"I originally heard about Dr. Pleatman through the forums right here at ObesityHelp. As I continued to research Dr. Pleatman, I was very impressed with both his patient reviews as well as the convenience and simplicity of the self-pay program that he has arranged with a local hospital. I sent off an email introducing myself and giving the details of my situation and was quite pleased to see that Dr. Pleatman himself called me within 24 hours to discuss my options.
I was understandably nervous about going out of state for surgery, but after talking to Dr. Pleatman I felt confident that I was making the right decision. He was very no-nonsense and straight-to-the-point, which was refreshing after I'd had to wade through a bunch of fluff and nonsense when dealing with other potential bariatric surgeons. I appreciated his candor and could tell he was very knowledgeable about the various weight-loss procedures, I had originally planned to have the Roux en-Y procedure done, but after discussing the various pros and cons of the different surgeries, I decided that the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy would be a better fit for me and my lifestyle.
Before getting off the phone with Dr. Pleatman, he gave me the number to his office in Bloomfield Hills, MI and explained that his secretary would be more than happy to set up a date for my surgery within the coming weeks. I was also told to drop by his website and advised that there were several forms that needed to be filled out, as well as important information about the self-pay program and coming in from out of state. Of course, I was so excited that I called his office right away, where his sweet secretary assisted me. She was able to set up my surgery date for a little less than 4 weeks in the future. I was thrilled with the efficiency that Dr. Pleatman's staff was able to get everything scheduled and ready to go and best of all, I felt certain that I had chosen the right surgeon.
Dr. Pleatman's offers a comprehensive self-pay option for the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy that includes the following: preoperative consultation, preoperative testing, operating room charges, recovery in a private hospital room until you are ready for discharge, anesthesia charges, surgeon’s fee (includes surgery preparation class with Registered Dietitian and Patient Support Coordinator, private consultations with dietitian, surgeon’s fee, postoperative follow-up visits for 2 years, and support group meetings). All of this is $11,200.00 with no hidden fees! The hospital nearest me had quoted me a self-pay price of $35,000.00, so needless to say I was absolutely thrilled to receive such quality care for such a reasonable price. Dr, Pleatman has many patients that come from out of state, so he also has also arranged for his patients to receive a discounted rate at a local Residence Inn Hotel that's near the hospital and his office. Wonderful and so convenient!
The day before my surgery my husband and I met with Dr. Pleatman and his staff, as well as attended a pre-op surgery prep class and a private nutrition consultation. I was given a book put together by Dr. Pleatman's staff that has proven invaluable. It is full of information about all aspects of the weight-loss surgery process and contains tips, helpful suggestions, and helpful resources. I was given Dr. Pleatman's personal cell phone number and email address and was assured that he would be happy to answer any questions before and/or after surgery that I might have. My visit wrapped up with a check of my vitals, a review of my weight history and goals, and pictures taken for my patient file to document my appearance before undergoing surgery.
The day of surgery I was nervous, but still very certain that I had made the right decision to undergo weight-loss surgery and to travel the 8 hours to Michigan to have it done by Dr. Pleatman. The pre-op preparation went very smoothly and I was pleased to find myself ready to be rolled into the operating room earlier than I had expected. The last thing I remember is being rolled through a set of double doors and down a bright hallway.
The next thing I knew I heard a voice calling my name and telling me that I was out of surgery and that it had gone well. What a wonderful thing to hear! My husband was allowed to come see me and I was assigned a private room, where I was to stay overnight. I will be honest here and say that I was less than impressed with the hospital staff that were tasked with caring for me following surgery. Several times my pain medicine was allowed to wear off completely and a fairly long span of time passed before they got around to giving me another dose. Thank goodness my husband was with me and quickly learned how to hook and unhook me, as he was the one that helped me to the restroom until I was discharged the next day. If I had waited for a nurse to take me, I'm not sure I would've been able to wait that long without having an accident. The bed was very uncomfortable and the entire floor was very loud, which made it difficult to sleep.
Having said all of that, when Dr. Pleatman dropped by to check on me the following day, he was quite unhappy about the lack of quality care by the hospital staff and went about rectifying the situation. He asked me how I was doing and informed me that there hadn't been any problems during my procedure, but that my heart rate was measuring a little high now that I was out of surgery. He arranged for me to undergo a leak test just in case that might be the cause of my elevated heart rate. Luckily, the test showed no leakage and I was given the all clear to be discharged that afternoon. It was comforting to know that Dr. Pleatman didn't hesitate to have an additional test done to make sure there wasn't anything unexpected going on inside of me. I appreciated the extra caution and was able to leave the hospital knowing that I was doing very well and was on the road to recovery.
That night in my hotel room, my husband and I noticed that my main incision had a red area around it. It didn't look to be anything serious, but just in case it was, my husband emailed Dr. Pleatman and sent him a picture of the reddened area. Dr. Pleatman called right away and advised us to draw a circle around the edges of the reddened area and to keep our eyes open in case the redness expanded. I was very grateful that Dr, Pleatman responded to my husband's email so quickly. Luckily, the area looked much better by the next morning and that was a huge relief!
The rest of our stay was pretty uneventful. Before we left to go back to Illinois, we met with Dr. Pleatman and his staff one last time to determine that everything was as it should be and that I was doing okay with the somewhat complicated eating schedule that has to be followed right after surgery. I was encouraged to keep in touch with Dr. Pleatman and his staff and assured that I should call immediately if I should ever have any complications or concerns that they could assist me with. Overall, I could not be more impressed with Dr. Pleatman and his staff. They were professional, courteous, friendly, and very accommodating. I felt like I made the right choice when I chose to travel out of state for my surgery. I appreciated the simple structure of the self-pay plan offered and the price was very, very fair. In addition, even though I live 8 hours away from Dr. Pleatman's office, I am confident that coordinating care with a local doctor would not be a problem.
It has been 7 weeks since my surgery and I feel incredible! I cannot recommend Dr. Pleatman highly enough!
UPDATE: 7/22/15
I'm now 6 months out from my surgery and I've lost 75 pounds and counting.
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