Center for Obesity Surgery Bariatric Center

I had my first clinic appointment with Dr R on
12/11/99 and was very impressed with him and his
office. He truly seems to be interested in his
patients (and prospective patients) and also in
helping the morbidly obese in general through
public education. He has a very strict criteria
in place for qualifying for having the surgery
done that leaves 'no stone unturned'. In going
through the steps required you learn about yourself
(you really aren't a failure in life because you
can get/keep this weight off), your family gets
a good understanding of what you are going through
and wanting to do now, and you are required to talk
to at least 10 patients that he has already done
the surgery on to get their opinion of the surgery
and the surgeon. His office staff is very knowledgeable
in the insurance nightmare and willing to help you
in your battle (they also require that you have
a part in this battle, too). I have found nothing
negative in this experience so far. His aftercare
appears to be just as structured and strict as
his pre-op requirements. This is very important
for the patient as well as in collecting important
statistics for the care of the morbidly obese in
general. The risks of the surgery are spelled out
to the inth degree and you are given ample opportunity
to ask any questions that you may have. So far, I
would rate him a 10 out of 10. In working in the
healthcare field for many years as an RN, it is just
as important for you to have faith in your surgeon's
competence as it is for him to have a good bedside
manner. A patient is much more likely to adhere to
the post-op instructions if he/she feels like the
surgeon is "really" interested in the patient and not
just in it "for the money". You also need to feel
comfortable in asking questions of you surgeon and
that you are given the time that you deserve.

Dr Rutledge is truly the most remarkable
surgeon that you will EVER EVER meet.
He is one of the few that actually "cares"
about his patients. He in no ways trys to
rush over anything to just get your business.
He makes sure that you are as educated as possible
before he will perform the surgery. You will
find a great deal of information at his site,
and you can also join the onelist of friends!
We would love to have you join! On a scale of
1-10..This Dr is a 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think dr rutledge was great. At the time

he was very informative about his procedure

and how it was different than any other surgeon

i also liked the support meetings that gave

you some insight on what to expect

This doctor really wants to help obese people live. He is very warm, very caring and very bright. His surgical procedure is the mini-gastric bypass using the BilrothII loop and it is done laproscopically. That means that I can go home and resume my normal activities in two to three days after surgery. It also means that I will have five tiny punctures that will heal very quickly rather than an incision. I can return to work in one or two weeks. Dr. Rutledge's clinics are very educational and very helpful to pre-op patients. He narrates a video of the actual surgery, answers all questions candidly and without fear. We get to visit with other pre-ops, ask him all sorts of questions, see him personally, and spend quality time with post-ops who attend as well. The amount of information that Dr. R provides us before surgery is excellent. All my questions are answered. We stay in touch with his website and an internet mailing list. He responds right away through both. This man truly understands the pain of being morbidly obese. He is a gift from God.

I decided to have Dr. Rutledge do my surgery because of the rave reviews he got from others that had participated in his surgical procedure, Laproscopic gastric bypass. I have only spoken to him on the phone. He immediately put me at ease. He answered his own phone which threw me at first. He had a very light manner and conveyed honest attention to my situation and questions. He anwered all of them completely. He was concerned that I was self pay, but understood that this was my only alternative.
I feel confident that I have made the right choice for myself. His office staff has also been helpful and informative when I call
to ask questions. I am looking forward to the Saturday clinic, before my surgery on Monday, Nov. 15,1999.

What a guy!

He'll give you exactly what you need whether it's support, confidence and reassurance or by standing back and getting out of your way.

His intuition about his patients needs is phenominal!

(From below:)
"Question: Did you have anything negative to say?

No person can be the "best" in all aspects. Completely 100% positive reviews are generally less
informative or even suspect."
Sounds like this person has not yet met Dr. Rutledge!

I found Dr. Rutledge TO BE A CARING,COMPASSIONATE,AND TOTALLY DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL.HAVING HAD SURGERY JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO I CAN NOW TRULY SAY I'VE MADE THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE IN CHOOSING THIS DR.
HIS ACCESSABILITY IS WHAT REALLY IMPRESSES ME,,HE CAN BE REACHED VIA E-MAIL,PHONE,PAGER
AND HE ALWAYS RESPONDS!!!!
HE ALSO INSISTS ON TOTAL EDUCATION OF HIS PATIENTS BEFORE SURGERY,WHICH IS GREAT!
HIS STAFF IS ALSO EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND WILL ANSWER ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
HE REQUIRES CONTACT BY E-MAIL OR PHONE AFTER SURGERY,,KIND OF A DAILY UPDATE,WHICH I FIND VERY COMFORTING.
I FLEW FROM FLA. TO HAVE SURGERY WITH THIS DR.AND I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T "CHOOSE" A DR. BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE.
IN MY OPINION,DR. RUTLEDGE IT ONE OF THE FINEST DR.S I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING AND I'D RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE WHO WANTED TO HAVE THE SURGERY DONE LAPROSCOPICALLY.
EVERYTHING IS TAKEN CARE OF FROM THE TIME YOU SUBMIT TO INS. TO WELL AFTER SURGERY.

My first impression of Dr. Rutledge was that he was a very caring dedicated doctor. He went above and beyond to make sure I understood everything about this surgery.

My impression of him only got better the more I dealt with him.

Dr. Rutledge's staff is very helpful, At the time of my surgery Debbie wasn't with him, but she goes out of her way to help all patients.

Can't say that there is anything about Dr. R that I don't care for. Other than he's a twig! lol

That he is a very compassionate doctor, you don't get alot of that in dealing with obesity.

Dr. R has a great aftercare program that he encourages all patients to follow. Dr. Rutledge wants all is prespective patients to understand all risks involved, that is why he has you contact 10 post-ops, of your choice, so that you hear the good with the bad.
He is an awesome doctor/surgeon!
Both is surgical competence & bedside manner are GREAT!

Very open and caring.Seem very conceredwith his patients.Office staff very nice and caring.He's very detailed and committed to doing what's best for his patients.Aftercare is is a very important part of his.You have to have a detailed plan in place before your surgery.frankly and with a video as wellas a question and answer session.Extremly compentant and though.Both are equally important to me.

I met Dr. Rutledge for the first time on 07-17-99. He is a very kind, gentle, and jolly man. He appears to really care about his patients. His office staff is also very kind and professional. I am looking forward to surgery. I know that I will be in good hands with Dr. Rutledge! He places a lot of emphasis on how to care for yourself post-op. He also makes a point of keeping in touch with all his patients. He makes sure you understand the risks of surgery. I would rate Dr. Rutledge as a 10. He is a wonderful guy!