Paul O'Rourke Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.
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It has been two years since my gastric bypass surgery. Dr. O'Rourke was supportive and nurturing since the first day I met him! Each time I saw him, he was encouraging and positive and I looked forward to my peptalks. He was my cheerleader throughout this experience, as was his entire office staff. With Dr. O'Rourke, aftercare was not an option. It was merely understood that I would be consistent with my aftercare and aftercare visits. And I did. He was very honest about the risks I was about to take with my surgery and the risks involved following surgery if I didn't follow the eating recommendations, etc. Overall, on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest), I would give Dr. O'Rourke an absolute 10!!!! I would recommend Dr. O'Rourke to anyone in the Southern Colorado area! He was EXCELLENT!!!!! Thank you, Dr. O'Rourke!!!!
I met with Dr. O'Rourke on November 6, 2002 for my initial consultion. I found him to be very knowledgeable, patient, and informative. Because I am a high risk patient, he is being very cautious and I will have to have additional tests and procedures done before surgery. While it is frustrating to have my progress towards surgery slowed down by these additional procedures, I am grateful that Dr. O'Rourke is trying to make sure that I have the best outcome possible. He stated that out of 1300 patients, they haven't lost one. I told him that I didn't want to be the one to do it and break his winning streak. We got a chuckle out of it. He wants to make sure that you know that the surgery is only a tool. It is only good if it is used as intended. Therefore, you are required to consult with a pscyhologist and nutritionist prior to surgery. They are an out of pocket expense that you should be prepared for. The cost is $517 for the two combined. This pays for a year long aftercare program. So far, I'm very pleased with Dr. O'Rourke, but I feel that his nurse Barb needs help. She is overburdened with the case load of patients. I think she is very nice, just way toooo busy!
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7-24-02
I met Dr. O'Rourke today and was very happy with my choice of surgeons !! His staff was very professional and made me feel like I was their only concern at that moment. They also made me feel very comfortable considering why I was there. Basically for once in my life I didn't feel embarrassed by my weight. He is very patient and takes his time to answer ALL questions that you may have. He also explains things in ways that the average person can understand. During the entire time I was with him he gave me the good and bad about everything so that I could make an educated decision. He explained that he would not try to talk me into have the surgery because it would have to be my decision. His office has done over 1300 surgeries and he has done over 500 of those with NO DEATHS !! He went over all the risks associated and gave the national percentage for those happening as well as the office percentage. The aftercare program is wonderful. You have full use of the nutritionist and therapist for a year at no additional charge. He makes you feel very comfortable and not ashamed of yourself. I look forward to working with him and feel very good knowing he will be helping me become the person I have never known.
My surgeon is doctor O'Rourke from Colorado Springs Surgical Associates. He was wonderful during my consultation. He took plenty of time to answer my questions and filled me in on info that I hadn't even thought of. I was initially overwhelmed with all the requirments for surgery (testing) and I felt comfortable calling the office and asking questions from the staff. My calls were always returned in a reasonable time frame and they were really understanding about my situation.
The doctor spent alot of time discussing after care with me and emphasized how important it is to be successful. I had my mother with me for my appointment because she underwent the procedure 20 years ago with the same office and had alot of questions about how things have changed.Dr O went over all the risks and benefits with me and I felt was completely honest regarding everything. I will update more post op but so far I am very pleased with my surgeon. The only unpleasant thing I felt was the time it took to get an appointment. I know that he was busy but as you can imagine, I was really anxious to get things started and when I scheduled my consultation, I had a six week wait just to get the ball rolling.
We had our first meeting with Dr. O'Rourke and his staff on the 26th of September and it was great, My wife and I are both going thru it together and he took his time and answered all of our questions, I was very impressed with his demeanor and the "warm fuzzies" he projected.
Dr. O'Rourke seemed like a very kind, compassionate man. He presented the information in an "easy to absorb" manner and listened to any questions or comments my husband & I had. He was very enthusiastic about WLS and it's benefits, but also brought up the possible complications and stressed that this was a tool for weight loss, not a total solution.
I spoke first with a staff member, Marilyn. She walked my husband and I through all of the pre/post operative process. She was very nice and presented the WLS information well. I had done a lot of research on my own, and Marilyn's presentation was a good confirmation that there is excellent information on the web. We discussed the insurance/money side of the procedure as well.
I traveled 1 1/2 hours to go to Dr. O'Rourke and would recommend him to anyone. He does practice with other doctors who perform the surgery and I'm not informed about any of the other surgeons. From what I understand they assign on a rotating basis, so I was very fortunate to get Dr. O'Rourke.
It is now 6 days post op and I still have wonderful things to say about Dr. O'Rourke, even though I'm still hurting. He's got a great reputation with hospital staff and has excellent beside manner. I felt the follow-up information he gave was fine and look forward to seeing him again in 2 weeks. I was disappointed in the hospital itself though. I don't want to take away from the nurses, CNA's and houskeeping staff that did an excellent job, but I had to ask for toilet paper to be filled twice, ran out of paper towels in the bathroom and had to ask to get those refilled and didn't even get a box of tissue until my last day in the hospital. And that was on a weekend when I was told they didn't have many patients. I haven't been in a hospital for quite some time, so maybe that is the standard now...I don't know.
He is a very nice man. His office staff is great! You have to commit to a life time aftercare program which includes office visits, nutritionist help, and therapy if needed. He did discribe all the risks and benefits. He was very pacient and let me ask all the questions I wanted to and answered them all. I will up date again after my surgery.
Dr. O'Rourke is an excellent surgeon, very compassionate, and understanding of the fact that obesity is a medical problem, not a personal weakness. He is very kind, and takes the time to talk to you. All the staff at the hospital said he was excellent; the very best I could have chosen, and they were right! His office staff, especially Marilyn, were very helpful, explaining everything, including the risks and costs, and answering all my questions. Marilyn let me know about a gastric bypass support group and gave me phone numbers of other bypass patients who volunteered to speak to anyone about the surgery. His office requires several meetings with a nutritionist (one time before) and after surgery, an exercise program starting when you're ready after surgery (about 6-8 weeks), and a visit with a psychologist before surgery to make sure you don't have unrealistic expectations or reasons for wanting the surgery. I found this program to be a good way to learn the importance of new habits of eating and exercising, as well as providing support during the process.