Dr. Scholten

[Guest guest]

Just wondering has anyone got info on Dr Scholten in Grand Rapids, MI.

They can share with me, I'm still investigating all this and I know my PCP will

want as much info as I can get. I plan on calling the office tomorrow to get

any info from them that I can. I'm still hoping that I can get preapproval for

this procedure.

I read about all your wonderful progress and feel guilty in a way because I'm

just barely over the 100 lbs overweight limit (hope you understand what I mean),

my BMI is 40 or 41, but I'm so tired of fighting with the you-yo syndrome I lose

10 and find 20. I want to be able to enjoy doing things with my kids and go in

the tubes at Chuck E Cheese with them but now I'm afraid I'd get stuck.

Thanks for your help and info,

Trina

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/30/01 7:17:25 AM, duodenalswitch writes:

<< I am actually going to talk to some attorneys to inquire about suing if I

don't lose any more weight. I am 5'2 " and 173 lbs is still a lot of weight

for me to carry. I pray this will not have to happen, I like everyone else

went through so much to have this done, and I didn't do that to have to go

back and have it revised. In my consult I attempted to discuss the length of

the common channel with him and he refused to give me an answer, he replied

with " I never decide the length until I am in the actual surgery " . Maybe I

am jumping the gun here, but I have not lost but gained 7 pounds in the last

6 weeks and it is very upsetting.

>>

Renae: I think you are TOTALLY justified to ask about the common channel

length. Honestly, he should know better! Most surgeons will not go over 100

cm because, as explained to me by my surgeon, the weight loss is slowed

wheras it doesn't really offer such extra protection against malapsorption.

I remember asking Dr. Gagner whether I should have a slightly longer common

channel - I have spastic colon/IBS and I was worried this might be

exacerbated after surgery. He explained the 100 cm common channel he does

(which is standard for his practice although I think he has gone less than

that in certain instances -- Other surgeons have different methods such as

taking precise measurements and determing common channel length based on

that) would be sufficient. Anything above that would interfere with weight

loss....

I would be FURIOUS that this surgeon did not answer my question directly nor

did he explain how he got that 125 cm common channel... Did he take precise

measurements of your intestines to get that? How the heck did he come up

with 125? That is quite long. Have you been able to contact any of his

other post-op DS patients? I wonder if they experience similar things... If

so, you could really have ammunition....

Please keep us posted and updated. Hang in there! I certainly hope the

weight loss picks up for you. Just remember -- all is NOT lost. If indeed

your common channel is too long it *IS* possible to get a revision and reduce

it. So, you didn't go through the surgery for nothing and to not experience

any results. Granted, no one wants to have to undergo a SECOND surgery due

to a surgeon's inaccuracy and inexperience but I just wanted to tell you to

keep your head up and there ARE positive future outcomes...

All the best,

lap ds with gallbladder removal

January 25, 2001

Dr. Gagner/Mt. Sinai/NYC

10 months post-op and still feelin' fabu

preop: 307 lbs/bmi 45

now: 201 lbs/size sweet 16

[Guest guest]

I am a former patient of Dr Scholten

He did my DS in February, I am almost 10 months post-op. At this

point I am very unhappy with the surgery he performed. I lost weight slower

than others with the surgery but I still wasn't to concerned.My lowest

weight was 168, that was about 6 weeks ago, since then I have gained back up

to 173 and am remaining there. I recently found out that he made my common

channel 125 cm. I was 245 the morning of my surgery.

I am actually going to talk to some attorneys to inquire about suing if I

don't lose any more weight. I am 5'2 " and 173 lbs is still a lot of weight

for me to carry. I pray this will not have to happen, I like everyone else

went through so much to have this done, and I didn't do that to have to go

back and have it revised. In my consult I attempted to discuss the length of

the common channel with him and he refused to give me an answer, he replied

with " I never decide the length until I am in the actual surgery " . Maybe I

am jumping the gun here, but I have not lost but gained 7 pounds in the last

6 weeks and it is very upsetting.

