"Last December my husband and I attended a seminar by Dr. Raftopoulos at St. Francis Hospital. I was reluctant to go but appeased my husband and off we went. To be honest I was more than a little skeptical of either one of the procedures he spoke about that night, the band and gastric bypass surgery, and again to be honest we left his presentation before it ended due to my skepticism. How could either one of these procedures work? I now look back and I am thankful my husband convinced me to make an appointment and talk to Dr. Raftopoulos again on a one to one basis. At that meeting Dr. Raftopoulos looked at both of us and said, with confidence, if we had gastric bypass surgery we would be at our goal weights and in the normal BMI category in one year. I didn't believe him but out health issues were mounting up. Besides being quite evident that both of us were overweight and in the obese category for our BMI my husband had diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and high triglycerides levels. I had been told by 2 orthopedic specialists that I should seriously be thinking about spinal fusion surgery due to a car accident I had over 10 years ago and the increased pain I had been experiencing was causing me to take more and more pain medication. I also had very high cholesterol and was borderline diabetic. We decided to go for gastric bypass surgery and from that visit in early January 2008 until our surgery dates of May 20th and May 27th we saw all required doctor's for their required evaluations. I chose to have the surgery first on May 20th. Surprisingly the required diet, which for us was for 2 weeks prior to our surgery dates, was not too bad. Having the surgery 1 week a part was great as it enabled us to support each other which we still do with all of the different stages of food consistencies and changes that occur after this type of surgery. During the initial recovery from surgery I was amazed and impressed with the level of concern and follow up given by all members of Dr. Raftopoulos' staff. Dr. Raftopoulos called everyday for the 1st week and when we had questions we were always able to talk with whoever could answer our questions better either his nurses or his dietician. To describe how this surgery changed our lives is hard to put into words. Medically speaking my husband left the hospital after staying 1 night and no longer needed his diabetic medication- no injections of insulin or any oral medication- as he lost weight over the next several months he was taken off of his medication for high blood pressure and high triglycerides. He has since lost 100 lbs. I stopped all of my pain medication for my back and I am almost off my cholesterol medication, my numbers of being considered borderline diabetic have been in the normal range and I have lost 80 lbs. As of this writing it has been only 8 months since we had our surgery and our BMI's are in the normal category. My husband is 64 and I am 55 and we both realize we have been given a new beginning. We have decreased our health risk factors and increased our energy levels and generally our whole physical and mental outlook has skyrocketed! We bought bikes this summer and have increased our walking and exercise activity which now comes much easier for both of us. I am currently taking a yoga class and can't believe how I no longer have to struggle with the back pain I lived with for so many years! We started going to the support group at St. Francis Hospital prior to our surgery and continue to do so. While doing so enables us to answer questions of others who are considering having surgery or scheduled to have the surgery we are also able to talk to people who have had the surgery and gain both informative as well as emotional support from them and the staff from Dr. Raftopoulos' office that are present. We are ever grateful to have our lives back!"
Nancy and John Lewis
"I've always been a little on the heavy side since I was a boy. As an adult the problem steadily worsened and by the time I was in my 40's the pounds really began to add up more rapidly than at any time before. This was despite of the numerous diets and exercise regiments I committed myself to. As the years progressed, I was periodically finding myself in shock and alarm as I grappled with an even new higher weight number. After a time I would grow accustomed to the new higher weight but always with a sense of helplessness and hopeless acceptance. Finally, at age 54 and at 5'6'' tall, I found myself at nearly 260 pounds and not feeling very well. And so, I decided to do something about it once and for all. That of course was gastric by-pass surgery."
"Like most people nowadays, I started researching on the internet. I learned as much as I could about the surgery and the various hospital/ doctor options in my geographical area. It was then that I discovered Dr. Raftopoulos at the Bariatric Department at Saint Francis Hospital. So then I made my decision to have my surgery at Saint Francis."
"It was only after the surgery that realized how incredibly lucky I was to have found not only a surgeon such as Dr. Raftopoulos, but the whole team of Doctors at Saint Francis. They are truly a cut above the general practitioners and specialists I had grown accustomed to in the medical field. For instance, prior to the surgery, I would typically carry in my wallet, a list of prescribed medications I had to routinely take. This made it easier whenever I visited a new doctor, so that an overview of the medications I was taking could be seen at a glance. Obviously, many doctors viewed my list, but it was a doctor at Saint Francis who instantly noted a cross error I had typed on my list. They really know their stuff."
"And as far as Dr. Raftopoulos is concerned, he must be the best at what he does. Competent, proficient, scientific and deeply personal and approachable only begins to describe him as a Doctor and bariatric surgeon. In fact the entire teams of specialist from the bariatric department, such as Judy the nutritionist, are really amazing."
"My surgery went extremely well, thanks to Dr. R. I checked in at 6:00 am and was released the following day at 3:00 pm. This I'm sure could only be possible with laparoscopic surgery. I also did my best to comply with all the Doctor's instructions throughout the process."
"I now weigh in at about 169 pounds!!! I never thought I would be thin again, and what a difference. I'm so much more mobile and energetic, not to mention the psychological benefits. In short, for me, the surgery was a NEW LEASE ON LIFE. And about that list of medications I would carry with me. I threw the list away... after receiving my doctor's consent."
John B. Sitaras
Attorney at Law.
"After attending various weightloss seminars in the Hartford area I chose to have my surgery at the St Francis Bariatric Center of Excellence with Dr. Raftopoulos. I found him to be knowledgeable, informative and very straightforward during the initial seminar and subsequent appointments."
"From my first appointment I knew that I had made the right choice. He spent time going over the pros and cons of both the lap band and gastric bypass surgeries and made sure I knew what was best for me and that I had a good understanding of the procedure. His research and database of results showed a commitment to his science. I had gastric bypass surgery and a repair to an umbilical hernia in Feb 2008. Surgery was a success and his follow up at the hospital and at home was excellent. I have not had a single complication. I loved the fact that I was giving a pager to reach him directly and when I used it he was very prompt in returning my calls. He also called me several times just to make sure I was doing well. He stresses the importance of aftercare and will follow my progress for the rest of my life. Not all surgeons have as thorough of an aftercare plan."
"Everyone at the office is wonderful and dedicated to the patients. Andrea and Judy are knowledgeable and responsive. They go out of their way to make sure that I have everything I need for a successful journey and in addition run an excellent support group."
"It has been 10 months since my surgery and I am down 118 lbs and with the support and follow up from everyone in Dr. R's practice I will reach my goal and live an obesity free life. I am glad I chose Dr. Raftopoulos and would highly recommend him and his staff to anyone who is contemplating surgery."
Nancy O'Brien