James M. Kane Sr. Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

Dr. Kane was good, he explained the history of gastric bypass to me and answered all my questions. the office staff were friendly

i'm scheduled for lap rny surgery 3/14/03, i went in to dr. Kane sr asking for lap band, he did discourage this as to having lap rny, his reasoning was that the loss from the band is not as significant as with rny. He has been in this business for many years and i feel comfortable with his knowledge of this industry.

Dr Kane Sr did an excellent job with my surgery, and I have no complaints about his knowledge or skill as a surgeon. However, three weeks after surgery I developed terrible back and abdominal pain and attempted to get help from Dr Kane. Not only was he not interested in helping me with the pain, he had no interest in trying to find out what was causing the pain in the first place. In addition, he felt that doing any bloodwork before I was 1 year post-op was unnecessary. I felt very concerned about that, when other surgeons in the practice do bloodwork every 3 months for the first year. In October 2002, Dr Rantis assisted my OB/GYN with a laporoscopy to look for endometriosis and to make sure that everything looked okay with the gastric bypass. Since then, Dr Rantis has agreed to do my aftercare for me instead of Dr Kane Sr.

I initially was concerned that he was older, after talking to him and learning his history, experience and interest over the last 30+ years in weight loss surgery I became very comfortable. I feel he is very competent.

I like him more & more every time I see him. He seems very caring, sincere and has a sense of humor which I really like.

There is a structured pre surgery and after care program. The information seminar, pulmonary consult,nutritional consult and support group were great opportunities to discuss risks, concerns and any questions.
I can not comment on the aftercare at this time.

Dr. Kane Sr. is a small, older man. He was older than I would have liked but very knowledgeable. I was comforted that he's been doing these surgeries long before they were in vogue. He wore a Tigger tie which let me know he didn't take himself too seriously! The office staff was ok. Not overly friendly. One of the reasons I chose this group was for the follow up services. It's a comprehensive program, not just surgery and you're on your own. Dr. Kane is an outstanding surgeon. His friendly, open manner and warmth is very comforting. I would not hesitate in recommending his group. In fact my partner is having the surgery the end of February and he will be doing her surgery. Karen, his nurse that comes into the hospital was also very kind and understanding.

I felt instantly that this man was very experienced and this put me at ease immediatly. I have been most satisfied with Dr. Kane preoperatively, during the procedure and postoperatively. He took the time to answer all of my families questions the day of my surgery. He never rushes you through an office visit, he listens to your concerns and addresses each and every issue. This man saved my life and has given me a second opportunity at health and wellbeing. I will never be able to thank him enough!

My first impression of Dr. Kane was "wow, when is he going to retire?". That was only because I was surprised to see how old he is. BUT I was also reassured because he has over 30 years experience performing WLS, so I trusted him.

Over time, I learned trusting him was a good thing because I did have complications after my surgery. Dr. Kane and his staff treated me with excellent care, and the hospital was great also.

What I like least, and it isn't necessarily a bad thing, is that you must be sure to be proactive in your own follow-up care afterwards. For example, I am two years post-op and I have called and suggested my blood levels be checked, which of course the nurse immediately sent me the form ordering tests. I went to the lab, got the tests performed, then followed-up to ensure Dr. Kane's office received the results, which they did. Dr. Kane reviewed them and called me back, after I called the office a couple times. My levels were all fine except my iron. He then wrote a prescription for me and set a follow-up date for me to see him. Therefore, I guess I am saying that once you are long term post-op, be sure to be responsible enough to have your blood levels checked at least once a year, and get yourself into the office. You won't get a reminder letter or phone call to have yourself checked. Also, I don't recall being put on any type of schedule for follow-up of this nature, once I healed.

Be sure to take care of yourself!

I was initially concerned about his age. Shame on me for ageism! I loved his Tigger tie however...
As the consult continued he gave me and my partner information about his background. It sounds like he was one of the pioneers in gastric bypass surgery. He also performed this surgery on Jim Balushi's mom. He was interviewed on Donahue (how long ago was that!)
I was a little startled that it cost so much ($270). I only have to pay $20 but still it was pretty brief. I was disappointed to learn that I would have open instead of lap. That due to my having gallbladder surgery in the past.
One of the reasons I chose this group is the emphasis on aftercare. Also, they offered a free seminar and I had an opportunity to ask questions, etc.
In the end I decided I liked him quite a bit. That's important if someone is going to cut into you... And he was one of the original surgeons in the Bariatric Surgeons group. I was comforted by the extent of his experience and knowledge and committment to helping people who are morbidly obese.
I was especially impressed by significance he placed on aftercare and the support from other group members. He really promoted aftercare involvement and I agree that it will make a difference in my sucess...

