Duke Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery Hospital

Dr. Dana Portenier is a wonderful surgeon and person. I had been thinking about the surgery for about 8 years before taking a step. When I met with Dr. Portenier I was immediately confident in his skills. I was even more impressed with him after reading other patients comments on this website. The office staff is wonderful, kind and caring which makes it a pleasure to go to the office. Nurse Barbara and Admin Assistant Cathy go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and answer any questions you may have. He addressed all my comments and concerns, while making pleasant conversation. The office is always busy, so be patient. I realized if he is taking extra time with the patents before me, he would take the time with me if needed. I sing the praises of the Durham Regional Bariatric office, from the receptionist to the group meetings, I am glad when I made the decision, I was fortunate enough to be involved with them.

I am still sitting in the hospital (post op day 3) as I write this. I have been really pleased with Dr. Sudan and all of the staff at Duke Metabolic. Cathy, his Admin Assistant, called me even on Sundays to get my appointments straight and my questions answered; when some changes came up in Dr. Sudan's schedule she went above and beyond to get me a surgery date that would work with my insurance company rollover (saving me thousands of dollars) and everyone I've had to deal with in the office has been great. Patrick, the nutritionist, has been fantastic, and Barbara, Dr. Sudan's nurse, is very nice. Dr. Sudan checked on me every day and made sure I got all my questions answered very thoroughly, and was really understanding with things I was anxious about.

Update: 8 days postop: this has been the smoothest recovery of any surgery I've had-and this is by far the most major. I have five incisions that are healing beautifully (and look like there will be minimal scarring); the only bruising I have is around the JP drain site, which is also itself just about closed. I've not had any problems tolerating foods, no nausea, and really just the expected incisional pain. As an RN, I have to say this is turning out to be a five-star recovery and I'm looking forward to the rest of the process.

I can't say enough great things about the staff on 6-3. They are responsive and provide the highest level of care. They are top-notch.

I think he is great. He is very honest in answering my questions. He has a sense of humor which I like.

I was very pleased overall with Dr. Portenier. He is that rare mix of exceptional interpersonal skills and knowledge. On each of the two meetings with him, I found him very personable and down to earth and he took as much time as was needed to answer all of my questions. He is very matter of fact about the risks, benefits, and role of surgery in weight loss. He also discussed in detail the measures they take to try to manage risks during and after surgery. rnrnBecause the Duke program is a fellow training program, at least some part of your surgery and care will be managed by a bariatric surgery fellow in training. The one that was working with Dr Portenier was also very personable and knowledgeable. rnrnThe office staff is very pleasant and helpful, although often very difficult to access on the telephone. It was not unusual to leave messages and wait days for a return call. I'm sure that responses to urgent problems would be quicker, but thankfully I haven't had need to evaluate that.rnrnOverall, I'd rate Dr. Portenier and the Duke WLS program very highly. I have no regrets about using them for this healthcare service.

My first impression was \"Wow, He's handsome!\" Our relationship has been pretty short thus far. I have met with assistants and they have been very friendly. Im sure we will have a better relationship in the coming months.

Clean, hospitable staff- great stay.

Very nice & informative. Anwsered all questions. Went over pro & cons of all procedures available. Discussed things to do before surgery (wt loss, shrinking liver). Great bedside manner.
Only problems is long wait for appointments and long waiting time in the office.

Wonderful nurses and caring staff. I was very pleased with my stay.

Everything went according to clockwork. From the pre-op tests to leaving the hospital. The staff was very competent and the bedside manner of all those who took care of me was great!