Frank Veninga Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My first impression of Dr. Veninga was good. We spoke in his office for over an hour. He didn't seem rushed at all. He told me he has just begun performing bariatric surgery, he has done 5-6 Roux-en-Y procedures. He said everyone has done very good so far except one women who developed a bowel obstruction and had to have surgery to repair that. I was dissapointed to find that he only does the open procedure.
His staff was very helpful and friendly and said they would do all they could to get my insurance to approve it. His aftercare program wasn't very long term, I would only have to see him 4-5 times after he operated on me, after that he said I would be on my own. He did mention that he wanted to start a support group. He mentioned a few risks associated with the surgery but didn't really stress it to much.
I think surgical competence and aftercare are more important than bedside manner. I want my surgeon to be carrying and understanding but I also want him to do a good job.

01-03-01
I met with Dr Veninga this morning for a RNY consultation. He took time to explain the surgery in detail and compared it with other surgerical options that I had considered. We also talked about life after surgery. I believe he really cares about more than just the surgery. I am scheduled for January 30, 2001! I feel very good about Dr Veninga and my decision.

My first impression of Dr. Veninga is he is very nice. He has a great bedside manner and jokes around some so that you are very comfortable talking to him. His office staff is great. They are very nice on the phone and very helpful. Dr. Veninga went over the different types of surgery that were available for obesity and explained the risks and benefits very well. The only surgery that he performs is the open Roux-n-y at this time. I already knew a lot of the information since I have been doing my research on the internet but he was very informative. He said that he had only done about five or six of these operations so far but has around ten more to do by the end of the year. After talking to him though I feel very confident to let him do my surgery if I am approved.

Dr Veninga was very warm and friendly.
He was incredibly informative. I had another
surgeon previously who had quit and
Dr Veninga was very accommodating and
sensitive to my dismay and insecurities.
His office staff has done nothing but try
to get me in as quickly and professionally
as possible. They are sensitive to the needs
of the obese.
Dr Veninga has an aftercare program that
he is personally involved with. I haven't
been yet but will start after the surgery.
However, it has been designed for those who
are considering surgery, those who are going
through it and those who have gone through
it.
He was very forthcoming about all the risks
involved with this type of surgery. He is
taking extra precautions to insure my well
being.
You must have surgical competence to survive
this type of procedure but you can not heal
well or quickly with out a great bedside
manner. Dr Veninga has shown both of those
qualities. And this has been determined after
researching him and his other patients.
These are my personal opinions. This may vary
with each patient. I don't have all the answers
and I'm sure he doesn't either. But up to this
point, he's been great! I'll let you know
more after the surgery.

He is fabulous and very down to earth. My impression of him is that he loves what he does and he wants to help people. His sister being obese is what actually resulted in him wanting to begin doing RNY. He is strongly emphasizing the great success that I will have. He has told me not be nervous, but I am because I have never had surgery of any tme before with the exception of having my tonsils taken out. He recently start a care group that meets this month of the 21. Of course, I am going to get some support becasue I really am scared.

I liked Dr. Veninga as soon as I met him. I like a doctor with warm hands:) He took his time explaining WLS. He wants to specialize in WLS exclusively. With WLS there is the potential not only to help patients loose weight, but also to heal many of the co-morbidities that WLS patients suffer from. With general surgery, you go in to fix a specific problem, ie. 1 surgery = 1 cure; with WLS 1 surgery = any number of cures depending on the type and number of comorbidities. In short there can be more healing through WLS than through general surgery, and thus a more profound effect on the future health of his patients.
There's not anything about him so far that I don't like. He did mention aftercare, but I have not gotten into specifics with his office about it yet. He did go over the possible risks of surgery and was willing to answer any questions I had. So far I would rate him as excellent, after all I'm willing to place my Life in his hands! I have met many doctors that have been fully qualified and competantly trained in their specialties that had No Bedside Manner, I stay Far away from them! If a Doctor cannot be bothered to show that he cares for his/her patients, I find one that does! I can update info about aftercare once I am post-op.