Question:
Have discover some negative comments on the Dr. I wanted - What should I do?

The doctor that I want to use, has one person on this list saying not to go to him at all cost. However, he is willing to do LAP on me. He seemed really nice. My husband says that no matter who I choose I'm going to find some that have negative opinions - the old You can't please everyone. What advice do you guys have. How else can I check out this Dr.s track record?? (The other posts seem happy with him, however I think there couldn't have been more than 12 or so posts on him. HELP. THanks    — Karen A. (posted on November 28, 2000)

November 27, 2000
Hi Karen: Have you met this doctor for yourself yet? Don't make your decision based on another person's experience. Make an appointment, ask your questions, and go with your gut instinct (it's almost always right!). There is not one surgeon in this earth that is 100%....NOT ONE! Things happen, complications arise, and surgeons and patients have differences of opinion all the time. That's why it's so important to find the surgery type and surgeon who is right for you. Try and interview more than one surgeon, it will give you perspective that you cannot have from talking to only one. Good luck!
   — Jaye C.

November 27, 2000
Hi. I might have to disagree alittle bit with the previous answer as I think that comments from former patients are invaluable. Certainly though, I would not just take this one comment as gospel. Ask the surgeon for at least 10 names of other patients that he has done this surgery for (if he won't give you that I would find someone else). Also, call the AMA and get his medical liability history. If there were any complaints they would know and would have to tell you about this. All in all, this final decision is yours and yours alone. You MUST go into this surgery with the best frame of mind and no doubts. You will heal faster when you feel good about it all. As previously stated, no surgeon is 100% wonderful. They have their moments, their good days and bad, their problem patients and their easy ones. Could this bad comment possibly be from someone who had alot of preop problems to start out with? This makes a great deal of difference in the recovery sometimes. Good luck with whatever choice you make.
   — Barbara H.

November 27, 2000
Karen, I had a similar situation. There was a negative post on my doctor that I read before I had the surgery with him. All of the other post and people that I talked to had wonderful things to say about him, but I kept going back and reading the one negative post very worried, and "SNAP" all of the sudden I realized that the one negative post did not even have surgery with him, she switched doc's before the surgery, they had a personality conflict, not a negative experience based on his skill!! I needed a Doctor with surgical skills not personality!! My point is take the information given here on the board with one eye open, remember that there are a lot of wonderful people here but unfortunately there are also those here that can not resist giving a bias story to there benefit...go with your gut, that is all you have!! Especially with just ONE bad post, if you said that he had a lot perhaps more investigation needs to be done but for one, don't sweat it!! Every Doc has one horror story out there be it founded or not, you just can not please everyone. And for the record.... My surgeon turned out to have a wonderful personality and my treatment was superb!! I am almost two weeks post op and have had NO complications or concerns!!
   — Jamelle S.

November 28, 2000
My advice to you is similiar to your first reply, check out what it is that the person is complaining about. If it has something to do with this doctors care then that would be a concern for me, if it has to do with something else like, this person didn't like the way the doctor looked or talked or took a long time for insurance approval, I wouldn't be concerned. Just be cautious and go with your gut instincts, never doubt them because they are right 99% of the time. 1 bad experience out of 12 really isn't that big of a deal, some people you can't satisfy no matter how hard you try. Good luck to you!! Another thought: you could write the Bariatric Surgeons association and see if this doctor has had any complaints against him.
   — christine L.

November 28, 2000
Hi, Karen - I, too, have heard negative comments about Dr. "X", but not about his skills...only his personality! I had a little run-in with him after my surgery where he was rude and asked me why I called after hours!!! I told im "because when I left the hospital everyone ASSURED me I could call anytime, day or night with a problem". I had my surgery Nov. 1 at BTC and believe me...you're going to the BEST!!! Do not be worried about your Dr. He is also one of the best!!! The care from everyone on the floor was fabulous!! I actually enjoyed my stay there!! Again...DO NOT!!! worry about this doctor! His personality is what bothers some people. But his skills in the operating room are above reproach!!! You have nothing to worry about!!! He's done hundreds, if not thousands, of these surgeries and is extremely capable!! Just for the record, I too was kept waiting to see my surgeon. It seems people before me just had so many questions and he had to answer them all. They want to make sure you fully understand what you're having done and leave no stone unturned if you have questions!!! So good luck, Karen!! You're going to be just fine!! And your doctor Dr. will take very good care of you!! Lacy -24 lbs. since Nov. 1 - yippee Just wanted to comment too on my first impression of BTC. I thought at first it looked like a run-down office building from the outside. LOL But when I got inside, I was impressed with how CLEAN it was...totally sterile!! The floors sparkled and there has always been someone cleaning every time I've been there!!! Also, they are in the process of remodelling the entire building. They've put in a new entrance. Instead of the front entrance (we never entered there, always through the ER in the back), there's a brand new side entrance. All of the patient rooms will be on that side from what I understand. As for the patient rooms...they were just like any other hospital room I've visited. Very nice beds, brand new actually. And again, impeccably clean!! The staff was wonderful...what I like best about BTC is that they specialize in bariatrics so they knew what every little twinge, ache, pain, or discomfort was and had a remedy or explanation for it immediately. I've read some real horror stories from people who've had general surgeons do their surgery and been on regular surgical floors for aftercare....one even got fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy for their first meal out of surgery!!! ACK!!! And another spent 4 days lying on the remote for the bed 'cuz nobody believed she had pain in the back of her head and wouldn't even check. (BTC's bed controls are in the railing so no chance of that happening). OK...I'm done now (I think). LOL Just wanted to add those extra few comments. Will look forward to hearing back and learning who you've decided to go with. Personally, if I had to do it over again, I'd do it instantly and choose BTC again!!! PS: I tried to email you but the address on your profile didn't work and it came back to me. Lacy
   — Lacy G.

November 28, 2000
You said he is willing to do a lap on you, but is he qualified to do one? From what I heard, lap is a type of surgery that needs more ability and training. I would ask him how many he has done and what complications from his patients he has seen. Ask him about the one person you have heard nagatively from (not by name)- see how he explains that particular complication and ask him the odds of it happening to you. If you are comfortable with how he explains things, go for it. If you feel like he is hiding something- don't. YOU have to trust him. By the way, I had a similar experience with my Dr.- I had tons of positive comments and one who had a terrible experience. I worried about that one experience, but talked ALOT to the Dr. He didn't sugar coat anything and told me there was a chance I could have the same type of complications. That told me he wasn't trying to hide anything and so I trusted him and did great. BUT- they were complications that come with having this surgery- not surgical incompetence- and there is a difference. Good Luck.
   — M B.

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