Absurd Bashing of a GREAT doctor

There has been alot of reports recently about Dr. Terry Sanderfer in Riverside, CA. On the news, the paper and internet. They claim that he is a bad doctor and is not licensed to do a Gastric Bypass Surgery. This is completely absurd. He is a great doctor. Yes he has lost 6 patients. But that is throughout 20 years. I consider this an AWSOME doctor. My mom and Step dad both had this surgery through him. He did a great job on both. He is a HERO not a villain....For anyone to draw the opinion of him just by the paper and the interned must be naive. I dont mean to be rude but this has really gotten me upset.

Specialized Training in Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgical Techniques: Name: Lap band Course Date: April 01 Training covered: Laparoscopy, Bariatric Surgery Name: AGBG Course Date: June 03 Training covered: Laparoscopy, Bariatric Surgery Name: Alvarado Date: March 01 Training covered: Laparoscopy, Bariatric Surgery This is for the people who claim that he does not have training to do the gastric bypass surgery!

Check into what those course entailed and exactly how much hands-on training they entailed. You might be surprised to learn what's behind those "credentials." They could be nothing more than a luncheon seminar for CME credit (another thing medical boards ought to be looking at critically!) Reviewing a physician's qualifications critically and taking someone to task for hurting his patients (in a case where evidence has been presented to a court of law, no less) is appropriate where life and death surgery is concerned. I'm glad you are okay, but this is not about you. It's about a surgeon with a poor outcome record. Discipline of bad doctors has been lacking for years and now, due to cases like this and others, better regulations are in the making. It takes public outcry sometimes for action. You're one of his lucky patients, it seems to me. You made it. But, defending him because you came out okay when others did not, is not really the basis upon which to make this guy a "hero." tee

Well good news doesn't bring readers and sell ads, now does it? I'm a firm believer of forming my own opinion based on research and facts. I don't know the man, have never met the man and probalby never will, but I'm curious *why* he's being "attacked". Bypass surgery is a hot topic these days and sensationalizing the problems (standard media trick) is going to attract attention and readers. That said, SOMETIMES where there's smoke there's fire. I am NOT arguing with you, but do you ahve any idea why there's all this media attention regarding Dr. Sanderfer? Is it possible at all that some patients did not receive the care they thought they should? It's GREAT to support a doctor in whom you believe! I support and respect you for that. If all of the allegations are unfounded, then it would seem he has a libel/slander case. Otherwise, maybe there is a *bit* of truth to it all. Just something to ponder, M

And what about all of the malpractice suits FOR NEGLIGENCE? Those are public record. he was found guilty of malpractice in a court of law, yet we should believe you over a court of law? Not just one lawsuit, either. I fail to understand your logic.

They didnt claim he wasn't licensed to do it (the aricle I read) but said that he can NO LONGER perform it, and the State of California says the same thing: http://publicdocs.medbd.ca.gov/pdl/mbc.aspx Not trying to upset you, but he IS being investigated, so it's not all lies. And, he lost 13 patients. Just read the report.

Brett, I am from N.C. and that article is in our todays newspaper. According to the newspaper the doctor sounds like he was very neglegent in his part on all accounts. The article also says he has 13 gastric bypass deaths (which is a huge amount). http://www.wral.com/health/4780253/detail.html

I just want to say people are all entitled to their opinion and great doctors usually don't have patients that die. If there are complications they are usually caught and fixed.

I know to ME my doc is a great doc..but I know there are lots of people who don't think the world of him due to his personality or manners...and I'm sure he's lost patients. You're lucky and should be happy this doc did well for you but it seems there is more to this man - and any docs who operate on someone especially when the media is involved. He did well for you - GREAT but for those who lost someone to his possible negligence or their negligence it's still a loss. You have to accept he may be in trouble.

