Dr. Sudan @ Creighton Moving to North Carolina

Thanks Beth, I don't know how to thank everyone.  This group on the boards have been great.  --Cherilee

Hi Cherilee;
I am a Medicare patient at Creighton. I am 6 months into the required meetings. I am also disappointed about Dr. Sudan leaving; but it is much bigger than that. They have lost 2 surgeons as well as Shelly the dietary coordinator who moved on to veterans Hospital. I recieved a letter from Creighton a week after I saw Dr. K and the letter said that until they replaced Dr. Sudan or Dr. Force became Medicare certified; all Medicare patients would be put on hold until the end of the year or longer.

You might want to check out Methodist Hospital and Dr. Gary Anthone here in Omaha. I went to their seminar on 8/7 and they expected to hear word on Friday about their being named as a Center of Excellence. I have been to several seminars at various hospitals and I was most impressed by what I heard there compared to other places I have investigated. I have also had 2 friends that had Dr. Anthone as their surgeon and they absolutely raved about him. Both have lost well over 150 lbs each. I hope this info is helpful and I wish you great success. Mypappyblue

Mypappyblue-  Thanks for the update.  I have been in touch with St Elizabeth's in Lincoln, they will be a Center of Excellance in a week.  Dr. Taducci was recommended.  This will be much closer for us to drive.  I've been waiting for a year and I just want to get banded!  Enough is enough.--Cherilee

Hi Cherilee,  I live in Clay Center, but work in Hastings.  I was planning to have Dr. Sudan  do my duodenal switch last June, but was denied by my insurance company.  I was planning on starting a new doctor documented weightloss program and then trying  again to get approval for Dr. Sudan to do the surgery.  I am just very disappointed that he is leaving Nebraska. Which kind of surgery are you planning to have?  Just curious if you don't mind telling me who is your
primary care doctor.? Mine is Dr. Curtis Reimer.  I dearly love him, but he really doesn't have a clue about weight loss surgeries.  Hope

Hi Hope--OMG!  I didn't think anyone out this way ever thought about WLS.  I'm so glad to hear from you.  I see a nurse practioner, Sharon Fields at Primary Care.  That clinic is in the Medical Services building connected to the hospital (MLMH) in Hastings.  She is somewhat familar with WLS and actually recommened it for me.  There's alot she doesn't know, but then she just refers you on to the surgeons.  At first she was going to send me to Grand Island, but I use Medicare for my insurance and they are not a Center of Excellence and they can't do Medicare Patients for WLS.  I was first sceduled to see Dr. Sudan in March '08, then they switched it to Dr Force in April '08 and by the time I got there they had me see Dr. Wright.  I had already done 6 months of weight management with Sharon Fields here but they wanted me to do it over with a nutrtionist involved.  I was frustrated to say the least.  

Now that I have 6 weeks till I'm done I found out that Dr Sudan is gone to NC and Dr Wright has moved to Florida.  Dr Force is quite busy and it may be awhile (like 2009) before they can get to me.  I cried for 2 days!  I posted on the board and a bariatric coordinator replied that St Elizabeth's has gotten their approval to be a Center of Excellence.  I am headed to Lincoln this Thursday for their seminar.  I understand Dr Tuducci is the surgeon.  I hopefully will know more after that.  Thanks again for replying to my post I'm so thrilled there is someone close.--Cherilee  

Hi Cherilee,  thanks for answering my post.  I'm sorry you are having such a rough time getting a surgical date.  That is the pits that they made you do over your weight management with a nutritionist.  I was all ready to have surgery last year and then was denied.  It makes me so angry that insurance companies do this when is has been proven that weight loss surgery can save lives.
I had given up on the surgery until a recent episode with severe back pain has caused me to take a leave of absence from work.  I have been in so much pain with my back and I think if I could get the weight off I might feel some relief.  So anyway I think I'm going to resume the doctor monitored weight loss to meet my insurance company's requirements.  Glad you told me that about the nutritionist because maybe I need to get her involved too.  Let me know how the seminar in Lincoln goes.  Just curious if you don't mind telling me, how old are you?  I'm 49.  I also have type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and back pain.  I'm so glad to meet you thru this forum.  Talk to you later! Hope

Cherilee,

(sorry if I misspelled your name I looked fast)

Dr. Force is a good  guy,  I saw him a couple of times when I had my surgery in June, as he came in to introduce himself while I was in the hospital after my surgery w/ Dr. Sudan. 

I would highly suggest calling the office and asking to talk to Dr. Force's NURSE.  Tell her the situation with your diet and such, they will get you in.  I spent six months on my diet and when I called, talked to the main office and asked to speak directly to the nurse, I had a six week wait from the date I talked to the surgery date.  She just pulled the next date for me to have surgery.  I didn't have to go back and see the doctor until they did my pre-op visit, after the 6 month. 

I'm disappointed that Dr. Sudan left, but he made sure he had my email address and wants to keep in contact with me so that he can still follow me.  THAT I found very impressive! 

I've never heard of Dr. Corrigan or anyone at the Med Center doing the DS. They are all about RNY or band. Even if they've started it recently,  I wouldn't have DS with a surgeon who hadn't done many of them. Are you not interested in Dr. A, or is it that lap is the deciding factor?

Joyce