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

6/23/03
I finally saw Dr Veninga for the first time. He seemed very knowledgable about the procedure. His nurse Barbara was very nice. He was kinda discouraging because of my insurance company (CIGNA HMO). He said it is very hard to get approved with them.

My first impression was very good. I called his office because of one of his patients works with me and speaks very highly about him. She said he is very caring. Before I called his office I was very discouraged. I was told that Cigna HMO does not approve this surgery. The nurse I spoke with said that Dr Veninga does take Cigna HMO and they do approve this surgery depending on the medical info they received. She is sending the packet for me to take the first step in having this surgery.

My first impression of Dr. Veninga was that he seemed very abrupt. Then as my consultation continued, he seemed to be my choice of "looser"! He is very easy going and very informative. His office staff is simply wonderful. I can't say that there was anything that I didn't like about Dr. Veninga. He is into this procedure because his sister had it done several years ago and he saw the impact it had in her life. When he did my surgery, he still wasn't certified to do it lap. That may have changed by now. He is very good at discussing the risks and aftercare. He does have an aftercare program, but I moved and didn't get to participate. I would rate him overall with a big ol' 10! As far as his competence, he has been a surgeon for nearly 20 years and his bedside manner is wonderful! If I had to say anything negative at all, I would have to say that I was very distraught over the fact that the anesthesiologist never saw or spoke to me prior to my first surgery date. That was of huge importance to me. I backed out and left the preop area, because I hadn't seen them. When Dr. Veninga came to see me right before the surgery, and I told him I was uncomfortable having the surgery right then, because of not seeing the anesthesiologist, he got me rescheduled and had them call me a week before my second date, and then everything went fine!

After my first consult with Dr. Veninga on Nov. 28, 2001 I was sure he would be the surgeon I was going to use. However, he took a leave of absence for a while. I was so disappointed. I consulted with several other surgeons within the next two years and when I discovered Dr. Veninga was back I called and made an appointment (with my approval letter in hand). I'm scheduled to see him May 1st and will begin my pre-op testing. I am so thankful Dr. Veninga is back. I would highly recommend him. His office staff, Barbara and Denise are wonderful to work with. They're helpful, enthusiastic, and sincere.

My opinion about Dr. Veninga and his staff: My first impression of Dr. Veninga is that he is very calming. He has a great bedside manner, and made me laugh several times! His office staff was helpful at any time I called, even with the most unusual questions. The only thing I disliked about him is he seems to be consistently late to appointments.

Dr. V was very clear and concise about the various risks of surgery, including talking about possible death. However, he exudes such an air of confidence that I have no qualms whatsoever about that possibility.

OH MY, someone slap me on the hand... I have let a TON of time go by~~ I had surgery by Dr. V on 11/9/01. I have lost about 120 lbs and LOVE MY SURGEON... He has a GREAT & OFFBEAT sense of humor and he is just great. His nurse, Barbara, is an angel also and will do anything she can to help. If anyone would like to talk more about Dr.V, I would be GLAD to !!
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I have only managed to get my initial consultation date. I am going to see Dr.V. On May 29th !! I cannot wait to meet him to see this get closer !!

I had my first visit with Dr. Veninga Jan 31, 2003. He was very cordial and knowledgeable. His nurse, Barbara was very nice also. He just moved his offices to Carrollton, TX. This was the intial visit so I don't feel that I can completely answer all the questions asked. I am very happy with Dr. Veninga and his staff so far. He advised me to have a sleep test and he wants me to visit the psychologist he refered me to. Unfortunately, the psychologist is out of my insurance network so I will probably have to pay out of pocket. I hope this is all worth it. He also wants me to visit with a nutritionist before the procedure. All I have to do now is have the sleep test and meet with the psychologist. Then I will wait for my insurance to approve the procedure. I have Unicare and from what I understand it won't take long after they have all the information faxed to them. This has been a very stressful process. It took me 5 months to find a surgeon and to add to that a surgeon without a waiting list for next year or 2005 even. I just thank God things are moving along finally.

I liked Dr. Veninga very much and had attended his support group before my initial consultation.
The consultation was very informative and I felt very positive about everything to do with my experience at Dr. Veninga's office.
His staff was wonderful.
I felt things were moving smoothly, when I received a letter about 2 weeks after my consultation stating that Dr. Veninga was taking a leave of absence for 3 to 6 months.
Of course I'm concerned for him and wondering why the leave of absense and I'm disppointed that everything is put on hold, as he was the only bariatric surgeon that my insurance seemed to come up with (as far as one who took all the plans on United.)
If anyone has United Healthcare and is on the EPO plan and has found a surgeon in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas area, I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you,
Tonya

Dr. Veninga & his staff were wonderful. Barbara was so nice. Truly enjoyed my visit with them.

My first impression was that dr. V was a little strange but very honest and straight forward which meant a lot to me. Everyone at his office was very friendly and helpful at all times. I would say that the whole experience with Dr. V was a good one and an informative one.