Dirk I Rodriguez Bariatric Surgeon

I met Dr. Rod two years ago at a seminar held by one of his patients/staff, Karen Baumann, an RN. Very impressed, however, at the time, my BCBS did not cover WLS. In Sept. May of 2002, I switched over to a different BCBS plan that specifically cover WLS. Made an appt. for Sept. 25. Was approve within two weeks, first try and had a surgery date set, Dec. 17, 2002.
Dr. Rod is all business. He does not pull any punches about this surgery or what is expected of you post-op. Stresses eating right and exercis big time. Like a lot of surgeons, Dr. Rod is very self confident about his skill and abilities. I think these guys are a special breed. Same as jet pilots and car racers. Love living on the edge. He obviously loves doing this surgery and as a result, is very good at it, and knows it. This is fine with me. Rather have someone who is confident and skilled that the alternative.

The in-office physical was not very thorough on first visit, however, pre-op testing,ect is very thorough. Office staff is very helpful. Karen and Judy. Always get back to me with answers to my questions very timely. Very user friendly.

Expect and be prepared for long waits. Dr. Rod is a general surgeon and thus stays very very busy. I think he works about 20 hours per day. Often runs behind schedule due to unforseen surgery issues, but it is a small price to pay. I got used to it and just expect it. Take a good book with you.

Overall rating could not be better. Dr. Rod is very good at what he does. I also think his is very good at post-op care, which if something goes wrong, could be even more important that being able to do the surgery.

He is friendly, but is also pretty business like. Is not going to hang around and BS with you about the weather.

Just as importantly as all the above regarding Dr. Rod is the hospital and the staff at Palestine RMC. Again, top notch. About the most user friendly hospital I have ever been in. The staff are super helpful and will bend over backwards to help anyone, including family. Also, Dr. Rod does so many of these surgeries, that he seems to always have a bariactric patient in the hospital. ICU and floor nurses, and PT folks really know their business and are keenly aware of what Dr. Rod expects and demands of post-op care. Rate them a 10+. HINT: Make sure you room has a recliner in it and take it with you when you move out of ICU. The recliner saved my life. I stayed in it all day and night. If the hospital had not had one, I would have bought one. It was that important to me and my recovery. Hospital beds are just not made for obese folks.

Dr Rodriguez is a no-nonsense serious and focused surgeon. He has a very clear and well-defined protocol that if followed will work. He emphasizes the requirement for both exercise and proper nutrition. While the aftercare program may not be as structured as others, it suits my purposes more than well since I live a considerable distance from his office.
I would recommend Dr Rodriguez without hesitation to anyone serious about weight loss.

My first meeting with Dr. Rodriguez was very comfortable and informative. He was straight-forward, stressed the exercise piece of the "Success Plan" and seemed willing to spend as much time answering questions as needed. He gave me the exact number of surgeries he has performed and made sure I understood all of the risks.

Dr. Rodriguez's staff were fabulous. Karen, his nurse, is so busy...I hope he pays her what she is worth. I wonder though, if there is not just too much for her to handle alone.

01/06/03 - 5 days Post OP. I want to make sure that everyone knows that Dr. Rodriguez's staff ( they've added Ginger, Yea!) is fabulous. Palestine Regional Medical Center Staff deserves a huge reward for all of the love and care plus, all of their knowledge. Only once during my stay did I feel disheartened by one of the staff. It was obvious she did not approve of the procedure and wanted to make sure I knew that she had lost her weight the RIGHT way. Other than that...WOW. I would recommend this small facility to anyone in the world.

So far...so good I was just approved for surgery. Dr. Rodriguez has been good so far. The best part so far is that the doc and I agree and after care behaivor modifcation. The worst...I think the $100 for "weightloss seminar" is BS. I watched a 20 minute tape with 2 other folks considering surgery. Then waited another hour to see the doc. He spent 45 minutes (QUAILTY)time with me and my partner. He answered every question that I had... and the 100+ questions that my family friend,and co workers had sent with me.
That visit was covered under my insurance which has already paid out $216/ plus $10 co- pay for the vist.
All and all ,I have the best doc for me!

