Donald Waldrep Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

Dr. Waldrep is a great Doctor, he is very personable, and really cares about his patients. Dr. Waldrep office will do anything to help you get through you weight loss journey. Dr. Waldrep wants all his patients to follow the aftercare instructions and is always available if you need something. Dr. Waldrep does a group consultantion that explains the surgery and risk, also at your one on one with Dr. Waldrep you can ask as many questions as you might have. He is awesome.

I love the staff and Dr Waldrep. They answered all of my questions and I never felt like just a number. This was the first doctor I have ever been to that I did not find myself uncomfortable in front of. They are easy going and friendly. Dr Lucky is a really nice man also. I look forward to my surgery with this surgern. rnMy surgery went perfect! The staff was wonderful and Dr Waldrep and Dr Lucky were fantastic! rnI had the best experience. They exceeded all my expectations. I would recommend this team to anyone.

Dr. Waldrep has an excellent reputation. He posesses the nice combination of being professional and human at the same time. Dr. Waldrep was referred to me by a primary care doctor who had her surgery by Dr. Waldrep just a couple of years ago, so I figured he must be pretty good! Dr. Waldrep has put together a very comprehensive educational program, filled with hope, and honesty. The only complaint that I would have about Dr. Waldrep's program has to do with the fact that his office staff seem overwhelmed, and do not offer much personal assistance in the pre-op process. I assume they are VERY busy as Dr. Waldrep is so much in demand.rnI'll write more after my surgery.....rnOne-week post-op... I'm even more impressed with Dr. Waldrep. The nurses in the hospital and other patients have only the highest esteem for his surgical competence and professionalism. He, Mike (his assistant) and the nurses were concerned about my well-being, and don't mind repeating as many times as necessary the directions and precautions at each stage. My hat is off to them!

After graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Waldrep trained in general surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. At Cedars-Sinai, he had the privilege of training under some of the west coast pioneers of laparoscopic surgery.rnrnDr. Waldrep was appointed Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, as an instructor and researcher of advanced laparoscopic surgery. At USC, he was involved in both clinical and laboratory research aimed at broadening the applications and safety of minimally invasive surgery. Dr. Waldrep has performed or instructed over 2000 advanced and complex laparoscopic procedures.rnrnDr. Waldrep's private practice is limited to advanced laparoscopic procedures and includes surgery for the esophagus, stomach and intestines, solid organ surgery for diseases of the spleen, liver, kidney or adrenal glands, chest surgery, and laparoscopic spine surgery. For over three years Dr. Waldrep was on the Trauma Surgery staff at Sutter-Roseville Medical Center, which included management of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit for over three years. Dr. Waldrep is on staff at Sutter and Mercy hospitals of Sacramento.rnrnDr. Waldrep has completed the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Masters course as well as the Advanced Laparoscopic bariatric surgery courses at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Stanford University. Dr. Waldrep was one the first surgeons to successfully complete the Surgical Preceptorship sponsored by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery under the direction of former president of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity as well as the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, Dr. George Cowan of the University of Tennessee.rnrnDr. Waldrep is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of many surgical societies, including the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, the Society for Minimally Invasive Therapy, and the American Society of General Surgeons.rnrnDr. Waldrep has authored articles on advanced laparoscopic surgery, as well as traditional general surgery in Annals of Surgery, American Journal of Surgery, Surgical Endoscopy, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, and American Surgeon as well as several textbook chapters.rnrn

He's awesome! Very caring and understanding, and he has a great beside manner, aside from the fact he is a wonderully skilled surgeon. I fully trust him with my life.

I had originally heard that he was an awesome surgeon that was not only skilled but had a great bedside manner as well. This was all very true. He was a very capable surgeon, I did not have any complications at all from the surgery. He was very pleasant before and after surgery.

I first met Dr. Waldrep at my surgical orientation a few months before my July 2006 surgery. I found Dr. Waldrep to be very easygoing, friendly and receptive. The information he presented was extensive, factual, easy to understand and there were plenty of opportunities for questions and answers. Dr. Waldrep is very easy to talk to and maintains a good sense of humor to make the patient feel at ease.rnrnDr. Waldrep maintains an incredibly professional and compassionate office staff who support and encourage you all along the way. You are always treated with the utmost courtesy and kindness.rnrnDr. Waldrep provides in depth follow up for your after care and provides you with plenty of resources on how to to continue on in your \"new life.\" You are provided plenty of information to make your new \"tool\" work successfully and encouraged to follow up with his office.rnrnDr. Waldrep is honest with the risks of any type of surgery. I found him to be very thorough with your medical history and very open and receptive to any concerns you may have.rnrnI feel that I made the best choice for myself and am extremely happy with my entire surgical experience. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Waldrep's practice to anyone! I feel like I received the best health care possible.

3/25/06 Well met with Dr. Waldrep one on one with my husband and all I can say is thank God for this man. He was very knowledgable and was very attentive towards our questions and concerns. His office staff so far has been TOP NOTCH and would highly recommend the whole SALSA experience to anyone. Dr. Waldrep said that really the success with this procedure will lye mainly in the aftercare and following the rules. I would rate him an 11 out of 10. I believe that both competency and bedside manner are equally important, one without the other would not be a success, and so far I believe Dr. Waldrep has portrayed both.

2/27/06 Well I haven't had the pleasure yet of meeting Dr. Waldrep, however, I have been in constant communication with a couple of members of his Staff, Christina and Brandy. What I can say at this point is I am very impressed with his staff. They have put up with my impatientness and ranting and raving and still say that they are there for me.

Dr. Waldrep is awesome! He and his 'sidekick' Mike are like a comedy routine. I loved when they would come and check on me in the hospital because I knew that it would be funny!

The office staff at SALSA are wonderful. They are very helpful and super nice. I don't know if I would have been this far without their expert knowledge and advice on how to get things accomplished.

My surgeon solved any problems I had 2 weeks before I knew I had it.