I got a gastric bypass from Dr. Hamilton on 8/22/22 and two this day. My stomach has never been right. They did not tell me first of all that I would not be able to metabolize a medication I was taking and I would almost die of an overdose. Then I had a staple found in my stomach and an endoscopy that they did. And they charged me for it. Finally, my stomach has never been the same. I have so much more acid, difficulty digesting, constantly feeling nauseous after I eat. Just a lot of different complications. I do take licorice root of all things and this does help my stomach some. Plus, I have medication for nausea now. But it's not fun going through pain every single day after you eat no matter how much you eat. I even had trouble taking pills now. I would not recommend these people. I think this is a chop shop to tell you the truth. They do more procedures at this office than any other office in the United States. What should that tell you? I figured they know what they were doing, but I think I was wrong. read more

Let me preface my comments here with the fact that I think gastric bypass surgery was the best thing that ever happened to me -- I just wish I'd known from the beginning that this was a Lot more complicated than they Ever told me. I had gastric bypass surgery in February of 2013. At the age of 48. When I originally started the process I was 5'2 and 346#. At the time of surgery I was about 20# less. Dr Hoen is an excellent surgeon, an his team is great as well. I will say the appt scheduling, front desk staff and billing staff are less than exceptional. At that time the did have the seminars - and they made the whole process sound painless and either glossed over or skipped completely the less savory parts. I remember being told the process would eliminate things like gremlin - that hunger pangs would go away forever. This might be the case during the honeymoon period but they do return long term. I after a few follow up surgeries- hernia, strictures, etc I did reach a low of about 150, the goal originally set. At that time I was ready for a pannicolectomy - during the seminar they promised they would have a surgeon on staff to do such surgeries-- they did not. Instead I went to a plastic surgeon and had an "outpatient procedure." The evening after I developed a hemorrhage and was back in the hospital on life support. After this I was in the hospital for a week and in rehab for 6 weeks. Right after I has recovered from that I had another hernia operation, which one of the bariatric surgeons did "open surgery" which completely destroyed my newly rebuilt belly button. Not long after that I had another hernia surgery by the same bariatric doctor, where he repaired the hernia an the placed a mesh patch over it. During all of this I experienced the same compassionate care from the surgeons and their support staff, and the same frustrating front desk indifference. After all this, I was down to 135 and looked like I was on the verge of death. People would come up to me in public and off to "help" me because they thought I looked too weak to manage on my own. I have in last couple of years regained some weight and am currently trying to lose it again. read more

I am writing this on behalf of my husband, who just had surgery on Tuesday. Ours is not a simple process, but one that a year from seminar to surgery. This is of no fault to Dr. Aragon or the Bariatric Center. In fact, if it weren't for them, a serious diagnosis may not have been discovered until a more critical stage. My husband's insurance covered the surgery, with the regular standard of 6 months monitored-not a diet plan- weight management with a registered dietitian. He was required to do the sleep study, EGD, Echo and labs--all standard regardless what prior reviewers stated. Each month we went to see the dietitian, gain more knowledge, make sure there was no weight gain and be back the following month. It was clearly explained that any weight loss prior to surgery was of course ok, just no weight gain. It is for the purpose of showing that a patient is ready mentally to make the change. Anyway, we had reached the 6 month mark and had blood work done to give a final go ahead to schedule surgery. That blood work showed incredibly high white blood cell number and this became a concern. We were referred to an Oncologist Hematologist. Unfortunately, the 1st one we went to was not worth mentioning. The doctor we ended up with is amazing! My husband has CLL-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. This was devastating news, but the doctor assured us that with the right treatment, surgery could still happen. It took several months, lots of labs, a bone marrow biopsy and medication, but his numbers started dropping and the oncologist was more than happy to provide a letter and phone call that my husband was cleared for surgery. The entire time, Dr. Aragon and the staff at BC of KS kept in touch and didn't push him aside. We had maybe 1 hiccup with the staff, but that happens at times. Surgery went great, the staff pre op and post op are tops in our books! Considering we are in this new society where masks are a day to day needed place, we weren't sure if I would be able to stay or not. There was no issue with me staying after surgery. I waited from pre op time to when he was brought to his room after surgery. The entire staff was friendly, compassionate, caring and like their jobs! This is not something found in regular hospital settings anymore, or at least not often. These individuals enjoy their work and it shows. Dr. Aragon, could not ask for a better surgeon/physician. Wonderful bedside manner and ability to explain without using only medical terms. We are just beginning this new journey and can't wait to see where it takes us! All we can say is thank you! We can say that a major diagnosis was discovered and getting treated, a daily amount of at least 9 prescription meds-mostly diabetic related-have been stopped and our life has a wonderful new start! read more

