satisfaction with surgeon

I started the process for surgery 18 months ago, on my own kept losing weight.  surgeon who I was seeing said "dont lose any more"  this and other things on how I was treated in office, just got the feeling this was the wrong time with wrong dr.  Now that I have gained most of what I lost I am ready to do this.  I will travel as far as I need to go to have a surgeon who has lots and lots of experience and has been recommended by others - you folks on this board.  Please any info on your experience with drs - good and bad would be much appreciated. 

Thanks!
Sue

Are you in Oregon Hillary?  If so, are you looking at self-pay or having your insurance pay?  If in Oregon, Legacy Emmanual's "OWLS" program is well respected.  Dr Emma Patterson is actually just published on some of her research.  Salem Hospital has a great well-rounded program, but it is not yet done enough surgeries in a 12 month period to become a Center of Excellence... so some insurance companies are not yet covering their program. 

But again, I have not yet had my surgery.  Both of these programs have websites if you'd like to look them up.

Hi Sue,

I live in Salem but traveled to Federal Way, WA.  I had Dr. Srikanth (Center for Weight Loss Surgery).  He is wonderful and very, very experienced.  He does all types of WLS.  I think he said he's done over 2000 or 2500 WLS.  He also does laparoscopic on high BMIs.   He's pretty strict that you follow the program.   I'm so glad I went to him.  He's an excellent surgeon. 

Good luck with your search.

Linda

Linda-
Thank you for your input.  Since you live quite a distance away - were they flexible with you on the quantity of pre op appts?  What has been the worst thing you have had to deal with ?  How do you deal with the protein / liquid diet?  Do you find you look for support groups, etc - or?
Thanks again for your input - keep up your great job!!

Sue

Sue,

They have been pretty flexible.  I got some stuff done down here.  When I needed something up there or preferred to get it there rather, they would schedule everything in the same day so I only had to make one trip.  I went to one nutrition meeting there and had one appt with the surgeon. After that they submitted for insurance approval the next day...I was shocked it was so soon.  Then after approval, I had the preop appt (which they were going to schedule the day before surgery for me so I would only have to make one trip, but I ended up going the week prior, which was my choice).  

Since I live more than two hours from the hospital, I had to stay a week in a motel. We stayed at the Super 8 motel which was about half mile from the hospital.  It was clean and cheap.  

I was supposed to stay one night in the hospital and go home the next day, but I had some swelling in the opening to my stomach and nothing would stay down...water, tea, popsicle, nothing.  So I asked Dr. Srikanth if he could keep me in the hospital for another day because I was scared to go to the motel.  He said let's see how you do thru the day and I still couldn't keep anything down. So he ended up keeping me in for four days.  He was great.  He came to see me often, called to check on me several times a day.  He has a great bedside manner and a good sense of humer...he's quite jolly, lol.   On the third postop day, I had an old nurse and she asked me if I had anxiety and I said yes, so she gave me some Valium.  After that liquids started staying down and I got my 50 medicine cup amounts in and went home the next day. 

The hospital was great.  Since we were from out of town, my husband was able to stay with me. Although they had to do some rearranging to do it.  If you have a private room it's no problem, but the first night I had a roommate, but they let my husband stay anyway.  Then the next night they moved us into a patient room that they used for conferences, storing beds, etc. They cleaned it out and put us in there.  They moved me in the middle of the night just so my husband could stay with me.  I was so thankful.  Then the third night a private room opened up and they put us in there.   They were all just so nice and accomodating.  I was scared to death not being able to keep anything down and didn't want to be there without my hubby.  On day 8, I had my first postop appt with Dr. Srikanth and he cleared me to go home.  He told me preop that he would like me to stay 10 days to 2 weeks, but he let me go back home on the 8th day.  I have an appt again on Monday, that will be my one month appt. 

That was the worst thing so far was the first three days.  I had no pain though, just soreness, not real pain.  Oh and in the hospital I had hiccups all the time, but after discharge, never got hiccups again. It was weird. 

