Wharton Medical Clinic

 Hi,  I have six friends who have gone to the Wharton clinic,  five are struggling and one has lost 160 lbs in the past fifteen months.  It is certainly an option but you have to be really committed to the program, I hear.  Good luck!

I was referred to the Wharton Clinic in Hamilton by my family doctor. I asked for a referral for Gastric Bypass Surgery and my family doctor said.. the only thing he could do was to refer me to the Wharton Clinic and they could recommend me for Gastric Bypass Surgery.. (Sadly my family doc didn't know that he could have referred me directly)

I was not impressed with the Clinic.. But then I was frustrated because I wanted surgery NOT another friggin medically supervized diet.. They put me through a ton of tests (some of which the St. Joe's was able to use for my surgery) but basically I had to drive from Cambridge to Hamilton every week. I'd sit in the very busy waiting room until my name was called. They weighed me, took my blood pressure AND did an EKG. There must have been 15 or 20 staff there AND Dr. Wharton had opened up another centre in Burlington. I met with a 12 year old nutritionist who was disappointed because I hadn't filled out my diet sheets (again.. I was so fed up with diets that I wasn't interested in counting calories etc). 

I met Dr. Wharton on my first visit and was up front with him. I told him that I really wanted surgery, that I'd done the diet thing successfully several times..but always gained it back.. He told me I was an excellent candidate for surgery. I told him that I had visited the clinic in Yipsolanti Michigan but would prefer to have surgery in Canada. He told me that the weight times in Canada were only a few months..  I attended his clinic for several months, jumped through all the hoops and finally got my referral in August 09.

I didn't hear from St. Joe's until January 10. and had my surgery April 30 2010.  It was suggested that my sugery would be fast tracked if I came through the Wharton Clinic,, but my wait time was pretty much the same as those referred by their family doctors.

Everyone at the clinic seemed to be scrambling. It was so busy that they didn't have time to breath. I was not impressed with Dr. Wharton who seemed a bit scattered. At one point he said there was a slight problem with my heart. I went home and looked it up. (something to do with the valves). I asked my wife (RN) and I was really surprised to hear this for the first time in my life and surprised by the fact that he just mentioned it in passing.. no treatment or testing ordered.  The next time I saw him..I insisted that he explain this heart problem that he mentioned and he fitzed around with his computer screen and then declared.. OH , my heart was fine..

Their computer systems were always causing problems and they spent more time looking at their screens than they did speaking to me

OK.. so you get my point  I was not impressed... but I must again make the disclaimer...that I was not a willing participant. I had been through a medically supervised weight loss program several years earlier in Kitchener and lost 100 pounds. It cost me a fortune and was NOT covered by OHIP or my insurance plan.
J

A very detailed and informative answer (and honest!).  Thank you for taking the time, John!  There are so many clinics, and some are good and some aren't.  It's tough to choose, but this site helps a lot!

 Check out www.ratemds.com and enter his name.  Lots of opinions to sift through... 

I thought I saw Dr. Wharton's name in the forum before. It sounded familiar when my family doctor mentioned him today.

My doctor suggested referring me to him, and he had mentioned that they also focus on cardiology. Reading an earlier post about how he said there was a heart problem when there wasn't.... I'm not so sure now.

My doctor said he had referred two patients to the clinic and that they were very happy with it. I read the reviews earlier on the RateMD website, and they were pretty mixed.

I do trust my doctor. He didn't put the referral through yet. He suggested that I think about it a bit, do a bit of research and see what I think. I like that he's putting the power in my hands, basically. He did say that they were tough, but they pretty much have to be.
 
So he wants me to talk to him again soon and let him know if I want the referral. I will just let him know that I will accept the referral and at least check out the clinic.

I'm concerned by the comments that Dr. Wharton is rude and condescending. Some people seem really happy, some don't. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky happy ones? LOL. One can only hope. It can go one of two ways, and if I do what I have to do and if it still goes bad, I won't go back. I have to at least try. Who knows? It might turn out okay in the end.

I'd get back to your Doc and tell him it will take a year for the WLS process, and you might decide not to do it- so why not send the papers- and see Dr. Wharton to keep him happy.

I went to the Wharton in 2009-2010 and lost  20 lbs and did very well.  I fell ill in 2010-2011 and did ot continue.  I gained all the weight back.

I Now started agian in June 2012. It is very hard and you need to be committed.  I think no one should expect a fuzzy warm reception from anyone, We all have personalities and let's just live with that.  (I say this because of some comments I read above).  I am 50 yrs old and my weight is now 208 lbs. Although this is not an easy program I intend to stick to it until I reach my goal of 160-170 lbs.  It gets annoying to loose a lot of time waiting and waiting but I honestly think it;s worth it.  No one should expect others to do miracles for you,  Ultimately, it is your choice and we must put silly expectations (like expecting someone to be nicey nicy to you) aside and firmly beive that you can do it.  I guess it;s the same for any program.  I am very satisfied with the information they give you and like I said no one  is going to hold your hand and cry, They are tough.  But it works :)  Good luck.

I have been going there for over a year now and have lost 80lbs and it is staying off and I am not hungry.  They teach you the difference between good and bad foods etc.  Its not a diet it is a change of lifestyle and it is worth it.

Hi

I have been watching the other posts about the Wharton Medical Clinic, and am saddened.  I was just short of 330 pounds when a doctor at a clinic referred me to the clinic.  I had yet another lung infection no doubt caused by the growing pressure on my chest from all the extra weight.  

I too had tried dieting before and had little success, and was frustrated by complications of hypothyroidism which had at one point helped me gain 80 pounds in three months.  Things like that are devistating.  

But by far the most damaging things that happened were my own doing.  No one but me put that food in to my mouth or made me drink wine by the bottle.  

I had for about two minutes thought of surgery, but when I went to the clinic, that thought was gone.  I was led to believe that if I tried hard enough, the weight would come off and it has.  I have lost over 120 pounds in two years and am feeling great!  I now understand that it doesn't matter if I am prone to obesity by my family history or whether I am big boned as my mom told me as a kid.  I am in control of my life, my weight, my health.  

I will be 48 next month and can honestly say that for the first time in my life, I now get it.  It is my responsibility  to eat well, exercise and take care of myself.  

I find it annoying that the Canadian government will pay for people to have bypass surgery but will not cover the removal of skin from my stomach after all the work I have put in.  It also annoys me when people just give up and say screw it, I want surgery.  Its a lazy way out, no doubt about it.  

I had so many health issues my doctor said I was literally killing myself with food, and gave me to the age of 50 if I didn't change my habits.  I did change and don't regret anything.  

The Wharton Clinic made is easier, and supported me all the way.  I am still in the clinic going in to my third year, and hope to finish this year.  You get out what you put in and that includes your own body.  We have become a largely lazy society, looking for the easy way out.  I don't regret my choice to save my own life and I thank Dr. Sean Wharton and his staff for helping me make it happen.  

That's a good idea. I might consider doing that...