Jefferson Vaughan Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

Well I am now back to Dr. Vaughn for my surgery, I still have not met him because he is 3 hours away and I handle all my pre op through my pcp. I will update more after I meet him. I am hoping to be a candidate for lap

Dec 20, I Finally met Dr. Vaughan, he is wonderful I attended a lecture at the Jupiter Medical Center, he is very informative and smart. and also he was very funny during his lecture. I feel very comforatble with him. I can\'t wait to get my surgery date

Dr. Vaughn and his office staff were a pleasure to work with. Once he warms up he is great to talk to. I just made him neurotic. He is not use to Loud Jewish women from NY.(lol He has a Bariatric coordinator Johanna who is very helpful and always available to help. They have a support group that meets 1x/month in Jupiter.
Me and a few other people in the PSL area are trying to set-up a local support group. So anyone out there in the PSL area, who is interested in joining, please contact me.
All in all, I was very pleased with everything. the hospital staff was great as well.(Jupiter Medical Center)

I HAD WORKED OUT OF JUPITER HOSPITAL FOR SEVERAL YEARS. DR. VAUGHN IS REGARDED,HIGHLY AS A SURGEON. HE CAN EXPESSS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR AND AT TIMES HE'S ALMOST COMPASSIONATE. HE IS A SURGEON ,AND BEHAVES AS SURGEONS TYPICALLY BEHAVE. HE HAS EXCELLANT STAFF MEMBERS. I NEVER HAVE FELT AS IF I WAS INTERRUPTING. THEY ARE WELL INFORMED,AS WELL. AS FAR AS EXPECTING ANY EMPHATHY,YOU WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED. I'M NOT SURE I FEEL IT IS A SURGEONS' ROLE. HE DID HIS THING. HE PREFORMED THE MECHANICS. I SUPPOSE A GOOD BEDSIDE MANNER WOULD HAVE BEEN A PLUS,BUT A GOOD SURGEON IS MY CHOICE. I HAD ATTENDED A SIMANAR,AT THE HOSPITAL BEFORE SURGERY. DR. VAUGHN WAS THE PRIMARY SPEAKER AND ANSWERED NUMEROUS QUESTIONS.

He is very professional, but CLEARLY defines that role.he is not very nuturing.
His staff is AWESOME especially Carol.He has a very structered after care program , but the wellness center is not very available for people that work.He has a seminar in which he discusses the morbidity rate and covers all aspects, DON'T expect him to be sensitive it is not his nature, He is my HERo though ,,, He is very available and has always personally called me back the same day I call to leave a message . Surgical competence-EXCELLENT... bedside manner ,,, fair , not warm and fuzzy at all , very direct but great at what he does , a good guy basically, I highly recommend him. I started at 386 pounds and he did my surgery laproscopically in less than 90 minutes.

I first saw Dr. Vaughan at an informational lecture all future patients must attend. You can't even schedule an appointment with him until his staff records that you've attended this. Dr. Vaughan is very no-nonsense in his approach. He's very thorough in providing information for pre-op and post-op. It's extremely important to him that his patients understand that the RNY is merely a tool to help us achieve the desired weight loss. His staff was nice. They were more than eager to help with any questions or problems. Dr. Vaughan places great emphasis on aftercare. As a matter of fact, it is mentioned as one of five points patients must agree to when you sign a "contract" (NOT legally binding).He hid nothing concerning surgical risks, either. On the down side, I was disappointed that I couldn't get an appointment with him until 1) my insurance had agreed to the surgery or 2) I coughed up the cash in full. Initially, this put me in a bind and I thought I would have to delay my WLS for another year (or not have it at all). Fortunately, I have some very supportive and FANTASTIC in-laws who have helped make this happen for me.

I attended a lecture of Dr. Vaughan's on May 21, 2001. He was very knowledgeable and seemed to have alot of experience. Attending one of his lectures was mandatory. He also pulled in 2 of his patients that were post-op that worked at the hospital where this lecture was held. They got to tell their view of the surgery and post-op as well as answer any of our questions. They both said they would go thru it again in a heart beat.
My next visit with the Dr. will be on Aug. 8th for all my pre-op stuff. I will let you know about his bedside manner then.
Aug. 8, 2001: Went and met with Dr. Vaughan today as a pre-op for my surgery on Mon. Aug. 13th. He was very nice, and I like his dry sense of humor. Answered any questions and put my mind at ease for now. I am looking forward to gettin this done now. By the way, Dr. Vaughan choosen by MTV, yes, MTV to follow one of his patients pre, post-op, up to six months and this will air sometime in January!! What an honor I thought...and you know I'll be watching!!

SPOKE TO THEIR OFFICE TODAY AFTER RESEARCHING INFORMATION ABOUT HIM AND MY INSURANCE. HIS OFFICE IS SENDING ME A PACKET TO FILL OUT, AND SHE SAID I COULD GO AHEAD AND GET MY PSYCHE EVAL. TO SPEED THINGS UP.
WISH ME LUCK, I HOPE ALL GOES WELL.

I WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF DR.VAUGHAN'S.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2000,HE WAS STARTING TO SCHEDULE THE SURGERIES TO BE DONE IN JUPITER.
I WAS PUTTING TOGETHER PACKETS FOR THE BARIATRIC SURGERIES,I READ WHERE IF YOU ARE OVER 100 LBS OR HAVE CO-MORBIDIES WITH A CERTAIN "BMI" THIS SURGERY COULD HELP ME. I KNEW AT THAT THIS TIME I WAS ONLY 90 LBS OVERWEIGHT,BUT WE SPOKE AND HE AGREED THIS PROCEDURE WOULD ALLEVIATE MY DIABETES. I CONTACTED MY PRIMARY CARE ,ENDOCRONOLOGIST AND MY ARTHRITIS DR'S. THEY ALL AGREED I HAVE THE CO-MORBIDIES THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR SURGERY, EVEN THOUGH THEY THOUGHT THIS TO BE A DRASTIC PROCEDURE.BUT I HAD CONFIDENCE IN DR.VAUGHAN. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT,I TOOK 8 DAYS OFF OF WORK, IN DEC.2000 HE THEN TELLS ME HE DOESN'T THINK I'M OVERWEIGHT ENOUGH AND WON'T DO THE SURGERY, EVEN THOUGH THE CO-MORBIDIES MAKE ME A CANIDATE.I AM DEVESTATED..HE WRITES ME RX FOR XENICAL.MY DIET DOES NOT CONSIST OF A LOT OF FAT,SO THIS RX DOSEN'T WORK FOR ME.I CONTACTED DR.LIEM THEN.HE DOES THE SURGERY BUT NOT LAPROSCOPY ONLY OPEN. DR.VAUGHAN HAS PUT TOGETHER AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM FOR LECTURES, PRE & POST OP.I ATTENDED THESE AND ALSO THOSE OF DR LIEM'S. IN JAN 2001 DR.VAUGHAN SAYS FOR ME TO GET SCHEDULED ACCORDIANLY! I HAVE UNITED HEALTH CARE AT THIS TIME THRU OUR OFFICE. AS THE MONTHS GO BY, I PRESS FOR A SURGERY DATE, TRYING TO SCHEDULE MY TIME OFF AS WELL. THIS WILL LEAVE OUR OFFICE SHORT ONE PERSON.AS TIME GOES ON & ON,I BECOME VERY DISCOURAGED WITH THIS DR'S GROUP,AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB.AFTER I GIVE MY 2 WEEKS NOTICE, HE SAYS HE WILL WRITE THE LETTER OF MED.NECESSITY TO UHC. I'M IMFORMED WITHIN THE WEEK I'M APPROVED AND MY SURGERY DATE IS MAY 22. I HAVE MY PRE-OP AND I NEED TO VISIT THE OFFICE 1 MORE TIME BEFORE SURGERY DAY. HE THEN INFORMS ME HE WILL NOT DO THE SURGERY AFTERALL.CITING MANY REASONS....MONEY BEING THE MAIN ONE.MY GROUP INS.DOESN'T PAY HIM ENOUGH(THIS IS THE HLTH INS.HE BOUGHT FOR OUR OFFICE)HE FEELS HE IS INDIRECTLY PAYING FOR MY SURGURY AND POSSIBLY HIS RATES WILL INCREASE.NEEDLESS TO SAY MY OPINION OF HIM IS NOT GREAT.AND FOR THE FRONT OFFICE STAFF, THEY SEEM TO TAKE A GREAT DELIGHT IS SLURING THE PATIENTS, NOT TO THEIR FACE THANK GOODNESS.I WAS ONLY IN HIS OFFICE 1 DAY A WEEK,THE DAY HE SAW BARIATRIC PATIENTS,AND I ALWAYS TOOK ISSUE WITH HIS FRONT DESK HELP.
OF COURSE,I WAS BEING TO SENSITIVE,YOU SEE.
I DON'T BELIEVE HE HAS A VERY GOOD BEDSIDE MANNER,HE IS AN IMPATIENT DR. AND EXPECTS EVERYONE TO RECOVER QUICKLY AND NOT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SURGERY. HE IS A COMPETENT SURGEON,AND INSIST ON THE LATEST EQUIPMENT,HE PREFORMS LAPROSCOPIS ROUX-EN-Y.
HIS PATIENTS ARE GRATEFUL TO HIM FOR HELPING THEM AND HE LOVES PRAISE. BUT HE CAN HAVE A VERY SHARP TONGUE WHEN UPSET. HE HAS COMPASSION FOR THE PEOPLE HE HELPS BUT SOMETIMES OTHER ISSUES GET IN THE WAY OF THE COMPASSION. WOULD I LET HIM DO SURGERY ON ME NOW? NO I WOULDN'T-BECAUSE OF OUR PERSONAL DIFFERENCES. I THEN CONTACTED DR LEIM AGAIN, BECAUSE I HAD MY AUTHORIZATION FROM UHC.GOOD UNTIL MAY 21,2001. I WAS HONEST WITH MARIA ABOUT WHY I CAME BACK TO HIM AND WHO I HAD SEEN AND WHY. DR.LEIM DOES ROUX-EN-Y ALSO BUT PERFORMS OPEN SURGERY. THE RECOVERY TIME IS LONGER WITH THIS TYPE. I FORWARDED THE INFORMATION TO MARIA, THAT UHC JUST NEEDED THE INFO FROM DR LEIM'S OFFICE AND DATE OF SURGERY AS THE PROCEDURE WAS APPROVED. AFTER MANY MANY PHONE CALLS,FAXING AND DRIVING REPORTS TO THE OFFICE MYSELF. I WAS PUT OFF UNTIL MAY 30TH WHEN MARIA INFORMED ME DR. LEIM WOULD NOT DO THE SURGERY,SHE JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE I HAD THE AUTHORIZATION. I QUESTIONED IF SHE HAD EVER CALLED THEM TO VERIFY AND FOUND OUT SHE HADN'T.I COULD NOT AFFORD TO "COBRA" MY INSURANCE UNTIL I FOUND ANOTHER SURGEON WILLING TO DO THE SURGERY. I ALSO FIND IT TO BE AN ODD COINCIDENCE THAT A SEMINAR IN WASHINGTON DC TOOK PLACE THAT 3RD WEEK OF MAY, WHICH BOTH DR'S ATTENDED. BUT, AS FAR AS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH DR.LEIM,I ONLY MET HIM FACE TO FACE ONCE BUT MY IMPRESSION WAS ONE OF KINDNESS. AND YES I WOULD CONSIDER CONTACTING HIM AGAIN IF MY INSURANCE HELPS TO COVER THE PROCEDURE. I WAS TOLD BY DR.VAUGHAN AND ALSO DR LEIM'S OFFICE, THE SURGERY COULD BE PREFORMED IF I WAS PAYING CASH. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY OR I WOULD BE POST-OP RIGHT NOW. THESE ARE MY EXPERIENCES ONLY AND HOW I PERCEIVED THEM. OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH EITHER DOCTOR MAY HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