The protein is disgusting.  Dr. Srikanth had me do clear liquids until day 7 and then starts you on the protein, 3 a day.  They go down fine but taste awful.  I have tried a few types and the best one so far is Chike.  It has a little after taste, but not as bad as the others.   I feel full all the time between all the water, the vitamins and protein and now on pureed foods.   

The first wee****il I started the protein, I just craved pancakes for some reason and had terrible head hunger and kep****ching the Food Network channel on the motel TV. But after I started the protein, that eased up.  I still struggle with the head hunger sometimes and I mourn the loss of eating a big ole plate of food, but then when I go and try on clothes and find some in my closet that I couldn't wear before and they now fit, that perks me up. 

Salem Hospital has support groups and I plan on attending those.  I read these boards though everyday and that really helps.  You think you know everything until it's your turn and then you find you still need a lot of info.  That's been my experience anyway. 

Another thing is that he requires you go to the seminar at first but if you can't make it to the actual seminar or live far away, they let you watch it online, which is what I did.  It was three hours long.  So they are pretty flexible. 

I originally tried to go thru OHSU and you have to wait forever there to get in, they don't return your calls.  I just didn't have a good experience with them.   I would have gone to Salem surgeons, but they don't have as much experience and if your BMI is 50 and over, they will only do open procedures. 

I initially wanted the DS which is why I went to OHSU (they don't do it now though), but because I have ulcerative colitis, the insurance wouldn't approve it and their surgeon wouldn't help me appeal by writing a letter for me. So then I went to Dr. Srikanth for the VSG, but my insurance wouldn't approve that either, saying it was experimental, so I decided on the RNY and stayed with him and I'm so glad I did.  The 3 1/2 drive up there isn't bad.

The preop clear liquid diet was for 10 days and it's hard but by the fourth day or so you get into ketosis and it's much easier.  

So that's the scoop. If you want any other info, let me know.

Linda

Hi Sue,
I did alot of research for my sister, who has had the same "problems" as you have had and my investigating came up with Bay Bariatrics in Coos Bay.  You can check Dr. Tersingi out on this website under surgeons or his own at Bay Bariatrics
Good Luck

Thank you to Linda in Salem and a loving sister KImwin.  This is all great info!  I will check out both those drs. 
Sue

I went to OHSU for lapband with Dr. Wolfe.  Although I like him and am very confident in his abilities as a surgeon I have not been very happy with his support staff and with the amount of information I recieved post-op.  All of the papers I was sent home with were labelled RNY (Just one bit of paper from the manufacturer of my band).  I have not been informed as to when I should go back in for check-ups.  I have difficulty making appointments for fills and any checkups that I decide are needed.  I have my yappointments changed quite often when I do manage to make them as Dr Wolfe goes out of town frequently.

On a side note-your last surgeon might have suggested that you stop losing weight because your insurance would no longer allow you to have the surgery.  There is a minimum with comorbities that many insurance companies require.  Below that BMI and they will not pay.

Tina

 I had RNY at OHSU with Dr. O'Rourke.  He's a great surgeon and very caring -- I had some weird fever issue after surgery and he was in to check on me frequently.  I agree with Tina though, the support staff there is not the greatest.  AND, don't EVER go to OSHU hospital alone.  You will be treated so poorly.  I've had to be in that hospital twice and if I never go back, it will be too soon.

Linda

Thanks guys!  I have started the paperwork, seminar on line, etc process with Dr Emma Patterson up in Portland.  As I read thru these forums and research the internet  - it looks like she has lots of experience - over 2000 RNY's, published papers, and her clinic has an excellence award from Bariatric assoc.  Any but out there have any thoughts on her clinic or the dr?  When I called and explained the situation and that I was in Eugene - she said a number of patients from Eugene go to their clinic.  For some reason they cant seem to keep good dr's in Eugene.  Great place to live - wonder why?  My back up plan is Bay Bariatrics in Coos Bay - any comments from people who have dealt with them - dr steve?
Thanks again to everyone!  I have 2 coworkers who have had the surgery and we speak frequently.  It is sooo nice to talk with others who are in different stages of this process.  Bottom line is we want to live a long time, be happy and healthy. 

Enjoy Every Day!!
Sue