Anyone use Dr. John Alexander in DFW?

Has anyone used Dr. Alexander to do their revision? If so, what did you think of him? I am currently checking out a few doctors to see about getting a revision. I have been to Dr. Barker and he was great. Just trying to make sure I check out more than one before I make my revision decision.

Thanks,
Shawna

Dr. Alexander is an excellent surgeon.  I have not seen him for a revisions but you might look for reviews under his name on this site.  I have heard a lot of good things about Provost and Barker as well as Kim but I don't have feedback helpful regarding revisions. 

Shawna you might post here for feedback 
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/forums/?ID=TR-96565 6682

Dr. Alexander did my revision in December 2010, I have lost 137 pounds.

I loved Dr. Alexander and loved his staff. My biggest complaint was the follow up care and the office wait time. I have a M-F 9-5 job and had to take off work for several hours for follow up appointments. Often times waiting several hours to see him.

I was given the diet of only soup for the first 5 months. Dr. A believes that you should eat soup until you have lost your ideal amount of weight. The logic behind that I question, but I followed it until I started feeling really weak and under-nourished, which was about 4 months out.

Having said that, I do trust his ability to preform the surgery and his staff worked with me on payment more than any other doctor would.

He is worth meeting and I would recommend him as a surgeon, just be prepared to do a lot of your own research.

I have decided to use him for my revision (I am in the process of trying to get approved) but I was kinda wondering what his surgery aftercare was like. We have not spoken about what he suggests for after surgery care. Maybe I haven't had that meeting with him yet, but I thought that it was odd. I don't know that I would want to do the soups for that long. You have the surgery so that you can somewhat be normal (just eat a lot less and healthier).

Thanks for your feedback. I hope that I can have the same exoerience and results that you have had.

Shawna

I don't want to talk you out of using him but I want you to know you are going to need to do your own research on aftercare. At my consultation I asked about the after diet. He told me we would talk about that once I was approved. Well I got approved and didn't see him again until surgery day.

A few days before surgery I called and asked for the post op diet and they faxed me a list of what I would be allowed to eat in the following weeks. I bought everything on the list and thought I was set.

At the hospital some flaky woman came in to talk about my post op diet. I told her Dr. A had already given me that info, she said hers was the hospital recommended diet. Once I got home from the hospital I realized they were totally different. I called the office and they said to eat popsicles and water until I came in for my follow up appointment. At that appointment he told me to throw those papers away and only drink water and Carnation instant breakfast or broth. I have researched the procedure enough to know that was not right.

On my next appointment he told me to stop eating if I wasnt hungry. I am never hungry, I am still never hungry. He told me to not eat anything if I wasn't hungry. He never pushed protein drinks, he never pushed vitamins. He never suggested I go to a dietian. His theory is if you drink all your water and don't eat you will lose faster.

I followed his soup diet for 4 months. I ate nothing but homemade soup. Most was thick like chili and I tried to find recipes with as much protein as I could. I felt bad, I was so tired and weak but the weight was flying off.

After going to Disney World on vacation and having no access to soup I was forced to eat real food. I started feeling so much better.

Yes my weight loss has slowed down but I am happy, healthy and eating right.

Hope I didn't discourage you too much. You have to be informed of what you are getting into. He didn't tell me any of the negative things that wouldn't have changed my mind but I wish I would have known. Please feel free to email me anytime at [email protected] or you can find me on facebook Lori Alfrey

 

I am still planning on using him but I have been reseraching what to eat after the surgery. A total soup diet doesn't sound like something that is going to be helpful. My husband and I have been looking into this and we have found a few diet plans that should help me start with soupd and then eventually lead me to eating solids (like chicken). The hospital that I will be using has a pretty good bariatric guide on their website. I have printed it and will most likely use it as my bariatric bible.

Thank you for the input. I truely appreciate your time and information that you have shared. It looks like he will be helpful for the surgery but aftercare is going to be all on me. That's fine. Having had the surgery once, I know what I need to do. If I need to, I might find another doctor to help me with the aftercare.

If you are anywhere near Arlington Memorial Hospital on the 3rd Tuesday of the month about 6:30, my docs have an open support group! You do not have to have had your surgery there to attend. There is a nurse ( also a wls patient) and nutritionist who run it! Great speakers recipe support and really friendly people!!

Please be careful what you eat after surgery, just any diet wont do. If you dont feel like your doc will take care of you after you might want to rethink your surgeon. The after care is extremely important and how you eat in the first month sets the stage for the rest of your journey!

Keep us up on how you progress!
Meggie

I am having a virgin DS on the 29th, so I am unfamiliar with the revision. That being said. I absolutely love Dr. Stewart in Denton. He does all 4 types of WLS and has amazing post op dieting and help. I did a full hour course on how to eat for the first 3 weeks and will take another course @ 3 weeks out to learn to eat for the rest of my life. Extremely full of information on what ever you choose to do. Definitely the right choice with all I need to go into this WLS and change of life. I would at least give him a call before continuing with someone I wasn't happy with. There are other surgeons out there that are trustworthy.

Dr. Alexander is a wonderful surgeon but he doesn't have a clue when it comes to nutrition.  I have probably studied more about nutrition and supplementation than he has but he id definately great as a surgeon.   You have to get in protien to maintain your lean mass or you will slow your metabolism.  You must have proper vitamin supplementation or you will eventaully have anemia, bone density issues or possible nerve and other issues.  
I had my surgey with him over 13 years ago. 
He left my nutrition to the dietitians who knew nothing about the follow up for this surgery at the time. 

He is a wonderful surgeon and great at revisions but not about the nutrition and followup side.