Dr. Vaughan is great . He is very understanding and he doesn't judge you in any way . He is always there to answer any questions you might have. He is however very strict when it comes to what you can and can not eat. But then why would you have this surgry if you are just going to cheat. Dr. Vaughan's aftercare program is great as well. They have two support group a month, and Carol the program coordinator is always there to help . I really just can't say enough about Dr. Vaughan or the program I am so glad that he is in the Palm Beach area .

I found Dr. Vaughan on the internet,
and I am so glad I did. I was impressed with his website - it stated the facts and the process - very easy, not complicated like some of the others I have seen. His site also had a welcoming and accessable feel to it - if that makes sense. Basically, I had a good feeling right from the start and that has not changed in the least. For anyone interested, Dr. Vaughan's website is www.surgicalweightcontrol.com.

Carol, the bariatric coordinator is fantastic - it makes such a difference when dealing with someone who cares about what she is doing and cares about working with people - she is the first contact you will have if you choose Dr. Vaughan, and since first impressions are lasting impressions, she was a deciding factor in my choice (of course Dr Vaughans surgical expertise played a big part too - LOL).

Dr. Vaughans program/methods are well organized. The process has been made simple for the patients. He strongly emphasizes aftercare which includes an eating guide/menu and follow-up visits.

I met Dr. Vaughan at a lecture I had to attend, his version of "informed consent". I found him to be very informative and knowledgeable, thorough and detailed. He shoots straight and doesn't sugar coat anything, which I appreciate. He is also quite funny - very down to earth. He took a lot of time answering questions, it wasn't rushed in the least. I was able to speak with a previous patient of Dr. Vaughan's at the lecture, who is a healthcare professional at JMC.

Dr. Vaughan is a highly skilled surgeon (you can read his bio on his website). I also like the affiliation he has with Jupiter Medical Center, (their wesite is www.jupitermed.com - look for Carnie Wilson on the bottom of the home page). Also based on my research, JMC is given a high mark by the Joint Commission. The nursing staff who will care for you in the hospital have special training in the area of bariatric patient care.

Thus far, I give Dr. Vaughan, his program, and his staff a 10. I really do not have anything negative to say at this point - well maybe one little negative, so make that a 9.5. Here was the deal: once you submit your paperwork, a nurse practioner calls you to go over it and then passes it on to Dr. Vaughan and he orders pre-surgical testing based on your responses - the problem was that it just took the nurse practioner a while to call me after I had submitted my paperwork, she was just really overwhelmed with packets to got through and she usually has to spend about an hour on the phone with each patient AFTER she has initially gone through the packet (very important to be detailed and either type or write neatly, it makes her job and Dr. Vaughan's job much easier). Once we were in contact though the ball rolled quickly from there - your insurance is processed after this as well.

I will write again once I am post-op to update with more information, and although I hope and pray that I have no negative expereinces, I'llbe sure to share if I come across anything.

One last thought, Dr. Vaughan does Lap as well as Open, I am having mine done open due to previous abdominal surgery. Although Lap was my first choice, and quite frankly my only choice, after I went to one of Dr. Vaughan's lectures and heard what he had to say, I decided on the spot that I would do open...that is how comfortable I felt with him. Best wishes to all!