Obesity Surgery WP Blog

You say that several bariatric surgeons speak out against the MGB for several
reasons. True: but they also speak out negatively about other types of weight
loss surgery too. Usually any of the ones that they do not perform!
You claim that Dr. R makes claims that he cannot substantiate. False: he
gives all his reference for where he has gotten in facts but you need to read
the whole article.
You say that the MGB is nothing more then the old style loop bypass and that
it causes cancer, severe malnutrition, and etc. False: there have been no
such studies that have found anything of the sort! It seems you are
misinformed and obviously are not a close follower of the MGB. The truth is
that any WLS can cause cancer and malnutrition.
BCBS of NC will not cover MGB surgery. True: And one of the biggest reasons
they will not cover the MGB is because ONE, there currently is not a medical
“code number” specifically for the MGB, only for the RNY which is the most
popular surgery today. TWO, with Dr. R performing the MGB in NC, there is a

huge out cry of BCBS patients that want to have the MGB done. I think BCBS of
NC probably feels a little over taxed with fat people wanting to be thin?
THREE: There are many many other insurance companies that will “NOT COVER”
WLS “OF ANY TYPE” either. So does that mean then that WLS in general is
“BAD”?
Dr. R’s hospital banned him from performing surgery. True: he was banned
after a woman named Linda Thompson who was also an attorney, was pissed off
because she had some of her hair thin after she lost her weight.
Dr. R is a doctor without a place to practice. False: YOU ARE SO ALL WET ON
THIS ONE. Dr. R underwent a brutal 8 or 9 month “FULL INVESTIGATION” and has
been given full clearance to perform the MGB again.
You say that based on everything you have hears that you would NEVER
encourage people to have the MGB. My opinion is that, needing surgery to be
thin stinks no matter which surgery you have. THEY ALL HAVE RISK AND BAD
CONSEQUENCES. I would never slam one surgery over another and I would
encourage others to do what is best for them surgery or not. And you are
right, a person should take into consideration everything others say about
any of the types of surgeries out there. And if you do you will probably come
to the same conclusions I have and that is “none of them are perfect.”
You say that Dr. R does follow-up via e-mail. True and False: Some follow up
care is done by e-mail due to the fact that many of his patients “out of
state” and are not able to travel every 2 months back to NC to have a face to
face visit. This is not unlike other patients that have specialty WLS
performed out of their own state either. I believe that Dr. R requires at
least one face to face visit after the surgery but for convenience sake
follow ups can be done via e-mail, mail, telephone, fax, or whatever the
patient and their PCP choses to do and are required to do.
So FYI, I am not a patient of Dr. R. But I did do at least 2 years research
on him thru both his web site and by e-mails to his patients. I found that
Dr. R was way more picky and restrictive regarding his practice and
procedures then any other physician I inquired about. For me personally, all
that 10 patient letter writing, long lists of pre and post op meds., long
lists do’s and don’ts before and after surgery, family history, family
support letters, all that was more of a pain in the ass then anything else. I
don’t understand how anyone so “informed,” as YOU “obviously think you are,”
could write to a public e-mail web site accusing a FULL FLEDGED surgeon of
doing follow up care by e-mail? You site the JMHO here. Can you tell me more
about where you have gotten your information? Which months article? Anything?
Please don’t take all this as a personal attack. I just get mad when I hear
people running off about things they obviously have not done ALL their
homework on. The other surgeries I cannot comment much on as I have not done
my homework on them. But the MGB I do feel I do know a little more then the
author.
Thanks PR

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2004 at 3:28 pm and is filed under obesity surgery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.