Looking for a surgeon who will take me!!!

I had my first surgery, a stomach stapling, in 1982. Did well, went from 260 to 165 in a year, got PG and ate around the surgery and weighed 215 one month after delivered baby by c-sect. Had to have gallbladder removed in 1989 and Dr. "tightened up" my stapling and added a band to make exit from stomach smaller. Only lost from 250 to 210 in about a year, then slowly gained back up to about 225. Had problems keeping food down right from the beginning of that surgery but thought it was all my fault because I had over eaten, part of it was that, but part was due to a growing obstruction to the banded area. By 1998 it had gotten so bad that sometimes even water came right back up!! A different surgeon was suppose to remove the blockage, but he reversed the stapling as best he could. I had NOT wanted it reversed, only repaired!! Went from around 225 to 280 between 1998 and now!!! I am checking into finding a Dr. that will do the open RNY on me. It is really hard to find a Dr. who is willing to take the trouble to work with me because of the previous surgeries!!! They either think I am a lost cause or that it would be too complicated to fool with me. I have done my homework and know that the RNY is 50% more effective than the old stapling, and I have been working on discovering the reasons I overeat and how to deal with them. I have recently joined a gym, the looks I get from some of them!!, and work out on cardiac(stationary bike) for 30 min at a time for 3 to 5 days a week and I do Aquasize for 1 hour a day for 3 to 4 days a week. I have really bad knees so I can not do the treadmill or walk much until I take off a good amount of weight. I know that I can make this work for me if I can only find a doctor willing to do the surgery!! Back in 1982 and 1989 there was NO support or training in how or what to eat!! We were on our own after the follow up check up after surgery. We were on a regular diet by the time we left the hospital and were just told if something bothered us when we ate it, not to eat it again!! I am 52 and my grand mothers live to be 86 and 90 years old and Mom is still living at 74 and doing as good as she did at 50!!!, so I feel that I have a good 30 to 40 years ahead of me, IF I GET THE WEIGHT OFF!!!! Patty

Hello there Young Lady, I read your story and my heart is going out to you. I too have struggled with my weight all my life. When the Doctor asked me how long I'd been over weight, I said well I am now 38 so about 38 years now. Anyway, Dr. Fang in Phx, AZ is very popular, but there are several here. Look it up on line. Scottsdale, AZ has just opened up a new wish center and there is no waiting as of yet, so get on that so you can get that weight off. Good luck to you Lady, Sincerely, Marsha M. Greenwood

Why, Miss Marsha, thank you for your kind words!! I am searching close to home now and will widen that search as far as I need to to find the help I need!! Thank you for the leads!! And I wish you well on your journey!! You are in good hands here!! Patty

Patty: Just read your post and wanted to let you know that I had the VBG in 97 then a yr later an unplanned pregnancy that was c section. (breach) so of course the weight came back. My sister had the RNY in NOv. 03 and has droped 100 lbs!! So needless to say I called and explained my surgery issues and thought I would have to BEG for a revision but to my surprise they were glad to help, so I have started the process all over, waiting on insurance approval now. (the scary part) but they have been encouraging about that as well. ANYWAY... the Docs name is Dr. Charles Finley, Atlanta GA, phone no. is 404-523-1916. They are all very nice ther and even directed me to a nutritionist and helped me with all the insurance stuff. hope this is of help. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

Sandy, I'm glad you found a surgeon, I will check him out if the one at Eastern Carolina University, Pitt County Hospital can't do it! I am having problems finding a Dr who is willing to take on my insides!! I am really beginging to wonder what in the world that 2nd Dr. did to my insides to make the last surgeon decide he HAD to reverse my surgery and to make 2 seperate Drs, now, decide that my case was "just too complicated" for them to handle!! What in the world did that Dr do!! I know the second surgery never was right and I had lots of problems with it, throwing up and all right from the begining, but even one of the surgeons in the office he was from refuses to work on me!!! I am begining to feel like Frankenstien!!!!HELP!!!!! I just lost $150 to a Dr who said he would consider it and then when I mailed in the money, he sent me a letter telling me he didn't think he could do the job, but he kept my money. Said it was a non-refundable deposit. But he had review my file there at his office from my first 2 surgeries, before he requested I send in the money and then said that from my records he did'nt think he could do my surgery after he cashed my check!! Why couldn't he tell me that without taking my money?? They did tell me I could probably deduct it from my taxes next year to save my reciept!So very nice of him!! Patty

I saw a surgeon today that has only been doing WLS for 1 year, but has been an excelent surgeon for 20 some years. He explained the increase of danger in doing revisions and afterall this will be my 4th surgery in that area!! He said my odds of death will be much greater, that it is 1 in 100 normally(I have heard that and 1 in 200, and I don't know which is correct)but my odds would be around 1 in 50! He explained all the complications that revisions have that 1st timers don't have, but he said, I was in pretty good health and I was young (I wonder what he was looking at, I'm 52) and he deemed me an excelent canidate for the revision. He also said he was not qualified to do my revision, but he would get in touch with Dr. McDonald in Greenville, NC who has done lots of revisions and also teach other Drs how to do the surgery. He is going to send him my chart and share his knowledge of my situation with him and put in a good word for me,AND he is going to set up the appointment! He thinks he can get one sooner than I could on my own!! He really made up for the other Dr, that took my $150 and didn't take me as a patient. I only had to pay my $15 co-pay today and he was really honest with me and is working to help me get the surgery I need!! Patty

hi patty i know how you feel, i had a illeal bypass in 1972 and a reversal in 1987 because of bacteria infections. the surgeon said i would gain all the weight back so he gave me a vbg. i am now very heavy and am 64. I am also looking for a surgeon to help. if i get any info i will share it with you. good luck kathy