Surgery @ Hershey PA, anyone?

Hello hello! Just wanted to see if anyone else on here, has had, or is planning on having their surgery done at Hershey Hosp.  I'm not sure who I want to do mine yet, I'm getting the VSG done (my ins WILL cover it, i've already got the OKAY twice over the phone).  I know several people who've had the RNY there, with amazing results.   As for me, I've been told they've only done one or two VSG's so far, with it being a new surgery.   I'm kinda looking at it as, if you can do the RNY, you can DEF handle doing a VSG!!


Looking forward to hearing from you!!
Best of luck to all!

---Kristina

I can't give you to much info on either hershey or the procedure...but just wanted to say "hi" and that I love your avatar....I just recently got a tattoo of a fairy on my back...and think they are all so beautiful.

Good luck on getting your answers!

Pam 

Pam,
  Thank you so very much! It's actually a picture I have hanging in my hallway. My one nickname is Moon Baby....and a close friend of my from FL got it for me as a bday present one year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fairies!! :-)




Thank you for writing back! And congrats on that tattoo!!

---Kristina

I had Sugery done at PennState Hershey Med Center in 2004. I had the Lap RNY with Dr. Shope. I have had great results, no problems and was happy with my experience there. I know Dr. shope is still there, maybe Cooney too. I know Dr. Ku went to Reading (I think) to do sugeries there.

Good luck to you. PM me if you have any questions or want to chat. You must be in my area if you are going to Hershey.

You are a GOD SEND i tell you! I was starting to get worried that no one else had surgery there (other then those that I know!) haha, I worry WAYYYY too much!!  I've heard great things about Cooney. I was going to ask Dr Rodgers to do it, but I'm leaning more towards Cooney now. Both of which obviously know what they're doing.....


Thank you VERY much for the info!  Yes..Hersheys about an hour or so away from me. I had looked into Reading Hosp, but my PCP told me they don't educate as well as Hershey, soooo that help swing my decision as well. The staff has been awesome with me and crazy questions!!

I'll def have to keep checking back on this page, or I'll shoot an email.

Take care!
---Kristina

Hey Kristina! Im Tanya from Schuylkill Haven as well. I had my surgery at Geising Danville though!! Good luck to you. And we do have a local support group here now if you are looking for some locals in your area to connect with!!

Good luck!!

---Tanya,


Whoooowhooo!! I'm not a loner after all!   Thank you!!  Local support? Sweet, yes definetly I'd love to get in touch with locals to share their stories!!



Thank you again!
---Kristina

Personally, I must say I dont like Hershey for certain types of surgeries due to they  are a teaching hopsital and they have interns do the surgeries and the physican's assist. There was a lady in my support class who went to Hershey to have the surgery and they came out and told her husband they had messed up and dint know how to fix it. She is really sick due to malnourishishment. She now goes to another doctor and they are planning on doing the surgery over again to reverse what Hershey did wrong. Don't get me wrong they are a very good hospital but there are just some things I wont go there for.

Once I took my son there for a possible broken foot. The doctor looked at the xray and said nothing was wrong. We left the hopsital and as we headed home the radiologist called me and said to return my son needed to have emergency surgery on his wrist.  i was like what the hell went wrong?  They wouldnt say all I know is my son was in emergency surgery to repair this wrist which actually was broken a lot worse.  So I had some friends who worked there call one of the surgeons who was on call for OIP and they came in and seen my son and couldnt beleive they let me go home with the way his swrist was broken. It was defromed and he was in such bad pain his blood pressure was up.

Just had some bad experiences and also had some great experiences. Just please do your research when you choose a teaching hopsital.

Dont mean to scare you just want you to be cautious about who you choose for your surgery. No doctor is invincible to errors or complications. 99% of them would try to avoid them at all cost due to the malpractice insurance in PA. Personall, I love my surgeon office and if I haf to do it again I would go back to them in a  They are wonderful,  and take the time to ensure you understand everything that is going to happen to you.

Well I wish you the best of luck. And go with the surgeon you feel most comfortable with.

Alot of people were pushing me towards Cooney or Ku. But I had met Shope face to face before I started the journey and just really liked him. So I went with him.

I think I cracked him up when I asked if he takes personal calls while in the OR and I wanted to know if he listens to music during surgery and if so, what? Ha Ha........

Email me anytime...........

Thank you so very much.  I'm confident in all the surgeons there. I'm not sure who the Dr was who did the VSG, so I might be told that when it's time to meet the surgeons. Choices, choices!!!

Haha, I love it! That'd soo be me asking if they listen to music, or if they were checking the sports scores on another monitor...haha.....thats priceless!! :0)

I'm just happy that I'm getting closer and closer to getting a set date... this 6 month wait is killing me.............lordy lordy will I be horrible when I have my first baby!!


Thank you again for replying!
--Kristina