Robert Rutledge Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I was very pleased with Dr. Rutledge. He was very nice. His office staff were excellent. I was well aware of all risks of surgery and I was made to feel like I finally found help with my weight. I am very happy to of had my surgery in Durham with Dr. Rutledge.

Dr. Robert Rutledge is now in Durham, NC. When I first met him I knew he was the right man for the job. He is definitely cut from fine cloth. He is dedicated to changing the lives of morbidly obese people. He is a very compassionate man and an extremely thorough and competent surgeon. He makes sure that his patients are well-informed and educated and willing to make a life-long commitment to this surgery. He makes sure that his patients understand all of the risks associated with WLS. I have the utmost respect for this man and would (and have) recommended him to my family and friends. He and his procedure have saved my life. He even called me from his (long-overdue) vacation when I had an uncomfortable complication a week after surgery. And he is very accessible through email. I owe him my life, a life that is now exciting, full and fun.

Dr. Rutledge is a very personable doctor. As a Registered Nurse myself I am very intuitive about doctors and this man is one of the nicest and most caring doctors that I have EVER met. I cannot say enough about his bedside manner, his caring, his technique, ect. His new approach to WLS is going to change the way things have been done in the past. By having this procedure laproscopically I was able to go home in two days, I did not have to recover from a serious incision and have what little stomach muscle I had left cut apart. Instead I have five tiny little inch long scars.
His staff is wonderful, although I did not really have as much interaction with them. Dr. Rutledge is very involved with each of his patients individually. He e-mailed me frequently to check up on me after I went home.
As for the initial meeting and understanding the procedure completly, I felt like I was in school all over again. It is not possible to be mis-informed with Dr. Rutledge. Everything is gone over extensively, and there is even a video of the surgery to watch- which I really enjoyed being a Nurse and all!
Overall, I would give Dr. Rutledge the highest rating possible. He is a credit to the field of WLS!

Update: Dr. Rutledge has begun having monthly support meetings in addition to his watchful eye over all his patients. It has been almost a year since my surgery and I still feel very connected and cared about.

compassionate.

I had my first clinic appointment with Dr R on
12/11/99 and was very impressed with him and his
office. He truly seems to be interested in his
patients (and prospective patients) and also in
helping the morbidly obese in general through
public education. He has a very strict criteria
in place for qualifying for having the surgery
done that leaves 'no stone unturned'. In going
through the steps required you learn about yourself
(you really aren't a failure in life because you
can get/keep this weight off), your family gets
a good understanding of what you are going through
and wanting to do now, and you are required to talk
to at least 10 patients that he has already done
the surgery on to get their opinion of the surgery
and the surgeon. His office staff is very knowledgeable
in the insurance nightmare and willing to help you
in your battle (they also require that you have
a part in this battle, too). I have found nothing
negative in this experience so far. His aftercare
appears to be just as structured and strict as
his pre-op requirements. This is very important
for the patient as well as in collecting important
statistics for the care of the morbidly obese in
general. The risks of the surgery are spelled out
to the inth degree and you are given ample opportunity
to ask any questions that you may have. So far, I
would rate him a 10 out of 10. In working in the
healthcare field for many years as an RN, it is just
as important for you to have faith in your surgeon's
competence as it is for him to have a good bedside
manner. A patient is much more likely to adhere to
the post-op instructions if he/she feels like the
surgeon is "really" interested in the patient and not
just in it "for the money". You also need to feel
comfortable in asking questions of you surgeon and
that you are given the time that you deserve.

Dr Rutledge is truly the most remarkable
surgeon that you will EVER EVER meet.
He is one of the few that actually "cares"
about his patients. He in no ways trys to
rush over anything to just get your business.
He makes sure that you are as educated as possible
before he will perform the surgery. You will
find a great deal of information at his site,
and you can also join the onelist of friends!
We would love to have you join! On a scale of
1-10..This Dr is a 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think dr rutledge was great. At the time

he was very informative about his procedure

and how it was different than any other surgeon

i also liked the support meetings that gave

you some insight on what to expect

This doctor really wants to help obese people live. He is very warm, very caring and very bright. His surgical procedure is the mini-gastric bypass using the BilrothII loop and it is done laproscopically. That means that I can go home and resume my normal activities in two to three days after surgery. It also means that I will have five tiny punctures that will heal very quickly rather than an incision. I can return to work in one or two weeks. Dr. Rutledge's clinics are very educational and very helpful to pre-op patients. He narrates a video of the actual surgery, answers all questions candidly and without fear. We get to visit with other pre-ops, ask him all sorts of questions, see him personally, and spend quality time with post-ops who attend as well. The amount of information that Dr. R provides us before surgery is excellent. All my questions are answered. We stay in touch with his website and an internet mailing list. He responds right away through both. This man truly understands the pain of being morbidly obese. He is a gift from God.

I decided to have Dr. Rutledge do my surgery because of the rave reviews he got from others that had participated in his surgical procedure, Laproscopic gastric bypass. I have only spoken to him on the phone. He immediately put me at ease. He answered his own phone which threw me at first. He had a very light manner and conveyed honest attention to my situation and questions. He anwered all of them completely. He was concerned that I was self pay, but understood that this was my only alternative.
I feel confident that I have made the right choice for myself. His office staff has also been helpful and informative when I call
to ask questions. I am looking forward to the Saturday clinic, before my surgery on Monday, Nov. 15,1999.

What a guy!

He'll give you exactly what you need whether it's support, confidence and reassurance or by standing back and getting out of your way.

His intuition about his patients needs is phenominal!

(From below:)
"Question: Did you have anything negative to say?

No person can be the "best" in all aspects. Completely 100% positive reviews are generally less
informative or even suspect."
Sounds like this person has not yet met Dr. Rutledge!