Donald Waldrep Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I have actually not met him yet...I have heard from many people he is an amazing surgeon and very caring.
The office staff is amazing. So helpful never getting upset no matter how many times you call or ask questions. Dr Suh, the surgeon I have met with twice (they are a team in this surgery)is so honest a funny and charismatic that I think he puts you at ease right way. The risks of surgery were very clear...I think overly clear. They definately do not want you to be uninformed about anything. I am a little upset because I have not met one of the two people who will be holding my life in their hands.

Dr.Waldrep was very informative to me, and open and honest with me about this risks and benefits of my surgury. I am very confident that he will do a magnificent job on my surgury, August 26th.

The major problem I had was with the refering doctor, Doctor Thomas Hopkins. It took me close to a year to complete all the necessary steps to qualify for this surgury. He gave me a very hard time about this,and assumed that I wasnt really that interested. I didn't feel I needed to tell him that my sister had died, or whatever other person problems I had been facing. This is a big decision, and I wanted to take my time and be really ready. Im ready, lets do it!!!!

I just want to say that I think that Dr Waldrep & Dr Suh are the most wonderful doctors I have ever met. There staff is also wonderful they go out of there wat to help with your needs. They explained all aspects of the surgery I was very at ease the day of surgery. They both have great sense of humor and make you feel comfortable. They both have wonderful beside manners, and they never make you feel like you are an inconvienace even when you have them paged on the weekends. They really care about there patients and there wight loss sucsess! Anyone who goes to Dr Waldrep & Dr Suh is very very lucky!!

Extremely sweet, light hearted and kind. Very informative and thorough. Great sense of humor.

It get's better each visit.

The office staff is extremly competent and helpful. They have gone above the call of duty.

I had a prior sugeon that was awful and Dr. Waldrep and Dr. Suh along with their staff completely refreshed my faith and helped me to continue on the path to WLS.

Both doctors were very open and descriptive with the complications that could arise and what their practice had done to minimize them. They were very honest about what problems they have had in the past and what changes they have made to improve their practice.

Their a 10 in my book.

I did not see Dr. Waldrep at my appointment but I have spoken to him on another occasion. Very personable, I have spoke to many of his patients and have not heard a single negitive thing about him or his staff. My first appointment was with Dr. Suh his associate. I was very impressed with him. He also has a great sense of humor. I feel I am in the right hands. Dr. Waldrep's office staff is great! 6/25/02 2 weeks post-op. Dr. Waldrep and Dr. Suh are the absoulute best! I don't think I could have picked better surgeons. I was told by the nursing staff in the surgidcal unit at the hospital that Dr. Waldrep and Dr. Suh are very well respected and very well liked there. I know I could have not done any better because I got the best surgeons in my area.

Dr. Waldrep is completly dedicated to his patients. He really cares about each and every one and his attitude shows it.
His office staff are all professional and very knowledgable about the in's and out's of all types of insurances.

Pre-op and getting insurance approval by
Kay Moore of Roseville, CA. May 18, 2002.

Have NOT met Dr Waldrep. Remember he is a surgeon, not some one that holds your hand. He is too busy and I do understand this.
But I met Dr Suh, for $350,was a GREAT guy.
Dr Waldrep's staff is also very good, they are rushed but they do care. I liked ALL the staff that I met.

You will find in my writing that I am upset about the expenses of all the people you have to see for information before they will even attempt to get approval for insurance. I already knew that because of my medical problems (heat attack and diabetic) that my insurance covers this surgery. I am sure there is some reason for all the additional people I see. But I can not see any written information of WHY. I continue on...

Expenses:
I think Dr Waldrep's office staff should be more 'up front' about the cost. They say they want to see how much your insurance will pay before they give you the total fee. They want that amount before they tell you how much you will have to pay on top of the insurances "reasonable and customary fee".
I think they have set fee but will not say. I could not pry the amount out of anyone. There is a huge expense involved before they even send the paper work. They should give you a ball park figure, which determines if you will continue seeing these other people. Some day these extra fees for the doctores is going to back fire... someone will push through a LAW that no doctor can charge for more than a percentage above a given fee. This is my own prediction.

Dr Waldrep uses Dr. Thomas Hopkins, internist, for all the pre-op "gathering of data." For his $350 fee,he gathers all the medical information, sends it to Dr Waldrep's office and they submit it to the insurance company.

Life Source, with Mr Easterly, was the mental councilor, he was a wonderful man. He was $175, I almost choked! We sat and talked for 45 minutes. I think that Dr. Hopkins should refer you out only if he feels you are unstable (depressed/suicidal).

