looking for a fantastic surgeon to do my revision
My name is Kathy, and I'm a pre-op looking for informtiaon on a surgeon in your state. I'm particularly interested in information regarding Dr. Voellinger. I'll be a revision, and wonder what you can tell me about his experience doing revision surgery.
I had a VBG 22 years ago, and I'm interested in revising to a DS. I know myself very well, and feel the DS will give me the best shot at long-term success. But I understand it's a fairly tricky revision, going from a VBG to a DS, so I'm currently gathering information on various surgeons from the Duodenalswitch.com website. Dr Voellinger is the only surgeon on that list in North Carolina, though I also see thay have Dr Sudan listed ... I understand he's recently moved from Omaha to North Carolina.
At any rate, information on either or both of these Drs would be greatly appreciated. I have Aetna insurance, and will be traveling form Washington State. I'm intersted to know if either of these Drs are experienced in revisions, whether or not they charge a "program fee" ... if you have any knowledge of how they handle out-of-state patients, etc. I've put emails into each of their office, but I'm reaching out to you, too ... to get (hopefully) a more balanced opinion of each of these gentlemen.
I'm considering NC because I have plenty of relatives, there, that will be more than eager to help me post-op. THANK YOU for any information you can come up with. I'd love to hear from folks who have had first-hand information on these Drs. As I said, I'm gathering information at this point, so any information/suggestions are appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Kathy
I had a VBG 22 years ago, and I'm interested in revising to a DS. I know myself very well, and feel the DS will give me the best shot at long-term success. But I understand it's a fairly tricky revision, going from a VBG to a DS, so I'm currently gathering information on various surgeons from the Duodenalswitch.com website. Dr Voellinger is the only surgeon on that list in North Carolina, though I also see thay have Dr Sudan listed ... I understand he's recently moved from Omaha to North Carolina.
At any rate, information on either or both of these Drs would be greatly appreciated. I have Aetna insurance, and will be traveling form Washington State. I'm intersted to know if either of these Drs are experienced in revisions, whether or not they charge a "program fee" ... if you have any knowledge of how they handle out-of-state patients, etc. I've put emails into each of their office, but I'm reaching out to you, too ... to get (hopefully) a more balanced opinion of each of these gentlemen.
I'm considering NC because I have plenty of relatives, there, that will be more than eager to help me post-op. THANK YOU for any information you can come up with. I'd love to hear from folks who have had first-hand information on these Drs. As I said, I'm gathering information at this point, so any information/suggestions are appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
There aren't too many DSers in NC--at least not on this forum. I am pre-op for a DS and live near Asheville, NC, in western NC.
After my research, I decided I didn't think Dr. V. in Chlt. had done enough lap DSes to suit me. He may not do any revision surgery at all--it's a specialty within a specialty, so to speak. So I am going to to go Dr. Dennis Smith in Marietta, GA at Advanced Obesity Surgery. My plan there has been to stay in a motel room while I convalesce, although I may have made a friend there with whom I can stay while I recuperate.
I would like to encourage you to concentrate on finding the best doctor you can. It's nice to be able to recuperate with family, but I would think it might be wiser to recuperate in a motel room after surgery with a top surgeon, than to go to a not-as-experienced surgeon but be able to recuperate with family. The time you would spend recuperating in NC will only be a couple of weeks, but you will live with the results of your surgery for the rest of your life.
Maybe you can post on the DS forum and ask their advice--many there have had revisions and can advise you of excellent surgeons to the DS.
mspppants
There aren't too many DSers in NC--at least not on this forum. I am pre-op for a DS and live near Asheville, NC, in western NC.
After my research, I decided I didn't think Dr. V. in Chlt. had done enough lap DSes to suit me. He may not do any revision surgery at all--it's a specialty within a specialty, so to speak. So I am going to to go Dr. Dennis Smith in Marietta, GA at Advanced Obesity Surgery. My plan there has been to stay in a motel room while I convalesce, although I may have made a friend there with whom I can stay while I recuperate.
I would like to encourage you to concentrate on finding the best doctor you can. It's nice to be able to recuperate with family, but I would think it might be wiser to recuperate in a motel room after surgery with a top surgeon, than to go to a not-as-experienced surgeon but be able to recuperate with family. The time you would spend recuperating in NC will only be a couple of weeks, but you will live with the results of your surgery for the rest of your life.
Maybe you can post on the DS forum and ask their advice--many there have had revisions and can advise you of excellent surgeons to the DS.
mspppants
thanks for your reply, mspppants. I agree that the surgeon is more important than where I recoup. I'm just checking out all my options. I'm not wild about the idea of traveling, but I'm becoming resigned to the idea in order to get what I really want.
Thanks, yes... I have posted on the DS forum, and I have a list of surgeons that I'm exploring. But I noticed the two names I mentioned above on the duodenalswitch.com site, so I thought I'd ask.
thanks again!
Kathy
Thanks, yes... I have posted on the DS forum, and I have a list of surgeons that I'm exploring. But I noticed the two names I mentioned above on the duodenalswitch.com site, so I thought I'd ask.
thanks again!
Kathy
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