Thomas Sonnanstine M.D. Bariatric Surgeon M.D., FACS, FASMBS

I absolutely love Dr. Sonnanstine! From his very first handshake you could tell he was a sincere man and wants only whats best for his patients. His knowledge base on bypass surgery is phenomenal and encourages his patients to choose the right procedure; whether it be lap-band or bypass. The office staff is very informative and they work hand in hand with Dr. S. If you are planning on doing this, you should have Dr. S as your surgeon. The aftercare program is intense but needed. If you want a lax surgeon then don't pick Dr. S. Plan on seeing him for the rest of your life.

When I first met Dr. Sonannstine, I thought he was very laid back and sure of himself. Sure of himself meaning he knows what he is doing, which was reassuring. He & his staff are very caring before and after surgery. He puts everything up front so you know what you are getting yourself into. He is a very good Doctor with both surgical competence and bedside manner, not to mention he is very much a cutie. I have nothing negative to say about him.

Doctor Sonnanstine is a wonderful doctor. My first impression was that he was a warm and caring doctor who wanted to share the good points of the surgery but also wanted to impress all the risks. His Nurse Taran is also wonderful. She is always there to answer questions and if she doesn't have the answer she will get them from the Doc. and get back with the answer quickly. They really have a good before and aftercare program. Overall I couldn't think of anyone else that I would want to help me thru the rest of my journey.

My first impression of Dr. Sonnanstine, "what a great guy". He seems very down to earth, not one of those phony, fake type of surgeons, he is very sincere. His office staff is very helpful and as nice. I've been to many Dr.'s offices where the office staff has made me change Dr.'s, if ya know what I mean. You won't have that problem there, they are very kind. Dr. Sonnanstine sat down and explained everything you would need to know about the surgery and more. He took the time to make sure everything was understood, and even answered all my questions. You can feel free to call his office anytime if you should think of more. I'll let you know more after the surgery!

Dr. Sonnanstine did a very thorough job of explaining what the surgery and the after effects are. He seems very capable and confident.
*Can't believe I didn't update this years ago. Dr. S is the best GB doctor EVER! Once you meet him, you will understand there is no chance anyone else could be better. His gentle direct candor is above reproach, as is his entire practice. This man actually cares about his patients, that doesn't end with the surgery, this is why his patients follow him to the ends of the earth, years after their surgery for follow up. The world could do with a lot more doctors and people in general like this man. He takes pride in his work, and I cannot give more respect and regard than I have for him. He is beyond a blessing to his patients, I can't imagine what my life would have been like had I not found him and his team. If it gives you any clue, when he sadly left St. Elizabeth, it took four doctors to replace him, not that they truly could replace him. My sister went to them just a few years ago, and I can tell you her experience was light years away from mine. She would actually reconsider her journey, whereas mine was one of the best decisions of my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat as long as he was my doctor. I guarantee if he were her doctor, things would be very different for her, but travelling to Columbus was not an option for her.
I would give him a million stars if I could. I promise you will never find a better GB doctor than Dr. Thomas Sonnanstine.

I have met Dr. Sonnanstine on two separate occasions. The first meeting was at an information session held at the hospital where the Tri-State Surgical Weight Loss Center is located. I was very impressed that Dr. Sonnanstine himself, as well as the facilities Dietician presented the session. So many of the people I had talked with that have had surgery said their information session was conducted by an office manager or some other person associated with the office. Having that first contact with Dr. Sonnanstine showed me that he was serious about this practice and he wanted to meet his potential patients from the very beginning of the process. I went into the meeting with many questions and fears and by the end of the information session I was feeling much more positive about the overall process.

I made the next step to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sonnanstine. My mother and husband accompanied me to this appointment and I was very nervous about going forward with this next step. I have done a great deal of research on gastric bypass and I am confident that this is the right thing for me to do, however, my family is not quite as sure. I felt that bringing them with me was a good way for all of us to hear the same information and for all of us to be able to ask questions and get answers in person. The entire office staff was wonderful and I was immediately comfortable with the entire situation. Dr. Sonnanstine commented on remembering me from the information session and welcomed my husband and mother. He made us all feel comfortable from the very start. After asking me about some of my past diet history and talking with me about the current limitations my weight places on my life, Dr. Sonnanstine made a presentation on gastric bypass. Throughout the presentation we were able to ask questions and Dr. Sonnanstine was more than willing to answer them until we felt satisfied. I felt no pressure from him and he was honest and open the entire time. He very clearly identified the risks for complications and death and was frank and open about my personal risks based on my background. I was impressed with his aftercare program which I have heard is lacking in some practices. For me, the reassurance that this doctor will be part of my life many, many years only served to reassure my confidence in him. In addition, as an individual looking toward my first pregnancy, I welcomed Dr. Sonnanstine’s offers to be a part of the entire pregnancy process from start to finish after my surgery and 12 month wait. I feel his expertise will only strengthen the entire pregnancy process with my OB/GYN. I think what probably stood out the most for my mother, husband, and me is the fact that we were in no way rushed through the appointment. I think we have become accustomed to being rushed through doctor’s appointments and Dr. Sonnanstine spent almost two hours with us answering every single question/concern we presented to him. I got the sense he was trying to get to know me as an individual. I left with a renewed sense of confidence although I still have fears. Upon leaving the appointment I was given a packet of paperwork that clearly laid out the next steps and who is responsible for payment.

