John S. Oldham, Jr., MD

Dr Oldham has always been very professional and caring. He is knowledgeable and has been and done more than I could ever have asked for. I had surgery 10 years ago and I have had the best care!! He is very concerned for your best health and recovery.

I started my journey more than 2 years ago with health issues that forced my hand. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome(APS), high blood pressure(for years). Because of APS I was told it was now a life or death decision to get the weight off and I knew that based on my past diet failures, I needed a drastic change. I researched and found LapBand.

I chose Lapband for several reasons.

1. Least invasive. I didn't like the idea of permanently altering my insides. Plus only a few small incisions.

2. Adjustable. Everyone is different so it made sense to me that a surgery that was adjustable based on my experience made sense.

3. I wanted a surgery where I was still in control. Lapband gives you that in that you make the food choices, virtually nothing is off limits unless it causes problems with the band which again, is different for everyone.

4. Slower weight loss has been proven to be the most lasting. Lapband can be a slower weightloss method.

5. Recovery time is much shorter. I was back to my normal yet new life within days. I only took off a week and that was just because I took a vacation week. I was fine in less time.

6. Surgery was quick and no overnight stay for me. Surgery at 7am and home by 1pm.

7. Reversable. If there were complications that I could not overcome, the surgery was reversable. No other surgery can boast that.

I had surgery on May 12, 2010. Within 15 months I had lost 125 lbs. Is that the norm? Not for everyone. It was for me. Everyone's metabolism and body are different so will your weight loss.

The CONS of surgery. Well, the truth is some do have complications. That is true with any surgery. After surgery, you can and most likely will be gassy. A severe gassy pain. Some people have problems healing from the surgery. Again true with any surgery. The adjustments can be painful depending on the person administering them. If your adjustment is too tight then you can suffer complications or issues. If food gets stuck, you will slime which is your body's natural response causing you to produce excess amounts of mucous to help the food slide down. If it doesn't go down, it will come up. Another "side effect" can be vomitting. Alot of which you can control if you adhere to the rules of eating. I can say I had no problems until a few months ago when I had band slippage which I have narrowed down to lettuce leaf. I believe it laid on top of my stomach opening and got stuck causing me to get an unfill. So I am back to square one but trucking along.

Another con is the mental part. You can be on a high with the weight loss but as easily brought down when you have problems or gain weight. And yes gaining weight can happen. You are in control for the most part so backsliding can happen. I struggle daily with it right now since I am at square one but that is okay I will get through it. You will struggle with those around you who do not understand. Those that will make the judgment that you had surgery as an easy way out. There is nothing easy about it. I think it is harder than a diet alone. People who know you had surgery will watch you for what you eat and how you eat and what you lose so there is some major accountability. I liked that. I think that helped me keep on track.

Always remember that LapBand is a TOOL. Nothign more. It is not a magical cure. It is a tool to simply help you with portion control. What you eat is up to you. How much is up to you and your band. I paid cash for my surgery. It was worth every penny. Would I do it again? Yes, if for some horrible reason, if I had to remove the band I would get it back in as soon as possible. I have learned with this unfill or when my band was too loose that I start eating just like I did before surgery so the habits I learned over the years did not go away in the nearly two years since surgery. I recommend finding a band buddy so you don't go it alone. This person should have lapband too so they will understand.

Counseling is a good idea to deal with all that is changing. Blogging is good. I blog about my experience. It's called WTF?? Where's the Fat? and after surgery this is what you will be able to say. Where's the Fat? Not on me.

His office staff is awful. Any questions you have are sent to a voicemail and someone might call you back in 2-3 days. The staff doesn't seem to care either way about the patient and it makes for a miserable visit to the office. It's scary to think I might have to rely on them in the case of an emergency. I definitely do not recommend.

I got the gastric sleeve to hopefully lower my BP. After losing 85lbs my BP remains the same. I do feel more active and no longer have sleep apnea. It was a long process of which I developed a leak. I was mismanaged by my surgeon and almost died. I would not to it again. If I did do it I would pick a different surgeon.

I ended up with a leak after Dr. Oldham performed my gastric sleeve. He admitted me to Baptist East hospital with no real plan on how to manage my leak. Dr. Oldham opted for me to have a stent placed, but I had to be transported to Jewish hospital to have this happen, while still admitted to BE. I left BE with still a leak. He didn't mention this at discharge, but I was told after a CT in BE ER. I became sick because the leak contents could not dissipate from outside my stomach, forming an abdominal abscess. When contacting Dr. Oldham he told me to contact my PCP that I might have the "flu." I finally went to Dr. Rodriguez who placed a drain that should have been done from the beginning. If not for Dr. Rodriguez placing a drain I would have became septic and died. Dr. Oldham was not ethical or honest in my situation. Worst of all he is a cookie cutter bariatric surgeon with no knowledge to treat complications that occur. Don't take a chance and place you life in such incompetent hands. The next complication may be yours!