Center for Obesity Surgery Bariatric Center

Dr. Rutledge made me feel comfortable from
the first. He's extremely knowledgeable and
very caring. I've never had a dr. like him.
My impression of him only got better with each
encounter. He ALWAYS LISTENS! His staff is
great and I feel for them with the amount of
work coming in now.... Sometimes he is too
direct. This isn't a bad thing, just
uncomfortable because it might not be what you
want to hear!
If you want the best WLS surgery ever, go see
Dr.R. Quick recovery time, short hospital
stay. No tubes! The aftercare is phenomenal!

The first thing Dr.R emphasizes are the risks
involved with this surgery.

How would I rate Dr.R? The scale doesn't go
high enough to do him justice!
If you are looking for the most skilled surgeon
and the one with the best bedside manner you
could possibly have, then choose Dr.R

MY first immpression of Dr. R was a good one. My husband went with me for the 1st clinical visit. This lasts about 4 hours and you are with other patients who are either learning about the surgery, getting ready to have the surgery or just had the surgery. Dr. R is very thourough with his information and he wants to make sure you are aware of all the risks. His technique is done LAP and he usually has his patients going home within two days. The surgery takes about 30-60 minutes average time and no drains, NG tubes or Foleys.
Right now I am waiting insurance approval. My husband was equally impressed with the doc and had a lot of good questions for him. He does not rush the one on one you will have with him. He wants to make sure you feel good about the procedure. You have to complete a 12 step process before he will operate and you must meet all of the criteria. He has a very stringent after care policy and he will e-mail you right back if you have any questions. Some of the patients I talked with said he will call you day and night to check on you and you can call him anytime as well.

Dr Rutledge is someone who trully understands morbid obesity and after a year of watching the online support I still believe that if he made NO money he would still do this surgery for those who need it.
As the doctor gets busier there are things that the patient NEEDS to do them selves. Dr R , currently has a limited staff and they are personable and helpful, but babysitting, they will not do, the patient needs to take responsibility for checking with their insurance ect. There is nothing I dislike about Dr R; he is forthright, tells it like it is, does not spare your feelings, and will NOT let you do this if HE is unsure you are ready to do it.I think the Dr really wants to know that you are COMMITTED with all caps to this procedure, no wishy washy stuff in your choice! The after care program is strict and those I have seen have problems are the ones who have wavered from his path. The risks of this surgery must be outlined in a paper the patient will write. It needs to be 10 pages hand written or 5 pages typed that address the risks and after care. My overall rating would be a 10! I admire the Dr's surgical competence and have
read others praise him for the work he did when he found scar tissue or a hernia he was not expecting. But all that said he also has a great bedside manner and allows the patients to tell him their concerns, whether it is pain or when they will get to leave! I am not sure if I would be doing this if he was not doing this surgery! Matter of fact my cousin(the doctor) I mentioned earlier, suggested this 2 years ago and I Pooh poohed her! I think that says something! :)

Doc R. is a very sweet guy. His paitient manual
and web site is the most extensive of any one that
I have seen. His site is http://clos.net.
Debbie, his main support person is nice and
direct. His office has been swamped with patients
of late (that's what happens when you're good).
Clinic visits can be very long - but only because
there are so many (50-60) of us there. But
that gives you plenty of time to talk with
other pre-ops, the post-ops who are there, and
watch is informative videos (including the
surgery itself). There is a Mini Gastric Bypass
e-mail support group available at onelist.com and
there is a monthly support group meeting for his
patients. That info. can be found at his website.

He and his manual is very explicit about describing the
risks as well as the benefits of the surgery.
Patient contact is a required step before the
sugery occurs. He encourages all to talk with
those who have had complications as well as those
who had smooth sailing.

My surgery date is 3/1/00 so I'll tell you the rest later.
I thinks he's pretty cool.

I am in the beginning stages of this long process. I have met with Dr. Rutledge and he was wonderful. He was very informative and very personable. He tells you like it is but he also cares about all of his patients. He speaks of them by name and their progress. He keeps in contact with them and really wants to know what is going on in their lives. His office staff was great. They were very helpful and informative. They will answer any questions you have.

My papers are to be sent to the insurance company this week. Now all I can do is pray!

I have no doubt in my my that Dr. Rutledge can be trusted with my life.

Dr. Ruteldge is a wonderful and caring person, that was the first impression I had of him and I still do have of him. His staff was friendly and helpful. He will take excellent care of you, he is very thorough. He puts a lot of emphasis on aftercare, I spoke with him almost everyday for approximately two-weeks after surgery then less and less over time. The last time I spoke with him was in December. He makes completely sure that you understand the surgery and the risks as well as the benefits. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give him a 10+. His surgical competence and bedside manner are equally excellent.

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.