RNY surgery at Abbott-NW reviews

One of my very best friends is considering the surgery and I told her I would get her some information.  I am very excited that she has decided to at least look into it, as I have been worried for some time about her health.  She lives closer to Abbott, although PNC is also on the list.

Any Dr you would recommend? 

Is there an informational meeting?

How is the after care?

Anything else you can offer would be appreciate!

I did my work up through Abbott.. I'm scheduled to have surgery June 17th.. I also work at Abbott and can tell you we have outstanding patient care...

I chose Dr Schwartz because he himself had WLS. Dr Drew would be my other choice.

Sal and Anna M both had their surgeries through Abbott as well. Hopefully they'll offer up some info! Therese had her surgery at St Joes but had Dr Schwartz so she could tell ya what she thought of the doctor.

You have to attend the informational meeting before they will really even talk to you (pretty standard at the offices I hear).. go to the mpls bariatric website below for a list of dates:
The Mpls Bariatric Website: http://www.mplsbariatric.com/index.html

The Allina Website for Abbott's Bariatric surgery: http://www.abbottnorthwestern.com/ahs/anw.nsf/page/bariatric s_home

Anna and Sal both told me they experienced virtually no pain and the nurses were very attentive. Our nursing staff here just got a very prestigious recognition. (Dang it, I can't find the name). Other coworkers here said they have had the best hospital stay here compared to other hospitals. And I know the docs here at the bariatric center do 100% bariatric surgery vs some doctors who only do say 30%..  hope that helps!

Feel free to ask any other questions specific or general

Thanks for the response!  I sent your message to my friend.  She hasn't joined the board yet.  Baby steps. 

Linda

I had surgery at Abbott with Dr. Drew.  He is a phenomenal surgeon.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone.  Absolutely great.

However, the Abbott support group isn't all that hot.  And while the staff at Abbott are nice, I think there are other programs out there that are better.  Especially PNC.   I hear that Dr Drew's St Joes group is a little more organized in their support group. 

Everyone has their own opinion.  But perhaps your friend can attend an informational meeting and go from there.  Allina has a couple of meetings a month. 

Good luck.

Well hello there!

I had my RNY surgery done one week ago today (I was in my room and talking to my husband by this time last Wednesday).  Dr. Drew at Abbott NW did my RNY.  I decided to go with Dr. Drew because he's done about 1300 laproscopic RNY procedures and he did Dr. Schwartz's RNY so I figured if his colleague trusts him I can too!  I know a couple that both had Dr. Chutte and they said he was fabulous as well.  Dr. Drew is often known for being more 'down to business' than some people might be used to but I found him to be really humorous and informative.

I started out with a referral to Abbott NW by my PCP and then went to the informational class/meeting that they have and you can find those dates online(the one I went to was done in Shakopee on a friday from 1pm-3pm which was nice since I live in Mankato).  You do NOT need a referral before attending the informational meeting.  It was nice because they do touch on different insurance requirements.  From there they give you ppwk to fill out and once you send that in, they will contact you about what they need you to do.  I had my paperwork submitted by March 1st and had a letter back within 1 1/2 weeks.

I live too far away for support group attendance to be logical time, gas, and money wise.  I have especially found the message boards and peoples' blogs to be incredibly helpful in that arena.  If you send me a message, I can talk to your friend.  My original surgery date was actually the same as Stacy M.'s - June 17th but they had an opening 3 weeks earlier and I took it (I asked to be put on the "if someone cancels, call me" list).

Thanks so much for your reply, Anna.  I copied and pasted the messages and sent them to my buddy.  I know that she will appreciate your responses. 

You are doing awesome - keep up the good work!! 

Thanks, Kelly!  I did tell her about an upcoming meeting and she was pretty excited.  It sounds like all the Dr's are wonderful and she has been to Abbotts for other issues, so I am hoping she'll feel good about going forward.  Maybe I can entice her to a Maple Grove coffee.

I agree with Kelly.. I thought there would be a much bigger or organized support group. however i'm planning on attending the monthly ones offered at the Woodbury Allina Medical clinic for organized support. I believe its the first Thursday of every month?

I feel like a big support family here and I enjoy going to the coffee's and getting to know folks. I just haven't been able to get to them in the last few weeks with family events and the holiday weekend. I am planning on going to one this Saturday.

I wouldn't go anywhere else other than Abbott - my family has now had three experiences with the hospital and we feel the most comfortable and well cared for there.  Dr. Drew is very down to earth and down to business but is a very skilled surgeon.  So he was my first pick.
The follow up is good - although I'm thinking about going back to school to become a dietician in hopes to work at Abbott.
The nurses aids were the best, I felt the actual nurses except for the night nurse were overworked and didn't have the patience to be attentive to me.  Like in any other hospital you HAVE to be your own advocate.
They brought a bed in for my mom and made her comfortable as well.  All in all would go back in a heart beat!
Sal

Thanks for responding!  Keep up the good work - 50 lbs in 2 months is awesome!!