Here's a report I read today: Weight-loss surgeon faces state inquiry PROBE: Dr. Terry L. Sanderfer is accused of gross negligence and incompetence in 11 cases. 11:38 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 By DOUGLAS E. BEEMAN / The Press-Enterprise State regulators have accused a Riverside weight-loss surgeon of gross negligence and incompetence in connection with his treatment of 11 gastric-bypass patients. Six of the patients included in the state's investigation died, according to the accusation filed by the Medical Board of California. Dr. Terry L. Sanderfer is accused of delaying treatment or failing to act promptly when problems arose, failing to adequately evaluate patients before and after surgery, abdicating patient care to others and keeping medical notes that were incomplete or illegible. Sanderfer did not return two phone calls seeking comment. His attorney of record, Robert K. Warford, declined to comment or even acknowledge that he represented Sanderfer. Sanderfer said in a court deposition in 2003 that he had been doing gastric-bypass surgeries for years. The surgery for severely overweight people involves reducing the size of the stomach and bypassing part of the small intestine, where digestion occurs. Sanderfer has been sued nearly two-dozen times for problems stemming from gastric-bypass surgeries he has performed at Corona Regional Medical Center, Riverside Community Hospital and Parkview Community Hospital, according to Riverside County Superior Court records. Some lawsuits have been dropped, some have been settled and others are still active. Large Settlements More than $1.2 million has been paid to settle three large malpractice lawsuits against Sanderfer, according to Riverside County court records. The medical board's Web site reports the monetary value of two of those settlements is above average for general surgeons such as Sanderfer. Thirteen of Sanderfer's gastric-bypass patients have died from complications stemming from the surgery, according to public records and the doctor's own accounting. According to Parkview Hospital officials, Sanderfer quit doing gastric-bypass surgeries earlier this year. Sanderfer's malpractice defense attorney said the doctor has not been able to maintain his malpractice insurance because of the volume of lawsuits against him. The medical board case against Sanderfer was filed June 30. Medical board investigators faulted Sanderfer for problems that ranged from keeping incomplete medical notes and performing inadequate medical evaluations to failing to act swiftly enough when problems arose. In one instance, Sanderfer performed a gastric bypass on a 24-year-old woman Sept. 5, 2002, at Corona Regional Medical Center. The woman, who stood 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 270 pounds, developed a fever and other signs of problems in the days after surgery. Ten days after her initial operation, Sanderfer took her back into surgery to remove infected tissue and fluid and followed that three days later with another operation. Two more surgeries followed before the woman was transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center on Oct. 1, where she died the next day. Medical board investigators concluded that Sanderfer twice delayed taking action to address the woman's spreading infection and found his medical notes were inadequate and illegible. Sanderfer waited until Oct. 4 to dictate notes from surgeries that occurred as much as 16 days earlier, the medical board accusation states. In another instance, investigators faulted Sanderfer's pre- and post-operative care of a 61-year-old woman who carried 414 pounds on her 5 feet, 2-inch frame. Sanderfer performed gastric-bypass surgery on the woman on Dec. 6, 2001, at Riverside Community Hospital. Sanderfer failed to adequately screen the woman for complicating health problems such as cardiac disease, failed to properly manage her diabetes and post-surgical malnutrition, failed to provide appropriate pain management after her surgery and failed to maintain primary responsibility for treating her post-surgical complications, the medical board's accusation states. As her condition deteriorated, Sanderfer failed to document seeing his patient for up to eight days at a time, the medical board accusation says. The woman died of her complications Feb. 6, 2002, according to the medical board's accusation. In a third instance, Sanderfer performed gastric bypass on a 46-year-old woman on Feb. 5, 2002 at Riverside Community Hospital. Over the next month and a half, the woman, developed a series of pus-oozing infections and a leak where part of the surgery was performed. Sanderfer had used surgical mesh to close part of the wound. For nearly two weeks, nurses recorded a large amount of drainage coming from the wound. On March 7, 2002, Sanderfer cut the mesh at the bedside and found food behind it. Nearly a week later, he removed the mesh, according to state records. Fault Found Medical board investigators faulted Sanderfer for not moving faster to remove the mesh once he found food beneath it. They also faulted him for failing to document the infection for more than a week, for failing to promptly place a feeding tube in the patient and failing to properly manage an injury to the woman's small bowel. The woman eventually sought treatment for her complications at UC Irvine, according to state records. ~KD in WA