F. Edward Tenewitz Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I can't say enough good things about Dr.T. He did my RNY 20 years ago. 298-146. Size 26/28 to size 10. Yeah, The aftercare was tremendous. I was a patient at Holmes Regional Medical Center Melbourne Fl.



Cindy Hatcher
SX date 01/27/2000

My surgery was September 10, 2002. My first impression of Dr. Tenewitz was I thought he cared. Before the surgery we were told we were to go to a class to get us more aquainted with what to expect. When we got there we were called individually to be told for this class we have to pay a $500 cash fee that our insurance does not cover and if we did not have it then we had to sign an agreement to pay within a month after the surgery. If we did not agree to pay this we could not have the surgery. I should have known then Dr. Tenewitz was doing this for money and not for because he cared. There was no after surgery therapy given what so ever so I have been totally confused on how to accept my new self. If they wanted $500 for some class that really did not do anything but could not help more with how we should be able to accept our new selves. While I was in the hospital I can only remember him coming in to check on me once which was to sign me out. On my 1 year appointment with him I had a lump in my incision and asked him to check it out. He just looked at it and said it was nothing did not try to do any evaluations at all, but 2 months later I ended up in the emergency room with a hernia there and the intestine was twisted. I have now had 5 surgeries all in my intestinal area. I have a scar from my breast bone to 6 inches below my belly button and now my belly button is about 3 inches to the right of where it used to be. I have been cut, including the original surgery, 4 times from breast bone to belly button. I truly feel Dr. Tenewitz is the one who caused this to happen. Since it all started 1 year after my surgery and pretty much has not stopped yet. My last surgery was June 2010 and was another hernia in the intestine where it twisted once again and this time it was twice around another part of the intestine. I am not sorry that I have had the surgery and I have kept off 150lbs but feel I should not have had to go thru so much pain to be able to have kept it off. My body is once again starting have some slight pains which I have noticed in the past will turn into some kind of another surgery. I have a new doctor I am going to and am doing my best this time to communicate well with them and am hoping they will listen this time and do tests before I have to end up in the emergency room again in so much pain and have to have yet another emergency surgery. I pray I keep the weight off. Before all the problems I was staying at minus 180 pounds but cannot now get back to that. I am getting very scared since I have had so many problems that I will regain again.

Dec 18 2001 open RNY. I truly wish that Dr. Tenewitz was still in business or at least still operating an active support group for his GBS patients. There is no one to contact, no one uniting us all, that I am aware of. I am regaining my weight back. I have no structured program to be on right now. I don't know the guidelines. I don't know what to do. I feel pretty much isolated, and [email protected]

I had my surgery 5 years ago with this murderous SOB. This man has killed many people and has so many others that are sick. I live each day with the pains and illness from the mistake of letting him operate. I am one of the lucky ones, I survived. I only survived because I moved back to my home state and was hospitalized long term there. They went in to do as much repairing as possible and told me that Dr. Tenewitz bypassed EVERYTHING and I was absorbing NOTHING. I am alive, but barely. I am going back in for another port-a-cath to be inserted for IV nutrition, 5 YEARS and I am still suffering. This man should be imprisoned for murder, attempted murder and assault for what he does to people.

I WAS WRONG.....He gave me an infection after my hernia repair that almost killed me He is an Awesome man. You can tell by talking with him and all the wonderful support groups he sponsers on behalf of this that he and his staff really care. HE does not hold back he lets you know from the start what to expect and what he expects from you. He was honest with me and I loved it.Now for the ANGEL in surgery with you it is definatly BECKY!!!! She is great. She held me while I was going to sleep and told me not to worry, I really feel she is my angel. Bonnie and Debbie are wonderful and they really know what the insurance companies need and want to get an approval. Because I knew up front what to have I had my insurance approval in 4 days. As for Lisa... She is a godsend. If you have any doubts about doing this PLEASE PLEASE TALK TO HER. I have never seen a woman who is as dedicated to what she does as well as being a patient. She made me realize that my dream was and will be a reality.

I Had to come here and share my experience with Dr. Tenewitz and his office.
In the beginning it was swell. I felt safe and secure in my choice. Boy was I wrong.
I am not almost 4 years post op. Still losing weight. Still sick.
Something you all should know. Dr. Tenewitz has had several lawsuits and problems, further on down the road with his patients. Im talking 3 years AFTER the surgery. He bypassed way too much intestine on me.. He "Adapted" his surgery to suit his own means.
I am now losing weight like crazy, almost 4 years post op. 22lbs this month. Because. My body no longer absorbs anything.. I am severely anemic, malnourished, unable to eat at all, and eventually going to be put on home health care IV nutrition. I am unable to work, because of the severe diarhea I still have to this day. I am unable to make it through the day with lack of energy. He ruined my life. And like others have posted, it was my choice to have this surgery. then after being so sick and never getting better I typed in his name and found this.
Local 6 News reported that several of his patients wanted to sue because of post operation complications. Two of Tenewitz's patients died because of post-op complications, according to the report.

Glenda Cashiola is one of nine Central Florida patients who have filed a malpractice lawsuit against Tenewitz.

Cashiola weighed nearly 400 pounds when she had the procedure and said an alleged mistake in the operating room nearly killed her.

"If they had not figured what he did wrong and reversed it, I would have died," Cashiola said.

"He (Tenewitz) got it wrong?" Local 6 reporter Mike Holfeld asked.

