I have never been made to feel so inadequate in my life. I am so disappointed in the way Brian Gary treated me. I received the gastric sleeve surgery from him on 09/12/2017. From the beginning, my very first visit with him was not very pleasant. I should have taken that as the red flag it was and taken my business elsewhere, but against my better judgement I preceded with him as my weight loss doctor. He didn't feel I needed the surgery. I would have rather him tell me he will not perform my surgery and for me to get another doctor. My visit with him on 10/17/18 proved to be the most disrespectful way I have ever been treated by anyone, especially my doctor. I have not lost but about 34 pounds in the year since my surgery and saw on this day I gained 11 of those pounds back. Already feeling bad enough, he made me feel much worse with the remarks he made to me. He told me I failed, there was nothing else he could do for me, maybe I could get on the Medifast diet with Dr. Jernigan and he didn't have to see me anymore. Really! The Medifast diet, after I have put myself through weight loss surgery. Instead of him asking what the problem might be and let's see how we can fix this, he humiliated me. I told him my sleeve has never restricted my food intake the way it should, not even from the very beginning. The hunger was still there and if it were not for the scars on my stomach, I wouldn't think I had weight loss surgery. I asked him if he removed the 75% of my stomach the way he was suppose to, he didn't give a yes or no answer, instead he said your sleeve is the same size as the lady I just saw and she's already lost 80 pounds. Talk about adding insult to injury. He told me people who don't do what they are suppose to do always find excuses. He never once offered to run an endoscopy, barium or any other test to see what might be causing the lack of weight loss I'm experiencing. Sure there are things I could have done better. I am new to this and needed my doctor's help, but instead I got turned away and told I was a failure and he didn't have to see be again. Your weight loss doctor is suppose to be a life time relationship to keep you on track and to make sure you are having no problems, like leaks, nutrient or vitamin deficiencies along with other problems that can come with weight loss surgery. I m having hair loss, bruising and pitching in my stomach, but did not feel comfortable telling him these things, because to me he just didn't care one way or the other. The bariatric group I am a member of could not believe this. These people had their surgery before me, some during the same time as me and others after me and have lost anywhere from 70 to over a 100 pounds. Most of them still can't eat more than a few mouthfuls. When I told him I can take in more food than I should be able to, he said the stomach is a muscle and it stretches. This is not supposed to happen this fast, maybe some years down the road, but not right after you have surgery. My group asked me about my labs with him, I asked what labs? I have never done lab work in his office. I spoke with my insurance company and they have given me the green light to seek another weight loss doctor. I pray all was done right and it is a simple fix. I am not a failure, I feel my sleeve and doctor failed me. I pray he does not make anyone else feel this way.

32 minutes ago, I AM NOT MY SIZE said:

