my surgery May 31st in Sedalia at Bothwell Regional Med Center. My surgeon was Dr. Philip Hornbostel. He is absolutely awesome. He requires prospective patients to attend a seminar before they can get an appointment with him. At the seminar he explains everything. You will definitely learn alot. As for my surgery, I had a laproscopic RNY. I went in on a Tuesday and came home on a Thursday. After the surgery I was not allowed to have anything by mouth until Wednesday after a leak test was done. I swallowed some barium liquid and was checked to make sure there were no leaks around the staples. Then I began having an ounce of liquid every 15 minutes. When I went home I was on clear liquids for a week, then full liquids for 3 weeks, then soft foods for a month. Now I can eat pretty much anything I want. I have lost about 60 lbs. so far, and have gone from a size 26/28 to an 18/20. Sorry this is so long. Please email me if you have any questions, and I'll try and answer them. Patty Nipko piffin@iland.net

Thank you so much for your input Patty! And wow, you're doing so great!! I can't wait until I can say that I'm down 60lbs. Melissa

Melissa, I also had surgery with Dr. Hornbostel. He is great. Very professional and knows his business. I had surgery on 7/19. I spent 2 days in the hospital. Bothwell Hospital is where he does his surgeries. I liked it alot. Professional and caring staff. I would recommend Dr. Hornbostal to anyone. You can also e-mail me if you like. Carol

Thank you Carol- more good info! I can't believe how supportive and helpful everyone is here. Melissa

There are many great surgeons in Missouri and I used Dr. Roger De Le Torre and he does surgery at DePaul in St. Louis or in Columbia. It's very important that you look at how many surgeries the surgeon has done and ask about their complication rate. Dr. D has done 3,000 lap and has had no complications with any patients. Just call around and do your homework! Good luck, Kelli

Kelli, Thanks for your input- Dr. De Le Torre and Dr. Scott are the two that I'm considering. Melissa

Hi, Melissa! Which surgery are you looking at? Not all surgeons do all surgeries, so that might be a consideration for you. I had the Duodenal Switch (DS) and I drove from St. Louis to Omaha to have it done. The surgeon, Dr. Anthone, trained under Dr. Hess who perfected the surgery. Dr. A used to teach other surgeons in California at USC and moved back to his home of Omaha to raise his kids. Lucky me!! Methodist Hospital where I stayed was wonderful, clean, and very "big people" friendly. The nurses and doctors adore Dr. Anthone, which says a lot about him. You can read my profile by clicking on my name at the top of the post. It's long and winding, but I tried to go through my experience pre- and post-op. Good luck on your journey! Jeanie DS 02/12/05 -96 big lubs 348/252/165??

Im having my surgery on aug 16th in Belvidere illinois at the Barix clinic.

Thank you for sharing that Larry. Good luck with the surgery! Melissa