Frank Veninga Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Veninga came across with me as a very caring, personable professional. He told me that his sister had this surgery and that others in his family probably needed to have it, so I got the impression he knew where I was coming from. I have only had one visit with him and he took his time and explained the procedure in detail and gave me a folder crammed full of information on what to expect pre- and post-operatively. His office staff was very nice and have continued to be so during my most recent phone conversations. The only negative thing I can say about my consultation is that he threw in some medical terms that were way over my head and he didn't really stop to explain some of the terminology he used. (I work in a health care related field, so he may have been testing me...lol) His office does have an aftercare support group that meets I believe 2x a month and he encourages all patients to attend before and after sugery. He did address the different risks associated with this surgery and the lifetime commitment it is going to require to lose and maintain the loss. So far, he rates a 9 out of 10.

I think Dr. Veninga is GREAT! He spends a
lot of time with his patients, he is
very honest and experinced. I would
recommend him as a very caring and compent
surgeon.

I liked Dr. Veninga immediately after meeting him at their first support group. I had my first appointment with him last week, and found him to be knowledgeable, compassionate, thorough, lighthearted, and reassuring. He truly listened to me, and made me feel very comfortable. His nurse, Barbara, is great, too! My appointment was at 1:30, and I didn't leave until 3:15!

4/3/01...I am just over 3 months post-op. Surgery went very smoothly, and Dr. Veninga has been very thorough and caring. My husband (had same surgery the day before I did) and I rate him a 10!

I had my first appt with Dr Veninga the morning after one of his support group meetings. At the meeting, the first hour was about the surgery and then the second hour was for pre-op and post-op to share and ask questions of each other. Thought it was a little unorganized but it will get better. Dr. Veninga is very easy to talk with and so is his office staff. He let me ask whatever kind questions I wanted. My uncle, a doctor, wanted to know about about surgical complications and any deaths. No deaths from his WLS patients but he is also a general surgeon. Dr Veninga seems very laid back but at the same time seems to know what he is talking about. He explained the different procedures available and went over the risks associated with each one. He performed his first gastric bypass in August 2000 I did not feel put down by him as I have from some other doctors. I am not a 100% sure about his aftercar program yet. I plan to investigate other avenues on that as well. Barbara is very nice, a little busy with all the different patients. I dealt with Beth a good bit trying to get the insurance approved. She is wonderful I followed up with her letting her know that I was working on getting the information to her as quickly as possible. She was very good about understanding the need for privacy and not being able to discuss certain things at work. I called her in my car most of the time.

3-8-01 Consult with Dr Veninga, he is WONDERFUL!! I am a nurse and have dealt with alot of dr's in my time. He is very down to earth, yet extremely funny and easy going. Approved 3-26-01. Surgery will be 4-11-01. His office staff are on the ball!!!

<p><b>March 16, 2001</b><p>

I met Dr. Veninga for the first time yesterday. My appointment was for 1:30 but Dr. Veninga had been called away for emergency surgery and I was asked to return at 3pm. When I returned Dr. Veninga was not back yet. I finally got to see him at about 4:15. He was very apologetic, a rarity for a doctor, in my experience. I liked him immediately. Even though he was running behind and had several patients to see, he took time to go over the procedure thoroughly and to answer all my questions. His office staff was also very nice. I'm looking forward to the procedure with such a nice doctor.

I first met Dr. Veninga in 1996. I was referred to him for treatment of lymphedema of my legs. When he entered the examining room....I expected the usual dismissive attitude so often encountered by obese patients. Boy oh boy was I surprised....he not only took the time to explain to me in great detail what my disease was about...and how it happened...but he came and took my hand, and really talked to ME about what was going on. I nearly fainted from surprise. I continued to see him and on each visit...I grew more fond of him, more impressed with his knowledge, more respectful of his humility (when he does not know something, he admits it and then tries to find out for you, more familiar with his wonderful sense of humor that is tempered with deep caring of all his patients...and more knowledgeable of the wonderful caring staff with whom he surrounds himself. When you visit his office...you are made to feel comfortable...you feel he has all the time in the world..just for YOU.
I saw Dr. Veninga off and on since that initial visit...the problem with lymphedema did not improve....and I continued to gain weight. Summer of 2000 when I returned to him and learned he was doing the roux en y procedure...It was a light bulb moment!!!!
I knew this surgeon would be my angel. I had so much faith in him and his ability. He explained everything in great detail.... The risks, the complications that could occur. He described what eating would be like afterwards and the fact that aftercare would be very important. The support group meets on the third Thursday of the month at Plano Presbyterian Hospital. It is very helpful to everyone who attends whether they are pre or post op. Dr. Veninga is a competent surgeon, he is thoughtful and does the very best he can for all his patients. I know everyone I have met who is post op loves him.....not only for what he has done for us all, but for his sincere caring nature.

Dr. Frances (Frank) Veninga was referred to me by my PCP Dr. T. Anne Myint of Lewisville. It took only 2 weeks to get into see him for the initial consult. Dr. Veninga and his staff seem very warm and understanding. He seemed not only competent, but "human". He is relatively new to the field of bariatric surgery (He is board certified and an associate member of the ASBS), but I felt comfortable with him. He spent an hour w/my husband and I explaining the surgery (open RNY is the only one he does) and what I should expect in terms of weight loss. Dr. Veninga hosts a support group the 3rd Thursday of every month for both people interested in bariatric surgery and for post-ops. I had my consult on Jan 23rd and my surgery is scheduled for Feb 26th. I will post more about this MD after I am post-op.

I feel Dr. V, does an excelent job of educating, he has a large support group that meets once a month, which is very helpful when trying to make that final decision. He has great bedside manners and spends what ever time necessary to make you and your family members feel comfortable and informed.

His office staff is very helpful and never difficult to get in touch with.

I rate him as an excellent surgeon and individual.

Just had firt appointment , he will be submitting letter to my insurance (UHC) for approval and said I should hear back in approximately 2 weeks. He said that he had done about 19 open RnY surgeries and had gotten into doing these surgeries after his sister had one a few years ago. He seemed very nice, and spent a lot of time explaining the proceedure itself, the possible risks, the change in my lifestyle this would mean , and recomended I attend a support group in my area. He gave me a packet of info on the surgery .
It especially focused on your diet after surgery and its importance to sucess or failure with this surgery. His staff also seemed very nice and helpful. I chose him because I live in Ft Worth and could not find a surgeon in my area . He sees patients in Plano and Carrollton and does surgeries in both cities. Overall at this point I would rate him an 8.