I have never been made to feel so inadequate in my life. I am so disappointed in the way Brian Gary treated me. I received the gastric sleeve surgery from him on 09/12/2017. From the beginning, my very first visit with him was not very pleasant. I should have taken that as the red flag it was and taken my business elsewhere, but against my better judgement I preceded with him as my weight loss doctor. He didn't feel I needed the surgery. I would have rather him tell me he will not perform my surgery and for me to get another doctor. My visit with him on 10/17/18 proved to be the most disrespectful way I have ever been treated by anyone, especially my doctor. I have not lost but about 34 pounds in the year since my surgery and saw on this day I gained 11 of those pounds back. Already feeling bad enough, he made me feel much worse with the remarks he made to me. He told me I failed, there was nothing else he could do for me, maybe I could get on the Medifast diet with Dr. Jernigan and he didn't have to see me anymore. Really! The Medifast diet, after I have put myself through weight loss surgery. Instead of him asking what the problem might be and let's see how we can fix this, he humiliated me. I told him my sleeve has never restricted my food intake the way it should, not even from the very beginning. The hunger was still there and if it were not for the scars on my stomach, I wouldn't think I had weight loss surgery. I asked him if he removed the 75% of my stomach the way he was suppose to, he didn't give a yes or no answer, instead he said your sleeve is the same size as the lady I just saw and she's already lost 80 pounds. Talk about adding insult to injury. He told me people who don't do what they are suppose to do always find excuses. He never once offered to run an endoscopy, barium or any other test to see what might be causing the lack of weight loss I'm experiencing. Sure there are things I could have done better. I am new to this and needed my doctor's help, but instead I got turned away and told I was a failure and he didn't have to see be again. Your weight loss doctor is suppose to be a life time relationship to keep you on track and to make sure you are having no problems, like leaks, nutrient or Vitamin deficiencies along with other problems that can come with weight loss surgery. I m having Hair loss, bruising and pitching in my stomach, but did not feel comfortable telling him these things, because to me he just didn't care one way or the other. The bariatric group I am a member of could not believe this. These people had their surgery before me, some during the same time as me and others after me and have lost anywhere from 70 to over a 100 pounds. Most of them still can't eat more than a few mouthfuls. When I told him I can take in more food than I should be able to, he said the stomach is a muscle and it stretches. This is not supposed to happen this fast, maybe some years down the road, but not right after you have surgery. My group asked me about my labs with him, I asked what labs? I have never done lab work in his office. I spoke with my insurance company and they have given me the green light to seek another weight loss doctor. I pray all was done right and it is a simple fix. I am not a failure, I feel my sleeve and doctor failed me. I pray he does not make anyone else feel this way.

There is a search button at the top of the forum. It may help to look up topics that relate to your situation.

Some links that may interest you.

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/418753-weight-gain-after-veg/?tab=comments#comment-4684219

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/381839-has-anyone-be-re-sleeved-revision/?tab=comments#comment-4312175

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/418208-causes-of-revisions/?tab=comments#comment-4676887

@skinnylife did you read the letter? If so what do you think?

1 minute ago, I AM NOT MY SIZE said:

@skinnylife did you read the letter? If so what do you think?

You had a terrible experience with this Dr. I hope your post will encourage others not wait and to change Doctors ASAP if you see see any red flags or feel your medical needs are not being met.

I applaud you for addressing your medical issues and moving on to a more qualified medical professional.

While you are waiting for the process of seeing a new Dr. Search around the boards for others that have had or are experiencing the same struggles.

I wish you the best in taking charge and moving forward.

I haven't had my surgery yet but reading about places like you went to for your WLS changes my thinking about the program I'm in. I started the process in April of this year and I won't even meet my surgeon until December 4th to decide on what surgery I will be getting (frustrating). I started out at 370 lbs and I will be under 300 lbs by the time my surgery takes place. It would be easy to get frustrated and turn to food for comfort like before but I'm done sabotaging myself like that. I'm looking at whatever surgery I get as a tool to assist me with my drastic lifestyle change. It's a very slow process but it gives me lots of time to research and learn what I'm getting myself into. If at any time during the process I feel like I'm not getting the best care possible, I can jump ship and go back to the drawing board as they say. I think too many people are rushed into surgery without knowing exactly what it is they are getting themselves into. I've had time to change my diet drastically and get into the right mindset well before I go under the knife. I will be educated before and after the surgery which I think is very important. You are in charge of what goes on with your body and can't really make informed decisions unless you are prepared beforehand. No matter what you do in your life, research everything before signing on the dotted line (in this case, before letting someone stab you in the gut with a scalpel).

I think the letter is pretty good, I think include dates of visits and approximate time spent with you as well where you asked for information, help etc. like how you did with your last appointment. I think also asking them for complete records and maybe a line of how you hope nothing more serious is wrong. Finally make a copy of the letter for yourself, and also if you are emailing it to them of course email to someone else trusted in your circle, and get a red receipt, if mailing make sure to send certified.

You should absolutely confront your team in this professional critique if you believe they neglected you.

