re: Dr Ren & Bad surgical experiences in general

[Guest guest]

"While none of us want to hear negative things about our surgeons, it doesn't mean we should invalidate the opinion/feeling of those that had a bad/not desired result."

Please do not misconstrue my posts to invalidate anyone's feelings about their surgery. I too feel for Deb and think it really unfortunate what happened to her. But I hate to see a vendetta launched to ruin the career of a fine surgeon. As long as Deb posts negative things about Dr Ren, her patients will post positive things. Ying/Yang. I object to one post saying she got excellent care from her surgeon and the nurses at NYU, and another saying the opposite. One post saying for pre-ops not to freak out, that it was a problem with her anatomy and another saying the opposite.

Every surgeon has had things go wrong during surgery. Most of them have lost people on the table and it haunts them. They go over and over in their minds what they could have done different that might have brought about another outcome. And it is a dark secret among surgeons that a problem with the duodenum can result in this kind of outcome. It is also a dark secret that sometimes our pyloric valve just does not work again even after a successful surgery. It is a traumatic thing that is done to our stomachs and intestines. That is why some vomit for any reason whatsoever and some have diarrhea for months. Some say they have reactions to sugar similar to dumping.

"While Deb maybe angry at Dr. Ren, since it's not our body, I don't think we have any right to say that she's not justified, whether or not Dr Ren is our surgeon and she did a excellent job with us etc. Each person can only post their story and experiences and we learn from them. I would hate for us to only post positive experiences, because it gives those of us that aren't post op a skewed view of the surgical experience."

Again I want to say how sorry I feel for anyone that has had a problem during surgery. I pray they recover from their problems and I always include their mental stability because what is little known is how long-term recovery and illness affects personalities. I support the right to tell good stories as well as bad ones. (Has anyone heard Joes story lately or looked at his pictures of his skin graft). Yet Joe does not post warnings publicly or privately against Dr Welker. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. It is how we handle the bad things that happen to us in life that separates us. You can be angry and set out to ruin the person you feel wronged you but what happens in the end, you ruin any chance to have a normal life with people that you love and love you. I hope that Deb one day receives the answers she so desperately seeks. If an internal audit of Dr Ren's practices gives her that solace and helps her to move on to a new life, then I pray she gets it.

What all pre-ops should remember is this is major surgery. There is a chance of death. There is a chance of severe complications. Everyone has a different story to tell. We hear stories of wonderful successes and stories of miserable failures, horrible complications and even death many months after surgery. Some dear friends have been on life support for months. Very few of the complications and problems we have seen on this list is related to just a few surgeons. Every surgeon has his/her crosses to bear. Be very afraid if you find the perfect surgeon because that surgeon is hiding the facts. Do not make this decision lightly based on what you read on this support group but do your homework.

Sincerely said with all my heart and soul,

Viau, Switched 3/29/01Dr Ren, NYUMC http://www.thinforlife.orgMaximum weight 325lost 9 lbs prior to surgeryPre-Surgery weight: 3164/19/01: 291 (-25 lbs in 21 days)34 pounds gone forever