Before I even met my doctor, I had some serious faith in him. I read every review I could on him and all of them were the same thing about his personality, skill, ect. So I really felt like I had a good mental take on him.
I was very nervous about meeting the doctor, I have a cloud looming over me that I'm always thinking screams my age. [SHE'S 20, 20 YEARS OLD, CAN'T AUTHORIZE FOR WLS, TOO YOUNG!!] So I was really afraid I would be frowned upon.
When I got to the clinic, the staff was VERY nice, it was a little awkward at first -knowing people knew I was there because of my weight. But as soon as we got situated for the seminar, I found that most of the staff were Post-Op!! Gorgeous staff I might add. That was definately encouraging.
When I finally got to meet Dr.Rodriguez, he was JUST like the reviews had said, very straight forward, stressed the seriousness of the procedure, and the post-op exercise plan. He never started an explanation with "well... hmmm.." it was always direct- Yes, no, or the reason why. Honestly, I still can't think of a question I had that wasn't answered.
He did raise the eyebrow at my age, but more in a caution way than a negative way. Compaired to the most percentage of patients who are older, I have a much longer time to go through things and get off track, even gaining some of the weight back. He wanted to stress this with me, which I completely understood.
He does stress aftercare and exercise. There are numerous in office post-op visits, as well as he wants to know the exercise plan and wants to know that you are DOING it. I have seen the doctor-patient interaction first hand and I am very confident in him as well as knowing his statistics on performing the surgery. I would rate him a 10+. Including his staff- who from day 1, have returned my calls ASAP.

My first impression of Dr. Rodriguez was that her was very straight forward and seemed very dedicated to helping the obese. My impression has not changed over time other than he is very important to my family since we feel that he has saved both my and my husband's lives. His office staff is very diligent in helping with insurance approval and instrumental in making sure we have the appropriate prescriptions and office visits needed. Future patients should know that Dr. Rod is very frank and does not sugar coat your situation and what you will be going through if you elect to have the surgery; there are no surprises. Overall, we feel Dr. Rodriguez is a very wonderful surgeon and recommend him highly to anyone considering any type of surgery that he performs. The staff at Palestine Regional Medical Center is also amazing.

Dr Rodriguez is very blunt and direct. I think he is a very careful Surgeon. He was totally up front with me about his concerns for me having this surgery. He told me that my risks were "enormous". This word really put things in perspective for me. I have decided to try to improve my chances of survival by stepping up my activity levels as much as possible. I am , also, going to try to lose some weight before my surgery date is made. Dr. Rodriguez is requiring me to have a mamagram and pap smear, in addition, I also have to have, clearance from a cardiologist. His office staff is great, they are very cordial and eager to assist you with any thing you ask of them. The doctor and his staff strongly urge and stress to you that you will have to follow a strict after care program. He stresses that exercise is absolutly necessary to insure a sucessfull surgery and weight loss. Over all I found this doctor and his staff to be all that i could hope for, to help me on this quest for good health. I trust, as much as possible, that I will be in competent hands.

When I first met DR. Rodriguez, it was like everyone said he was gorgeous. He was as others said a very caring DR. he answered every question that I had written down to ask him, and he didn't pull any punches, he was great. My impression of him is still the same, if you have problems, call and he will give you an answer with in an hour or two.
He has an excellent office staff, especially Karen, she is the best. She is very through, but if you have any questions she will get back with you asap.
DR. Rodriguez and Karen stress excerise, exercise, and they emphasize aftercare most definetly. DR. R addressed the risks of the surgery that I felt were disturbing to me, he put me right at ease, he did not sugar coat anything which is what you don't want someone to do, sugar coat things.
I would rate DR. Rodriguez and his staff excellent, on a scale 1-10 their a 12.
I think both are great.

Dr. Rodriguez was very professional and friendly. I liked the fact that he was in communication with my primary care physician. His office staff is friendly, but a little slow to get things done with the insurance. They addressed the nutrition and after-care quite well. I would definately recommend him to anyone else.

His office is a drive from NE Dallas County but
I think it's going to be well worth it.