I advise that you tone down the emotional parts and get someone to proof read your letter. A letter that is overally emotional and poorly written is not going to get the attention you want. They want to see facts and clear signs of neglect, not how you interpreted what the doctor said to you or how he made you feel.

5 minutes ago, Oct517 said:

I advise that you tone down the emotional parts and get someone to proof read your letter. A letter that is overally emotional and poorly written is not going to get the attention you want. They want to see facts and clear signs of neglect, not how you interpreted what the doctor said to you or how he made you feel.

Yes to all of this!

I say send it. Unless you are getting a lawyer, it's going to fall on def ears anyway. I think your unedited anger will come across as intended. Make sure you add that you also put a copy of this on a few social media sites. These days, anybody that offers a service of any type is more afraid of bad press from social media than any other source. They will make changes just based on the possibility of getting a bad rep. GO GET EM TIGER! (oh, and move on afterwards)

Is the post the letter? If it is I would get someone to help you rewrite it. It needs to be shorter, more to the point and it also needs to be set out in a way that is easier to read.

You also need to consider what you are hoping to achieve with the letter. It is doubtful that anything will be done about it. Getting things off your chest may make you feel better in the short term but at some stage you may regret it.

It does sound like your surgeon did not have the best “ bedside “ manner but I think the area in which there was the biggest failure was in the lack of education. It is perfectly possible to stretch a sleeve early on. If you google it you will get lots of results. There are also lots of tales of people that eat until they felt full rather than eating what they had been told to and that generally gives poor results.

To me the most important weapon in this weight loss war is education. Do your research. Use google, talk to other people in person and on line. Follow your Doctors instructions.

Send it. And I agree with Ed_NW who said to mention you put this on social medical. It may or may not make a difference for you, but I'm telling you this as someone who worked in Healthcare my whole career life. I've worked in MD offices, hospitals, and Nursing homes, and Insurance companies. Unless your MD is private practice, he's got a boss. Medical groups HATE bad press. Don't edit out any of your feelings. Your letter sounds like it came from a real person. Just do it!

I personally wouldn't be posting and publishing this all over social media until you get a full second opinion and in fact if something is wrong with the surgery done. There are many cases of people defaming companies or business owners online where they come back and sue the person doing it and have won. Right now, the only thing you can comment on is how bad of an attitude he had towards you. You are accusing him of possibly not reducing your stomach size 75%. Get some proof first, another doctor can easily run the tests and obtain your records, see a food psychologist also to get some help with eating habits (you are gaining weight that is on you) and when you have proof or a great second opinion then I think you'll be in a far better position to have your concerns heard and possibly taken seriously.

@Cynisca, thank you for your honest opinion. I have always been a person that dots all my i's and cross my t's. I obtained one of the best bariatric surgeons in the state. He did an endoscopy and a barium test on me. The test came back and showed what I knew in my heart all along, there was way too much stomach left. So this doctor was not only rude, he failed to do my surgery correctly. Even though I feel this is an open and shut case of malpractice, all I want is my surgery done over and for my insurance company and the big group of doctors he works with to know what he did. My insurance plan did not cover revision surgery, but through God's grace, they approved me for revision. Now I'm in talks with the hospital. I told them I shouldn't have to pay another penny out of pocket for something one of their doctors didn't do right. The doctor I'm with now recently became apart of this group of doctors with my old surgeon. I prayed about it and asked him could he be fair with me and truthful about what his colleague did or didn't do. So far I have been very pleased with him. My revision surgery is January 21, 2019.

Edited December 19, 20187 yr by I AM NOT MY SIZE
misspelled word

And I pray everything will work out, I could have been where you are at, luckily the ties were broken before Surgeon #1 could do what you had done, very happy with my surgeon#2. mine more competant, kinder, promises to care for me the rest of my lifetime, but your letter gave me chills, I see that I could have been YOU. Please keep us updated ,you matter very much to us. If God accepted suggestions I would wish him bleeding ulcers and Hemorrhoids from Hades!

@Frustr8, thank you so much and I needed that laugh!