Also because he mainly does the RNY everything he offers you is geared

towards the RNY including your diet class. All the help I ever had was from

here. They even said I did not need Adeks from the pharmacy that their

patient bought them over the counter. Their patients are all RNY so that's

understandable, so I had to go to my primary care Dr to get a script for

them. They were so unhelpful in answering questions or addressing problems

when is involved the DS.

Renae

>From: Bdrai@...

>Reply-To: duodenalswitch

>To: duodenalswitch

>Subject: Dr. Scholten

>Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 04:29:29 EST

>

>In a message dated 11/23/01 5:17:31 AM Central Standard Time,

>duodenalswitch writes:

>

><< I then found a surgeon here in West Michigan, Dr. Scholten, who not

> only does the DS (although he primarily does RNY), but is also a

> preferred provider in my PPO. >>

>

>I just checked and Dr. Scholten is a preferred provider in my PPO too. So

>far the only other DS surgeon I have found on my PPO's list is Dr. Rabkin

>in

>San Francisco. Could you (or anyone else) tell me more about Dr. Scholten's

>experience doing DS surgery or about your personal experience with him? Is

>he

>conveniently located for someone coming from out of town? (I'm from

>Chicago.)

>What hospital does he use, and do they have any special arrangements for

>patients coming from out of town?

>

>Thanks for any info you can supply!

>

>----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Renae,

I'm still pre-op so I don't speak with personal experience; however, it

appears to me that it is possible that you are selling the effectiveness of

your surgery a little short. From one chart I looked at, it seems as if

your ideal weight is approximately 126 pounds. Which if you subtract 126

from 245, your excess weight is approximately 119 pounds. If your goal is

to lose approximately 85% of your excess weight, I would think your target

goal would be a loss of 101 pounds. . With a loss of 72 pounds, at the 10

month mark you are 71% of the way to a goal weight of 145 pounds! You have

at this point lost 60% of your excess weight.

Just a quick review of the literature gave me these results:

Baltasar's research found the following:

The percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) was > 70% at 1 year, and reached

81.4% at 5 years when 97% of the patients had a %EWL > 50%. Comorbidities

were cured or improved in all patients. (Obes Surg 2001 Feb;11(1):54-8)

Marceau found that people lost and maintained 78% of excess weight. (World J

Surg 1998 Sep;22(9):947-54)

Rabkin found: " Two-year mean percentage excess weight lost in DS was 78% "

(Obes Surg 1998 Feb;8(1):53-9)

One of the difficulties is that compared to us heftys... you are a relative

lightweight! Thus, the really quick weight loss you see and hear, I think

is most often with the " really round " ones.

Again, I'm not an expert, but I did want you to feel better about how you

are doing and the success you are having! Good luck!

.....Elle (aka anne@...)

Re: Dr. Scholten

> I am a former patient of Dr Scholten

> He did my DS in February, I am almost 10 months post-op. At this

> point I am very unhappy with the surgery he performed. I lost weight

slower

> than others with the surgery but I still wasn't to concerned.My lowest

> weight was 168, that was about 6 weeks ago, since then I have gained back

up

> to 173 and am remaining there. I recently found out that he made my common

> channel 125 cm. I was 245 the morning of my surgery.

> I am actually going to talk to some attorneys to inquire about suing if

I

> don't lose any more weight. I am 5'2 " and 173 lbs is still a lot of weight

> for me to carry.

[Guest guest]

<They even said I did not need Adeks from the pharmacy that their

patient bought them over the counter. Their patients are all RNY so

that's

understandable, so I had to go to my primary care Dr to get a script

for

them. Renae>

You do not need a prescription for ADEKs. They are an over the

counter vitamin. I have purchased them over the counter from my

pharmacy. I did have to get a prescription though if I wanted to use

the cystic fibrosis pharmacy and get a discount. The CF Foundation

only requires the prescription because they don't want to supply

someone without medical need. BTW, The CF Pharmacy now charges $20

for a bottle of ADEKs if you don't have CF. If you have CF, they

sell them for $13 a bottle.