Overall I am thrilled with Dr. Sonnanstine. I feel he is genuine in his care and other than my fears for the surgery, I have no doubt that he will be a wonderful surgeon who actually cares about me as a person and my family as a support system. His extensive fellowship specializing in lap gastric bypass combined with his phenomenal bedside manners make him a complete package. I would highly recommend him for anyone who is interested in having a surgeon that is dedicated to what he does and cares about his patients. I am making the next step and hope to have a surgery date within the next month. Although I know I have a long journey ahead of me, with the support of this wonderful surgeon, I have no doubt it will be a positive experience for everyone involved.

Hello.
I am 41 years old and I have been considering having some type of weight loss surgery now for nearly 5 years. At first I had heard about the lap band when it first came out and the idea of such a non invasive surgery appealed to me. However after doing a lot of research and with the positive information that I learned about the gastric bypass rny surgery I decided that since I am a type 2 diabetic it was the right choice for me.

To date I have attended 3 support group meetings and I have met with my surgeon once. The staff and the Dr. all seem wonderful, knowledgeable and very interested in they patients they treat. Next week I will have my appointment with the psychologist and the nutritionalist and today I set a tenative date for the surgery barring any delays for insurance approval.

In speaking with some of the other patients from my group I have come to learn that the plans and requirements for each patient varies somewhat tailored to each individual and I thought this was a very important clue in how the Dr and His staff take each persons needs into consideration when designing a program to work for them. It is not a cookie cutter operation and that tells me as a patient that I am in good hands.

I would encourage anyone in the Northern Kentucky or Greater Cincinnati area who is considering having ths proceedure done to at least speak to Dr. Sonnastein before making a choice on what Dr. to choose. I think they will be very pleased that they did.

I FOUND HIM TO BE VERY KNOWAGEBLE, AND WELL TRAINED. WHICH MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE. THE STAFF IS VERY FREINDLY AND MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN TALK TO THEM ANY TIME. ALTHOUGHT THEY ARE NEWLY PUT TOGETHER AND HAVE SOME KINKS TO WORK OUT, i THINK THERE JUST THAT KINKS AND DONT EFFECT THE CARE YOU RECEIVE. yOU SHOULD KNOW YOU MUST FOLLOW THE PROGRAM WHICH MEANS ALL YOUR MEETING, AND IN MY OPINION IS A GREAT THING. THE PROGRAM CONTINUES AFTER SURGERY. I THINK HE DOES A EXCELLENT JOB OF GIVING YOU ALL THE INFORMATION, ALL OF IT. SO FAR GREAT, AND I HOPE AND PRAY THE REST GOES SO WELL.

I felt very comfortable with Dr. Sonnanstine from the first time that we met him. I felt that he definately knew what he was talking about and that he wanted to help me. I did not feel that Dr. Sonnanstine was "in it for the money" like you do with some doctors. His surgical competence and his bedside manner were both wonderful. I would rate him very highly. The office staff (ie: dietician & psycologist) were also wonderful and filled me up with information. After my surgery, while I was still in recovery, Dr. Sonnanstine went out to the waiting room at least 3 times to talk to my wife. A+ surgeon.

The only thing that I can think that may be perceived as negative at all is the fact that Dr. Sonnanstine is a perfectionist - so if you choose him as your surgeon - please be prepared to meet your goals.

Dr. Sonnanstine was very calming to talk to; he took his time in our meetings and talked to me about all my health issues. After meeting with the Doctor I also meet with a Registered Dietician and a Psychologist and the fun part is every week we have group meets. We some 8 to 10 in-group, have become great friends and hope to keep up the meeting on our own. This is a new program but I feel the Dr. Sonnanstine has a excellent background. He is very passionate about his work and not hard to look at.

-RNY set for 9/14/2004!!!!!