<B>10/30/02</b>I met with Dr. Kane Sr. and he seems like a great person. I have also talked with other patients of his and all give him high marks. He has 30+ years of experience doing these kinds of surgery, so I am confident that he knows his stuff. He answered all of my questions and even drew (in pen) where my scar would be and how long it would be. Very interesting. His office requires attendence at a group support meeting before he will do the procedure. You also must have a follow-up appointment set before he allows you on the table. The only down side so far is that he will not do the RNY LAP because of my size. You need to be under 300 pounds to go lap. He did tell me though that you have less chance of blood clots with the open, so I guess I'll take that.<BR><BR>
<B><I>Due to University of Chicago dropping BCBS IL HMO on July 1, 2002, I have had to start over with a new doctor. Below are my comments on my previous doctor, Dr. Alverdy.</i></b><BR><BR>
I had my first meeting with Dr. Alverdy and I can see why everyone here has been so impressed with him. He was friendly and responsive to all my questions. Of course, after the battery of questions I had to answer, I forgot some of what I wanted to ask. Maybe next time. He did make me feel more confident about undergoing this surgery. I was a little worried about the pain and he put my mind at ease. It shouldn't be as bad as many other things I've been through. I think I started to giggle when he said with a straight face that I could get down to 200 pounds with a little work. 200 pounds!?!? I would feel lucky at 250. Apparently, he doesn't consider the surgery a success unless I drop 200 pounds in 18 months. Imagine that!<BR><BR>
I have had a number of doctors tell me and others that this is the man to see if you want this operation. Dr. Alverdy laughed when I told him he was pretty popular on the internet sites. I think he might check a couple out (Hello, Doctor!).<BR><BR>
So now I wait to see if his team approves me. Maybe I should explain that. He is part of a multidisiplinary team that evaluates each person who applies for the WLS. You also meet with a dietician and psychiatrist. All three of them then discuss your case and decide if you are a good candidate. They must be good because I hear that their success rate is in the high nineties. <BR><BR>
In short, I was looking for the best in the Chicago area and so far I have not been disappointed.<BR><BR>
<B>2/13/02</b> Quick addition: If you are going to through the process with Dr. Alverdy, I heard from a resident that he requires a sleep study before you can pick a date. This turned out to be true for me. I would suggest getting your doctor to send you before your appointment. The wait for the sleep clinic at U of C is over TWO MONTHS. Also ask to be put on their waiting list in case of a cancelation. The time you save will be your own!<BR><BR>
<B>6/4/02</b> Well, I have to change Doctors. My insurance company (BCBS IL HMO) will no longer be accepted at University of Chicago Hospitals. Time to start over. <BR><BR>Also, a quick side note: I have read things about how some people don't like Pat or think she is a bit caustic. I have to say that she has been incredibly helpful to me the entire time I was in the program and even more so now that I'm out. I would like to tell anyone who reads this after reading reviews about her to take them with a grain of salt. I won't say that people may not have had trouble with her but I do want to say that she has been wonderful and I'll miss all the help she gave me. Thanks Pat!

Dr.Kane Sr. is the type of doctor that you've always wanted but most have never been able to find.I'm a 46 year old male who didn't start gaining weight until I was in my mid 20's.Needless to say I've been through everything you are going through right now, but I need to tell you there is a solution(help,answer,a way)to give you a life back.One thing I haven't gone through is the adjustment to "the other side" because I had been there and my trip was one of a journey back!My weight peaked out at 428+(that was my highest weight on record)but I know there was a time that I was more,much more.Well 16 months later(post op,open rny)I'm happy to say I'm enjoying the hell out of my trip back to freedom and a back to a life for me and of course my family.I've seemed to have strayed off the path about where this all started and that was finding a doctor like Dr. Kane Sr. and how he has changed my life!Just one thing in closing you must remember,he can only give you the tool and your the one who has to use it!My only negative isn't about Dr.Kane but rather myself that it took so long to find the HELP and help is what we all need or we wouldn't be in this web site.