Duke Bariatric Program Bariatric Center

My first impression of Dr. Sudan was a good one. He was very thorough. I have no complaints of his staff, however, they are very hard to get in contact with via telephone. Overall it was a pretty good experience. They were willing to work with my appointments, being that I drive quite a ways to my appointments.

Dr. Dana Portenier is the BEST!! He was the speaker at the info session that my husband and I attended in March 2010 and I remember thinking "Wow...he's hot AND smart!" He is a Southerner and that was a huge motivator for me because all Southerners know every happy or sad occasion revolves around food!! He has been nothing short of kind and considerate at every appointment and he even made small talk with my 5 year old son to help explain my procedure and how my recovery would impact his little world. His associate, Dr. Yoo, is also stellar. Nurse Barbara is just the sweetest woman. I am treated like a friend and not just a patient by everyone in their practice. All of my questions were answered and even when I became concerned a few days after surgery, I called the office and had a return phone call in an hour. The office is very clean and well organized, however, sometimes your wait time is a bit long. I attribute it to patients asking lots of questions during the appointment(s) before mine. I love Dr. Portenier's straightforward manner. He gives you the facts and lets you know immediately what is expected of you after surgery. His bedside manner is the tops and I am SO grateful that he is my surgeon. He could be a very arrogant man, but he doesn't let his skills override his desire to truly help people. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Portenier, Duke Center for Metabolic Weight Loss and Durham Regional Hospital. They have all been instrumental in giving me a new lease on life. I would recommend Dr. Portenier and Duke to anyone considering surgery.

Dr. Dana Portenier is a wonderful surgeon and person. I had been thinking about the surgery for about 8 years before taking a step. When I met with Dr. Portenier I was immediately confident in his skills. I was even more impressed with him after reading other patients comments on this website. The office staff is wonderful, kind and caring which makes it a pleasure to go to the office. Nurse Barbara and Admin Assistant Cathy go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and answer any questions you may have. He addressed all my comments and concerns, while making pleasant conversation. The office is always busy, so be patient. I realized if he is taking extra time with the patents before me, he would take the time with me if needed. I sing the praises of the Durham Regional Bariatric office, from the receptionist to the group meetings, I am glad when I made the decision, I was fortunate enough to be involved with them.

I am still sitting in the hospital (post op day 3) as I write this. I have been really pleased with Dr. Sudan and all of the staff at Duke Metabolic. Cathy, his Admin Assistant, called me even on Sundays to get my appointments straight and my questions answered; when some changes came up in Dr. Sudan's schedule she went above and beyond to get me a surgery date that would work with my insurance company rollover (saving me thousands of dollars) and everyone I've had to deal with in the office has been great. Patrick, the nutritionist, has been fantastic, and Barbara, Dr. Sudan's nurse, is very nice. Dr. Sudan checked on me every day and made sure I got all my questions answered very thoroughly, and was really understanding with things I was anxious about.

Update: 8 days postop: this has been the smoothest recovery of any surgery I've had-and this is by far the most major. I have five incisions that are healing beautifully (and look like there will be minimal scarring); the only bruising I have is around the JP drain site, which is also itself just about closed. I've not had any problems tolerating foods, no nausea, and really just the expected incisional pain. As an RN, I have to say this is turning out to be a five-star recovery and I'm looking forward to the rest of the process.

I think he is great. He is very honest in answering my questions. He has a sense of humor which I like.

I was very pleased overall with Dr. Portenier. He is that rare mix of exceptional interpersonal skills and knowledge. On each of the two meetings with him, I found him very personable and down to earth and he took as much time as was needed to answer all of my questions. He is very matter of fact about the risks, benefits, and role of surgery in weight loss. He also discussed in detail the measures they take to try to manage risks during and after surgery. rnrnBecause the Duke program is a fellow training program, at least some part of your surgery and care will be managed by a bariatric surgery fellow in training. The one that was working with Dr Portenier was also very personable and knowledgeable. rnrnThe office staff is very pleasant and helpful, although often very difficult to access on the telephone. It was not unusual to leave messages and wait days for a return call. I'm sure that responses to urgent problems would be quicker, but thankfully I haven't had need to evaluate that.rnrnOverall, I'd rate Dr. Portenier and the Duke WLS program very highly. I have no regrets about using them for this healthcare service.

My first impression was \"Wow, He's handsome!\" Our relationship has been pretty short thus far. I have met with assistants and they have been very friendly. Im sure we will have a better relationship in the coming months.

Very nice & informative. Anwsered all questions. Went over pro & cons of all procedures available. Discussed things to do before surgery (wt loss, shrinking liver). Great bedside manner.
Only problems is long wait for appointments and long waiting time in the office.

My First impression of Dr. Portenier is that he is very thorough and he really did put me at ease. I will see him agian but this first appt. was more him asking about me and the next will be him telling me more about the surgery that I have decided to have. I look forward to our next appt.rnI am very pleased with Dr. Porteniers Office staff they are caring and they smile when you enter and treat you like a person. (NOT a FAT PERSON)If I am not mistaken some of the staff have been throught the surgery themselves so it's nice to have people around that know what you are going to go through and what you have been through. Dr. Portenier and the Duke weight loss center is very thorough, when screening their perspective patients I felt like I was in very capable hands. Bariatric surgery is what he does. The center has a great after care program we are seen of course by the Dr. but also by the Nut. and Pych. at 3 weeks 3mo., 6mo., and 1 year and it is strongly suggested that we come to a monthly support group their at the hospital. I was impressed with the after care they show their patients. The risks of sugery are gone over many times during the process I thought that not only did they give a lot of info on the risks but where very willing at any time to answer any question that I might have had.rnI thought that my experience on a whole was great.

Great Doctor, very caring and concerned.
My impression has not changed I still think he was and is the best of the best.
Good and very accomodating.
I did not dislike anything about him.
He is an awesome doctor and extremly good at what he does. Yes he emphasizes aftercare.
Yes he does have a structured aftercare program.
He is straight forward about the risk and if he feels you are not a good canidate then he lets you know that but they also try to help you so that you maybe able to work towards being a caidate.I would give him a 100% he is awesome. I am very happy with the surgery I could not have asked for better and he has a good bedside manner as well.