Doctors.....

Anyone have Dr David Lautz for as their surgeon for their bipass.  If you did let me know i u feel about him?   thank you

I had Dr. Lautz as my bariatric surgeon.  I did lots of reseach prior to selecting a physician.  He is excellent excellent excellent at what he does.  He spent all the time I needed when I went in for visits.  The only draw back for his practice is his office personnel.  The girls that would take me back into the exam room never spoke a word to me.  Im a little over 2 years out and never had a positive experience with them.  They would weigh me and then put me in the exam room, never saying a word to me.  The girls at the front desk are pretty much the same way.  The office manager is somewhat gruff, but incredible at what she does so I dont take points off for her.  Overall, if you are looking for a warm fuzzy environment, dont go there.

My daughter had surg with Sheila Partridge at Newton Wellsley hosp.  I cannot say enough positive things about this place.  Not only is her doctor incredible, but the entire office staff are as well.  Everyone is so committed to their practice and to helping people.  It really shows.  Im actually considering changing over to their practice.  Not sure if they will take me or not.  The awesome thing about Partridge is that you are a patient of hers for life.  If you need anything else surgically done, you go to her.  She always remembers my daughter, and myself when we go and see her.  The hospital experience was completely different as well for her.

Please email me if you have any questions.  Good luck!

kim

I'm pre-op for a revision from Lap Band to RNY.  My LapBand surgeon (Dr.Robinson/same practice) referred me to Dr. Lautz back in June.... when I called to schedule an appointment the next opening was the end of January 2011!!!   So obviously he's a popular/busy guy!!!

While I can't tell you about Dr. Lautz himself I have to agree with the post above.... the office staff isn't that great, thru the years I had appointments at both the Brigham and Faulkner.  My LB surgery was in 2007 removed in 2008 - had both procedures at the Brigham - not gonna sugar coat it... it wasn't a very pretty or friendly hospital. Maybe my expectations were high because it's Boston! 

In my opinion....   a surgeon should be chosen based on his or her overall capability and how YOU feel when you meet with him or her. Not so much the quality of the office staff even though you will all be spending a lot of time together!!

All that being said, I cancelled my 2011 appointment with Dr. Lautz and I'm awaiting my revision at Tufts

I had my lapband done at the Faulkner and the nursing care was terrible...my revision was done at the Brigham and the nurses were fantastic...young but professional...I had several who had gotten their nursing degree at UNH up here in New Hampshire.  I was very pleased with my care at the Brigham and I was in for five days.

Just curious, how do you like your RNY vs LapBand?  My revision date can't get here fast enough!!    I keep referring to the old rules of my dreaded band but am truly trying to prepare myself for an entirely NEW experience!!!

Lets just say the nurses that cared for me at Brigham had gotten their degrees several years ago!!!     As long as my procedures were flawless, that's most important... I can deal with cranky old nurses for a few days (small sacrifice really!)  My band I was in for one night - when it slipped I had it removed the following morning and spent five nights!  The removal was significantly worse to recover from than the original surgery.

I absolutely love it...........such a difference in eating..like night and day.  I could never ever eat anything "healthy" with my band.  I had to have meat removed from my esophogus 3 times at my local hospital.  I really was in denial for a long time...constantly stuck, sliming, developed GERD after about a year.  It truly was a nightmare for me.  I only lost 35 lbs. and gain most of it back due to eating "soft" foods as that is all I could eat.
I eat like a very normal person...I can eat a sandwich, chicken, broccoli, salad, most anything.  Steak is good, chicken, pork chops, but I have a little trouble with meatballs or spaghetti with meat sauce.  Meatballs are so dense...they just don't sit right...I can eat bagels, english muffins, toast, rolls, biscuits.  I don't eat carbs all the time but can indulge...I have lost 117 lbs. I can eat steak tips too!  It's nice to be able to eat meat with no issues, have a nice salad, nice veggies...I feel normal.  I just don't eat like it's my last supper....lol.
I saw Dr. Lautz last month and I had lost 2 lbs. since March and I am over 2 years out.  He was pleased...I am not skinny but am normal sized now...but have panni/stomach...if it was removed I would go down a size or two...at my age I am not interested in another surgery...especially a painful one like this.
Yes, the removal of a band is painful...remove the port, tubing, and the band itself with the port removal being painful due to being stitched to the muscle.

I have Dr Lautz, he came recomended to me by my primary care, i love his office, staff and nutritionists, i guess its what you make of it when you are there, as im always greeted with a smile and i usually have the very first appt of the morning. one thing i will say about the office if you have labs done if you dont hear from them then all is well. i had labs done and never heard anything back and called in a panic and it was explained to me that if you dont hear from them then all is good. he is a very highly recomended surgeon and has a great record. i did alot of research on him and asked him loads of questions when i had my initial appt.

Dr. Lautz is an excellent surgeon....I absolutely love him!  I had two WLS with him a lapband in June, 2006, and then a revision to RNY in june, 2008.  I travel 90 miles one way to see him...he has a lot of patients from up here in New Hampshire that I referred to him.
He also is a surgeon that takes on "difficult/troublesome" problem cases that other doctors won't touch....that is pretty well known.
I have had no problems whatsoever with his office staff...they are professional and not too much chitchat but he has a very, very busy bariatric practice and also does bariactric research one day a week.
I wanted a doctor that had top notch and I mean top notch surgical skills and he fit the bill.  He's quiet, soft spoken, and listens well and explains things well.
If you need warm and fuzzy and a doctor to hold your hand thru the whole process I would suggest looking elsewhere.

i do have Dr lautz as my doctor he has been since 2004. he is a great doctors he did my lapband and in january im the band taking out and doing the bypass.... i lost almost 100 pounds on the band but after 6 years i put 40 pounds back.  so im having the conversion on january 25. im very nervous about it and hope that everything goes well... but im hoping i do well with the bypass and lose alot more weight then with i did with the band and alot less problems....

I didn't realize that you were already a patient of his....then you know he has great surgical skills.  You will do fine with the RNY...he has done a fair amount of revisions from lapband to RNY the past few years.  Most were his patients although he has done two revisions from lapband to RNY that were not his original patients.
I lost 23 lbs. the first two weeks with the RNY when it was only I think 16 lbs. with the lapband....the weight came off effortlessly.  And I am not a spring chicken...I was 53 years old when I had it done...probably his oldest revision patient...maybe not I met a lady in his office in September that was having a revision and I think she was older than me.
Some of his patients that had revisions initially lost 100+ lbs. too with the band then started having GERD or mechanical issues.......so they haven't all been failures.
Everyone's eating is different with the RNY...one person can eat something and another person can't.  My regional manager can't do beef so no steak, steak tips, etc. for her but yet I can eat it fine.  I am cooking a big beef roast in my new crockpot today and will add potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms for the veggie part.  I will have nice leftovers for during the week.
I have a sweet tooth...always have and yes I can eat sweets....I don't dump on most things....lol.  But cheap ice cream kills my stomach...Panera Bread toffee cookies made me dump really bad last year...I only ate one as I went with my daughter to get lunch there one day and she wanted a cookie so I got one too...I haven't had one since.  It probably had too much sugar and fat/oil combined...the paper bag holding the cookies got grease spots on it....never again!