The Kane Center Bariatric Center

I knew right away I had come to the right place. He has an excellent bedside manner. He always takes his time with his patients and explains things. You can tell he really care about what he does. His staff is great. In my opinion you couldn't go wrong with any of the surgeons there.

Dr. Rantis is great. I am shy with new people and Dr.Rantis made me feel very comfortable. I have never had a problem getting an appointment or seeing him; he always returns my calls. 6 months after surgery I experienced abdominal pain and he got on it right away to discover I needed to have my gallbladder out. He didn't make me wait or make me jump through hoops. He took care of me right away. I have left Illinois and moved to North Carolina. But I will fly back once a year to see Dr. Rantis.

Dr. Guske is very friendly and approachable. He offers information freely, and enthusiatically yet with all seriousness discusses the procedure, the risks and the expectations. My sister is a surgical nurse who has worked with Guske and the Kanes (Weight for Life Surgical Group), and she recommended this group. I feel I will be in very good hands.

September 28, 2004. Almost two years post-op. Dr. Guske is still a most wonderful surgeon. Both as a surgeon and as a decent human being. He did a great job on my surgery. No complications whatever. I credit Dr. Guske with turning my life around. I would highly recommend him. Thank you Dr. Guske!

Dr. Kane Jr, is a very soft spoken person and very pleasant. I had my appointment at 9:00 PM. Everyone in the office was very friendly, even though they were all ready to go home for the day. Dr. Kane answered all of my questions completely and politly even though it was so late into the evening. Because this is a revision he questioned me carefully to make sure this was indeed something I wanted to go through again. He explained to me everything that was going to be different from the gastroplasty and I would have to be much more disaplined. He explained to me the importance of the support group and becoming an active member. Dr. Kane Sr. did my gastroplastly and his son is just as sweet and caring. Would recommend Dr Kane, Jr. to everyone!

Dr. Guske is a kind and patient man. I liked him from the minute I met him. He takes his time answering every question you may have and he doesn't rush you out of the office like some Dr's do. I let him know that my experience in the hospital was not up to the standards that I was expecting. He was a very good listener and he really seemed genuinely concerned, and also willing to take the steps to make things better for his future patients care. I know he did an amazing surgery on me, because of the way I have recovered. He had to remove my gall bladder during my RNY and I can honestly say I have no idea where he took it out. My scarring is so minimal and I am only one month post op. In a year, you will never know I even had surgery at all. I appreciate the skill and care that Dr. Guske has shown me and I would call on him again if I were to need any kind of surgery again. My referral of Dr. Paul Guske is A +.

Judy H. Portman

He was very caring and answered all my questions. He also answered some questions I did not know I had. He seems caring yet professional. Only thing that is making me a little nervous is that he is relatively new to this practice. I'm looking at that as a positive though...he wants to make a good name so he's going to be extra thorough! He addressed all the risks and also all the benefits. I'm excited to go forward!

Dr. James Kane (Sr.-his son James Kane, Jr. also is a bariatric surgeon) is a kind, friendly man. He is a senior citizen, but full of energy and very busy. He is not too busy to call you back if you have a problem or question. His staff is pleasant and helpful, too. I recommend Dr. Kane because he listens, and is obviously very competent at what he does, which he's been doing for 40+ years. Kane has a solid before and after-care program. Before-care includes a visit with a dietician at the hospital where your surgery takes place. He also has you see a sleep specialist (pulmonologist) to be checked for sleep apnea and respiratory health in general. The pulmonologist gave me a machine to sleep with (overnight) to monitor my respiration. Then Kane has you visit a psychologist for a full personality screening test and one-on-one interview. You must meet at least once before surgery with the psychologist-run support group that becomes your after care group. This after care support group costs $10 per meeting, every two weeks, plus a workbook (optional) for $20. Kane also has you get an upper GI x-ray and an ultrasound of your gall bladder.

Kane is associated with a group called Weight for Life (www.weight-for-life.com). They helped me get insurance approval. They instructed me to gather my medical records, and they gave me a written survey of my weight and dieting history. They sent the surgery request letter to my insurance company, and got an approval on the first try. Weight for Life sponsors the after-care support group, and they give weight loss surgery informational seminars. If they work with a surgeon in your area, they can hook you up.

What I did that departed from Kane's standard after-care was to see his dietician AFTER surgery on my own 6 months post-op. This was not cheap ($80), and not covered by insurance. The dietician was VERY helpful in establishing an eating and nutrition plan and a weight goal. I wish that an 'after visit' with the dietician had been included in the plan, but at least I knew the service was there, and they were familiar with WLS patients, and Dr. Kane's patients in particular.

Overall, I'd recommend Dr. Kane Senior highly. I have no experience with Dr. Kane, Jr., who is a partner in practice with his father. I hear he is excellent, tho. I've seen Kane, Jr. speak about the surgery and he is obviously a very dedicated professional.

One comment I'd like to make at the 5.5 post op mark is I believe your pouch does expand. Mine has doubled in capacity since surgery. Also, you CAN gain weight if you bottom out and stop eating and exercising properly. You've got to keep your diet and exercise going. It's a simple equation, do it and stay slim, stop and start to gain. You may not gain a lot, but it happens. So if you're planning for this surgery, don't ever think you can 'relax'. You will always need to be vigilant about what you eat and how you exercise. It will become your lifestyle (with plenty of room for other things). But slacking off will be rewarded with a slack body.

Dr Guske was very kind. I was very comfortable with him.

His office staff was very helpful.
My Insurance company was contacted and my surgery was approved within one month. No problems.

The part I liked least...was the hospital. I was stuck in revcovery FOREVER!

Aftercare is good, I did not have any complications...

Dr. Guske was great

I met with Dr. Guske on June 21, 2004. I did have my consultation re-scheduled 3 times so that was rather frustrating. But it all worked for the best anyway.

He was very nice and down to earth. He made me very comfortable with the procedure. He talked a bit about all aspects of the procedure and just strengthened my decision to have this surgery. He did not try to over-sell this and made sure I knew the risks.

Also, that I need to take advantage of this tool and to not think that this is a magic pill that will do all the work. I am grateful to have him as my surgeon.

After 3 surgeries over the past year and a half, I totally trust Dr. Guske. He has always made me feel that all of my questions and concerns are valid and should be addressed. One thing that has always impressed me about Dr. Guske, is that he always has time for his patients and makes sure that they understand everything about their health and procedures. I am at a point where I am looking at some plastic surgery, and feel confident in all of the help that I will receive from Dr. Guske and his office. Dr. Guske has a great bedside manner and I feel completely confident in his surgical competence.