Dwayne Smith Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

I went today to meet with my soon - to - be surgeon. The entire staff seemed very nice and professional. He was very honest as well.
Alot of the pre tests can be done by specialists in his office which I found to be not only convenient but comforting. I first spent time with a nurse practioner who was very nice and took the time to go over everything I had filled out as well as their booklet and video. Aftercare is very important and it was explained in detail.Something else that I found very comforting was the fact that I have to go back with my Mom and My husband so that they can be as well informed as I have been about what to expect and how to help care for me both physically and emotionally until I am back on my feet. Everything looks good so far and we are trying for a surgery date either at the end of April or beginning of May!! I am VERY excited!!

My first visit to my surgeon was interesting to say the least. I have to travel over 5 hours to get to his office and my first time there, I had to contend with 2 traffic accidents that had the highways blocked. I was almost an hour late for my appointment, but when I called the receptionist, Amy, she was so very nice telling me not to worry, that it would be okay whenever I got there. I met with Dr. Smith and his Nurse Practitioner/surgical assistant, Lisa, for almost 2 hours. They did not rush me and were wonderful in answering all of my 6 pages of questions. I liked everyone very much from first impression. They were extremely patient and understanding. I did not feel that I was being talked down to, as I have from many doctors.

OH MY, HOW CAN I EVER SAY WHAT I THINK ABOUT
DR. SMITH AND HIS OFFICE THEY ARE ALL TRUE
ANGELS. I'LL START FROM THE TOP, DR. SMITH
KIND,CARING,BEDSIDE MANNER WONDERFUL,AS A SURGEON
GREAT, LISA, UNDERSTANDING,KIND LOVING EASY TO TALK
TO, SKIP,ALWAYS THERE TO LISTEN,AND ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. THERESA IN INSURANCE
GREAT!!!! AMY MAKING APPOINTMENTS ALWAYS OUT OF HER
WAY TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED. MELODIE, WONDERFUL
SOFT SPOKEN,KIND. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGHT ABOUT THE
WAY THEY ALL TREATED ME. I HAVE BEEN TELLING EVERYONE
ABOUT THE OFFICE AND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THEM.
DR. SMITH IS GREAT. I WOULD GO TO DR. SMITH
AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR SURGERY IF I NEEDED TO.
THERE WAS NEVER A TIME THAT I FELT ALONE AFTER I HAD
MY SURGERY. DR. SMITH YOU ARE A TRUE ANGEL AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS SURGERY. YOU ARE MAKING SO MANY
PEOPLE HAPPY AND ABLE TO DO THINGS THEY NEVER COULD DO
BEFORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND TO THE OFFICE
STAFF THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO AT HOME.
I LOVE YOU ALL
DIANE FRANK

Dr. Smith was great. He has a comfortable manner, and instilled confidence. He took ample time to talk to me; I didn't feel rushed at all. Lisa, the nurse practitioner, was fantastic -- very friendly, and also took plenty of time to talk with me and answer my questions. They both obviously appreciated that I had done my homework, and gotten a head start with my insurance company (UHC-PPO). While he's new to bariatrics, he's been a thoracic/vascular surgeon for roughly 20 years, and I have great confidence in him.

He seems to be a very competent surgeon. All though he is new to the weight loss field he has been doing stomach surgery for many years.

He was very informative.
The nurse practitioner was extremely
nice and helpful.
The only thing that worried me was the fact that he has only done the roux en y twice before. I will be his third patient. He has done similar surgeries for different reasons though.
He put an extreme emphasis on aftercare..fully letting me know it's a lifelong committment.
He does stress the importance of exercise after surgery and recommends followup with a dietitian. He also informed me that I would need blood work done monthly for a while..than it would be yearly.
He basically told me the risks involved with the surgery were less than the risks involved with staying morbidly obese.
Overall..he seemed very knowledgeable.
Personally, I could care less what their bedside manner is as long as they do a good job and assist me in achieveing my goal.