Newbie here need advice on Centennial and Dr Houston

Merrymayhem:  My bougie was a size 34, Ronda said hers was a 38.  Ronda also stated a preference for common channel length. The best person to ask is Dr. Houston.  This also goes for how out of state patients are cared for.  His Georgia patients might have a better handle on it although their surgeries were very recent. 

I paid a $250 deposit to Dr. Houston.  When my insurance paid, I was given the choice of getting it back or leaving it on the books for furture co-pays.  I left it on the books.

While it is a fact that Dr. Houston hasn't done a lot of DSes, I like what Ronda said... It isn't like a foot doctor doing brain surgery.  He did a two year laparoscopic fellowship at Vanderbilt.  His practice is dedicated to bariatric surgery.  When my friend needed her gallbladder out after her RNY, he did it.  So while he does other surgeries on occasion, his focus is WLS. 

There is a lot of discussion on the DS forum about who is the "best DS surgeon" and who is on the vetted surgeons list at dsfacts.com and duodenalswitch.com.  No where have I ever seen the process or criteria listed for a vetted surgeon designation.  Even the most admired surgeons such as Rabkin, Anthone et.al. had to do their first one.  Or their first one hundred.  If numbers are really important to you, perhaps Houston isn't your best choice.  Numbers were not important to me.  I have absolutely no regrets about choosing Dr. Houston as my surgeon.  The matching of surgeon and patient is very important.  I have as much confidence in Dr. Houston's skills as he does.  I also like his personality.

Best wishes on your journey to health.

Dr. Houston is very good at what he does. I had my Bypass with him in April and had no complications or problems whatsoever. And... he only puts you on a liquid diet 2 DAYS priors to surgery rather than 2 WEEKS. This really helped keep me "sane" in the days leading up to surgery.

As for Centennial, they are very professional and courteous. You will have every tool at your disposal to succeed in losing your excess weight, and the hospital itself was very clean and comfortable. Other than the 4am "blood nurse" that would wake me up every morning, the nurses came whenever I needed them to and were very friendly.

I'm sure there are alot of good hospitals in the area that perform these surgeries, but Centennial (in my opinion) is one of the best.

We are very fortunate to be in Nashville...  there are some wonderful programs and surgeons in this area.  There isn't a surgeon that I would cringe when someone said his or her name because they are all very good...  Vanderbilt, Baptist and Centennial are all Centers of Excellence; you would not go wrong in choosing any of them.

But you did ask specificaly about Dr Houston.  He is my surgeon (surgery date Oct 2006).  He has been a wonderful doctor.  I've not only had my gastric bypass from him, but he removed my gallbladder, done an ERCP and removed scar tissue.  I was also in the hospital twice after surgery for dehydration and malnutrition.  Dr. Houston was there for me each and every time.

Actually, Vanderbilt is no longer a Center of Excellence through the ASMBS. I believe they are pursuing the designation through another body.