"Yes, he got it wrong," Cashiola said. "He bypassed almost two thirds of my intestine."

Veteran attorney Sammy Cacciatore represented several patients against Tenewitz.

Cacciatore said he found a pattern of surgical miscues.

Once he made mistakes in these cases he went back and tried to do the revisions and he had not been trained in the revisions," Cacciatore said.

Cacciatore said during a sworn deposition, Tenewitz was asked if he was self taught.

Tenewitz answered yes, according to the report.

Tenewitz defended his record in an exclusive interview with Local 6 News.

"Once you've been in private practice for 23 years, a number of things change," Tenewitz said. "A number of operations change and you adapt. In order for the patient not to gain their weight back they have to have a complicated operation. To do a complicated operation on somebody whose 400 pounds is fraught with disaster."

Holfeld said Tenewitz is right.

Researchers from Washington University found 1 in 50 gastric bypass patients died three months after the procedure.

Still, Tenewitz settled nine lawsuits but said that came down to his family's future and it was not an admission of guilt.

"Even if I had won eight of these cases and lost one, I would have been financially ruined," Tenewitz said.

Over the past five years, Tenewitz has performed more than 700 gastric-bypass procedures with a remarkable success rate, Holfeld said.

Several patients support Tenewitz and said he spelled out the risks before surgery, according to the report.

Local 6 News reported that the string of lawsuits wiped out Tenewitz's malpractice insurance.

After 26 years in medicine, he is closing his practice.

"Are you telling me you're finished?" Holfeld asked.

"I'm telling you I'm finished," Tenewitz said.

"Does it hurt when you say that?" Holfeld sasked.

"It hurts very much," Tenewitz said.

I read this and cried. It hurts very much to close his practice. What about me, and the 12 other people I know suffering everyday of our lives because he did this to us. I will never get a sorry. I will never have my life back. IT WASNT MY CHOICE. It was my SURGEON.

Call Cacciatores Office. He will tell you what legally of a nightmare this has been, how he still gets calls of people sick and dying and cant get another dr. to touch them because you say the word Tenewitz and the dr office will hang up the phone on you.

I just got out of the hospital.. I had surgery to repair some twisted intestine and a hernia. Do you know what my new Bariatric Surgeon told me.
"You have the most intestine Ive ever seen bypassed in my many years of surgery."

If I had had another surgeon.. I dont think my gastric bypass experience would have been so bad.. Oh and suing. Dont even think about it. While, I have dr's who tell me, that it is the bypassed intestine, too much, that have lead to my problems, and medical evidence to hold up my claim.

You can't sue him. Hes been sued so much theres nothing left.. And from what we can find out.. hes still out there.. helping people lose weight.

Dr. Tenewitz was extremely professional from the very first time I met him, which was at an open seminar that he held monthly as in informational program. He was "straight and upfront" about the insurance issues his office rain into, the hazards of the surgery itself, and the realistic expectations a patient might have for success.
His nursing staff was also present and made comments about the pre-care, surgery, and post surgery care and follow-up. (One nurse is a post-op.) His surgical assistant was also there to give a brief idea of what one might expect in the pre-op area of the hospital, if you made it through the process that far. His "dietician" was also there, also a post-op, and gave a very warm reception and glowing report on Dr. T himself.
He is emphatic about post surgery care. You must promise to complete the pre-surgical education program he offers and also the post surgical diet program that he provides.
From my personal experience, however, I did not find his "dietician" available. I must note that she had quite a few health issues of her own to deal with over the last two years and once I was six months post op, I was pretty much on my own. My pcp was fantastic and I was very careful about what I ate and didn't eat and have maintained a very healthy blood work up. However, I had been promised, and paid for, a followup program that was not fulfilled. I am sure that had I had any "issues" the other office staff would have answered my problems and since there were no problems I just count my blessings.
I felt very comfortable with him and his staff having reaffirmed all of the research I had done on the surgery itself.

I found Dr.T very compassionate and understanding.
I still find him fantastic this past summer he completed my hernia repair.
His office staff need a little more tact when dealing with post-op patients that are very busy with their new skinny life.

Dr. T is very detailed oriented.
His new receptionist.
Thanks to the horrible insurance industry no hospital in the area will allow Bariatric surgery. Huge loss for Central Florida.
Aftercare is central to his program.
Yes.

Of course.

The best I fought my insurance for four year and three states and four doctors and I find Dr. T to really make his patients feel good.
Dr.T is a quiet doctor with excellent surgical competence.

I had been to several locations to start looking into the surgery process and he was the 3rd place I had gone to and the first where the surgeon actually was present to explain the process, introduce his staff, and had post op patients talk about their experiences. He is an excellent surgeon. Both my sister and I only trusted him to perform the surgery. He is very personable, down to earth & is genuinely concerned about you and your progress. His office makes sure you meet with him regularly and if an appointment is missed they contact you immediately to make sure you are seen and that things are going along. He has staff available regularly for questions and concerns if he is not immediately available & they are VERY knowledgeable about all aspects of the surgery and the after affects and are always willing to answer questions or concerns. His surgical competence and bedside manner are great & would and have recommended him time and again.

I think he is a wonderful surgeon. I haven't changed in my opinion. His office staff was wonderful. He is a matter of fact kind of guy. He emphasizes continued aftercare. He has a structured program. He addressed the risk very well. I was informed both in the office and through research prior to surgery. I would rate his a 10 out of 10. His bedside manner was great when it was needed the most.