Dr. Ray???

I was wondering if anyone on on here has used Dr. Ray at foothills weight loss and what your experience was like !! 

I haven't had any personal experiences with him but I have been told by two of his patients that they wouldn't recommend him. Now, people may exaggerate or may have been isolated incidences so i don't want to sound negative or anti-Dr. Ray. But, one of those patients' sons works with me and told me this....

Of course, I love love love my surgeon's office as we all do. Marilyn is active in the WLS community in east Tn...she should chime in here..........

Good luck!

Thanks for the info..I originally saw Dr. Boyce , but wasn't sure if I could come up with the $3000 that my insurance wouldn't pay.. Did your friend have complications or just problems in general?? A lot of my co-workers have used Dr. Boyce also and have wonderful results. I may end up having to change back if I get many more bad reports.

Have you had other bad reports? If so, that should be a sign!

I had to pay the $3000 for Dr. B but it was so worth it to me.

I don't want to get flamed here but i'm just saying what i was told...supposedly she didn't like the aftercare. She's way over a year now and while she is doing very well in her journey, something about she didn't think they put much into the follow up program. Plus she didn't care for Blount Memorial Hospital.....

Good luck to you!! I'm on Dr. B's website as are many others. it's been revamped and there is so much information on there!
www.parkwestcwlc.com

I find it really odd about not much of a follow up program!  We both know what you put into something is what you get out of it lol.   There are so many coming to support groups now, that starting in Oct, we will start having two groups a month instead of one for the RnY.  Also there is a new mentor program where an old timer volunteers and talks with pre-ops, new ops in the hospital, and new post ops, either on the phone or in person.
I am over a year post op and Dr. Ray will still call me himself to follow up on things ( like my recent total knee replacement) ...
So.. I am truly amazed by the statement there is not much of a follow up program...
Now, as far as Blount Memorial Hospital... well, I did not have a very good stay there myself, but I felt it was just incentive to get home!! (in all fairness I must say the problem was not with the nursing or unit but with outside departments that have been corrected now) lol.. and I must say, my girlfriend felt her stay there was wonderful, so to each their own  lol.
Jane

Yes, Dr. Ray is my surgeon.  I LOVE this man.  I am also a retired RN and did much research prior to my surgery.  His skills along with his knowledge are excellent.  The program is ever changing and improving, which I feel is needed in this field.  I have never gone longer then an hour without a call back...hmm actually, when I have called with problems I have had either the doctor or nurse on the phone immediately, except for one time, with a call back.  You are their patient for life, with use of the nutritionists for life also.
My girlfriend had her surgery a few months behind me and had some pretty major complications ( NOT from the fault of the surgeon) BUT caught by him.  I am not sure another doc would have gone to the lengths that Dr. Ray did. 
I think if you came to a support group you will find anyone willing to honestly share their opinions with you.  PM me anytime if you have any questions. Our meetings are the second Thursday of the month.
I know there are many negative things said about my surgeons here on the board but I have yet to have anyone tell me any specifics, though I have asked!  Second hand, he said, she said....hurumph.... I just know MY results with NO complications!

Jane

Thanks Jane , I really appreciate all your info and honesty. I really liked Dr. Ray on my initial visit . He made me feel like I had known him for years. My drawback is not really with him as the hospital. I am a paramedic so I am familiar with the knoxville hospitals but have never transfered anyone to BMH . I have only heard stories about it from school years back.
I asked the question due to I hadn't seen many members with Dr. Ray as there surgeon only Dr. Colquitt so I wanted to find out as much as I could. I am really happy with the staff and Dr. Ray so far. I go for my EGD on monday. I should finish up my 6 mnths supervised weight loss in november and I cant wait..
Again I thank you so much for the info and hope to talk to you again soon..

I was in the same position. I could not come up with $3000. If I hadn't changed dr's I still wouldn't be on this wonderful journey.

These are My feelings and opinions of Dr. Ray and Foothills Weight Loss. The office staff is wonderful.
Dr. Ray is very spiritual. He prayed with me and my husband during my initial consult, with us during my pre-op consult, with me before my surgery (in the pre-op holding room), then before he released me from the hospital. I truly believe that God put him in my life so I can start this journey. I know several people that have used Dr. Ray and all of them are very pleased with his care.

On Blount Memorial, I was very glad to get out of the hospital. I am from Knoxville and had only experienced our hospitals and BMH is very different.

Good luck with which ever Dr you use. But my only suggestion is research, research and then do what you feel is right. NO MATTER what anyone else says. There is always going to be someone who has something negative to say about everything. That is what keeps this world balanced.

Hi,
I am so glad that you are researching surgeons before you jump into something as important as this surgery.  The Knoxville area has 6 bariatric surgeons.  Drs Ray and Colquitt operate out of Blount Memorial, Drs Boyce and Williams operate out of Parkwest Medical center and Drs Matt and Greg Mancini operate out of UT Medical Center.  I do not recommend any one surgeon over another.  Dr Boyce's practice is by far the largest and he is by far the most experienced surgeon, and he and Dr Williams have the most put together aftercare program, hence the $3000 fee.  Drs Mancini are also very experienced and operate out of a teaching hospital with a level one trauma center attached and all of the state of the art equipment you would ever want available to them, but their program is fairly new.  The biggest drawback for Colquitt and Ray is the hospital that they operate out of-not great.  Like it was said before-research, research,, research!  Go to www.hospitalcompare.hhs/gov to compare all three hospitals quality measures for yourself.

Yes, please do your research.....surgeons are like WLS themselves...no one is perfect for every person.

I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

And please, like i said in an earlier post, i have no personal experiences with Dr. Ray just going on what i've been told.