The dietian with Dr.Thomas Hopkins is not worth the $80 I spent on her paperwork... I could have read a book for less.

Support group needs help. I plan to help them. This will be my mending timeframe. I would like to see guest speakers for the group. Anyone is allowed to go, even pre-ops.
They have a web site called -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wowsalsa

I do not expect to meet Dr Waldrep until I have a surgery date, maybe by then. But the staff and Dr Sah are great and available.

Dr Suh gave me his "medical class" for 45 minutes on a sheet of the paper drape that you sit on. He gives it to you to take home. He was great and I really clicked with him.

Aftercare: don't know yet.
I do NOT believe there is a good after program through the surgeon but that does not surprise me. He can only talk about his surgical expertise and how your insides feel during the healing process. I think the rest is your responsibility.
The people that you see previous to your surgery are going to be the after care I guess.

This web site is the group I am really going to utilize. Your the ones that have gone through it. LOVE...

I haven't had the privalege of meeting with the surgeon that I HOPE will be doing my surgery, Dr.Donald Waldrep,(from the Roseville, Calif. area) yet, but DO have an appt. on Feb.20. I'm really looking forward to it. This week started as a downer when I found out that the surgeon that I had been referred to 4-5 months ago (and had filled out the many pages of questions, had the referral sent by my PCP, as well as had my Psych consult done for) was not going to be able to schedule my first consult with him until August. (I had been referred to this doctor because I had a VBG 18 yrs. ago by Dr. Gary Cooper in Chico and had to go to someone who would do a "revision".) This let-down occurred on Mon., but the first name that was given to me by the BUSY surgeon, was able to give me an appt. in the latter part of Feb. That cheered me up a little, but I was still concerned whether or not Dr. Waldrep (the one I have the appt. with!!) would be able to do the revision (which I'd been told by friends may be doing a DS). I stewed over it until Wed., when I finally decided to call his office to find out if he did open surg.(all I could find out about was Laps) and whether or not he did the DS. The person who answered the phone told me that he did do open surg. if nec., but that he didn't do the DS, and since he was in surg. she'd have to ask him about the so-called "revision" when he checked in, and that she would give me a call back. Well, I've heard that before and was on another downer, figuring that the call-back wouldn't happen (like a lot of doctors' offices these days!). I was shocked when a few hours later not only did she call back, but with the good news that he could potentially do WLS on someone who'd had previos WLS, but that I would still need to talk with him about it. At least that made the 3 hr. drive to see him worth making. It definitely made my day!! I was so happy that I decided to go ahead and get an appt. with my Cardiologist and Pulmonologist, as well as the Nutritionist that my PCP office uses set up (since I'm sure that all of these are going to be required with my crummy medical history). I also requested that my PCP resubmit the letter of recommendation to Dr. Waldrep and am working on having a copy of the Psych eval. forwarded to him. I even called my insurance company, but was told the WLS's were approved on an individual case by case basis only. Now I just wait for my first appt. with Dr. Waldrep and hope for the best on the outcome of it. I'm already impressed with the office personel.

I had my first and second (pre-op) appts. with Dr.Waldrep's associate, Dr.Suh and was impressed how thorough and upfront about the risks of bariatric surgery. I also got to meet Dr.Waldrep at my pre-op appt. and was just as impressed with him, (and not just because he is GORGEOUS!).

Easy going. Non judgemental.Careing.Honest. Humourous. Nice smile that reaches his eyes. Well liked by his patients. Concise in his delivery of both good and not so good things that can happen with this kind of surgery. Easy to understand.

I had an appointment with Dr. Richard Suh 3/12/2002, for the first time. I liked him immediately. He very concisely addressed all the benefits and risks of RNY surgery. He draws a mean diagram and has a wonderful sense of humor. Of a 1-10 rateing with 1 being really poor, I give Dr. Suh, his office, and staff, a high end 10.

I have not had the opportunity to meet with Dr Waldrep. I did hear him speak at a support group meeting a month ago and he was artuclate, funny and really an advocate for the obese. His office staff is wonderful. Robin is extremely efficient and understanding. I also met Dr. Suh, assisting surgeon. He was also very brillian and had a great sense of humor. I think that I will be with the best surgeons that this area has to provide. I am completely comfortable and am really impressed with the statistics. Dr Waldrep even took time out of his busy schedule to adress some questions and concerns on the internet. I was amazed.