Time: 10-11 AM
Location: Centennial Center for the Treatment of Obesity, 2200 Murphy Avenue (Tace Building), Nashville
Moderator: This group is facilitated by Dr. Charles Ihrig and meets on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. We are happy to offer a group just for the guys.

As a reminder all of our seminars, support groups and preop classes have been added to the event schedule on the OH site.

Thank you,

I would advise you to google each surgery, read all you can on the different types, peruse the different forums by surgery type here on Obesity Help, ask questions....  when you meet with him, you should have an idea of what complications can arise from each, and pretty much once you start doing the research, I think a lightbulb moment usually occurs for each person of which procedure they want.  He will go over each with you, and while he won't tell you "THIS is the one you need", he will give recommendations,.  If he doesn't give a recommendation, ask him which type.  He will tell you.

Dr. Houston is a great surgeon, and an easy person to talk to. I  LOVE him to death. Now depending on your bmi, he will discuss with you the different surgeries. Yes, he wants people to be totally informed on the DS surgery. This surgery has different long term aftercare. I believe if your bmi is pretty high he will go toward RNY. He won't do the DS unless you have researched it and know all about the malabsorbtion. Vitamins are a must the rest of your life. It's a great surgery, I was under my goal in 91/2 mths.
He will help you and he will discuss both of the surgeries with you.
You will LOVE the whole staff. They are great. Let me know what you decide. I'm really excited for you, and your decision to have WLS.

i have medicare and it took me 13 years of fighting with private insurance until i became disabled, got medicare and my dr who is my angel who i know has saved my life is Dr, Andrew P Kramer. he is in kingsport, tn Kramer, Andrew DO - Surgical Associates-Kingsport

his phone number is 423-224-5699.. he has a special office behind holsten valley hospital where he does his weight loss surgery stuff and see patients there. i do not know the address you will need to call the office but this guy is a complete angel from heaven and he has had the surgery himself and the fact that he takes medicare shows me he is not in it for the money like Dr. watson in Johnson City, Tn is. i have read on this site that dr kramer has an attitude and no bedside manor but with me he was a sweet angel and understands me and seemed to understand the urgency i had because i have been trying to get the operation for so many years. i did all the classes he required and psych eval and one support group meeting and when i was finished with all that i got a surgery date in less than a week and i thank God for him. i had surgery on march 16th and i already feel better and i have more health problems than i can even list and i have 16 precription meds im suppossed to take. i have bad lungs and a bad heart and this man was brave enough to take a chance on me because he compasionate and he knew as well as i do in another year or so i would for sure be dead from another stroke or heart attack. i was only in the hospital 2 days and i believe if this guy can do laproscopic on me he could probably do it on a whale cuz i was 465lbs 5 feel 3 inches and all my fat is in my belly and upper area..


if this was too much info feel free to edit it. i don't know about medicaid but as of march 16th 2010 he did take medicare cuz he took me :-)

Hey Trina give me a call I lost your number.