Dr. Hoehn did my gastric sleeve surgery as well as several of my friends and family that I've referred. Dr. Aragon operated on my daughter. I've never come across a more caring and compassionate group of medical professionals in my life, and I've had 20 surgeries, so I've met more than a few. If you are struggling with weight, tired of feeling like a yo-yo and ready to change your life, this is the place. My bestie from high school was just taken back for her surgery!!! read more

Dr. Aragon is an amazing surgeon! He's very kind and caring and thorough. Honestly, I did not expect such amazing bedside manners from a surgeon. He takes the time to get to know you. The entire OR team makes you feel safe for such a big surgery. The post-op staff are amazing. They make you feel right at home and take care of you and your loved ones. It was a breeze. Dr. A and his team are fantastic! If they're excellent, why not 5 stars? Well, it's hard to work with the front desk that can't explain why they're charging you. They stare at you like a deer in headlights. The case manager and medical assistants make you run around because they didn't give you the right information on something as simple as a lab order. Really rude nutritionist who lacks any compassion and should probably not be there unless you want to feel ashamed. High turnover of NPs so you don't have any continuity. The billing is all over the place and hard to track. They might even accidentally send you to collections. Oops. Their EMR is extremely outdated and useless. They do not do any appointment reminders so you're on your own. They're not good at answering calls (awful phone tree) or following up with patients (don't hold your breath because they'll never call you back). It's frustrating working with them to say the least. Edit: I now have debt collectors harassing me even though I do not owe the hospital any money. Advent Health is not taking any responsibility for their errors. tl:dr Dr. Aragon is an amazing surgeon! Find your follow up care elsewhere to avoid the nightmare. read more

According to my insurance company at the time, this is one of the best bariatric centers in the US, and it shows. I was lucky enough to get Dr. Stanley Hoehn, the founded of The Bariatric Center of Kansas, as my surgeon, and I cannot express how happy I am with him and the process. But, before I go on, let me tell you my story. I was big, and I mean big. I had ballooned to nearly 400lbs at my largest, with a BMI I'm too embarrassed to tell you here. I felt like a prisoner in my own body, and I decided I needed a change because I was wasting the most precious time in my life (my youth). Luckily, my insurance covered Gastric Bypass, but I had to figure out where to go. At the time, I was living in Kansas City, MO, but I was from the DFW area, which has A LOT of options for that surgery. After doing my research, and speaking with my insurance on multiple occasions, I landed on The Bariatric Center of Kansas. The process is long, but needed. You will have to go to multiple meetings, including, the original large meeting that gives you a rundown of the process, and then psychological evaluations, nutritionist meetings, and a few doctor's appointments for blood tests and procedures to ensure that you are mentally and physically ready for the life changing surgery you are about to receive. The key, for me at least, was realizing that with this body change, you also have to change your mindset as well. You can't take this surgery as some sort of magic pill. It's not. It's a tool for your heath and your overweight recovery. This is not an easy process, but my insurance covered most of this, and I just needed to pay my co-pays. The key for me was selecting an insurance that covered this procedure, and with the exchanges, I had some options. Even if you're on an employer program, you may want to check out your exchange to see if there is one that has better bariatric coverage because it's a rather niche coverage. In fact, many insurances don't even cover it. You need to ask questions and ensure that you know exactly what your costs are going to be before you get the surgery. This requires a little bit of tenacity on your side, but the center doesn't know what you don't know, so ask questions. After the crazy number of pre-stuff you have to go through, you finally get to the surgery. You're only in there for about 24 hours though, and everyone at the surgery center is amazing. It was painful, uncomfortable, and embarrassing. But, I really felt like they took as good of care as me as possible. The room was large, super comfortable, and I got to watch the sun rise. What more could you want? Now, I've read some of the negative reviews, and they are spot on with the wait times. They definitely overbook, but that's because they are one of the best, and as a result, busiest bariatric centers in the Midwest. You're going to wait, period. That is what it is, but you're also going to be happy with your results. And, after all, isn't that what truly matters. PLUS, post-op, when you need to start having your cosmetic surgeries to remove skin, the first one you need (the midsection) is only $5,000 for patients!!! Yes, $5,000! That alone is reason enough to pick this place. They truly care about you and want you to be successful, from pre-op, to post-op, to looking hot in that bathing suit, they're there for you. All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this place, and of course, Dr. Hoehn. He's the best, no bullsh*t. read more

Dr. Aragon did my RNY (gastric bypass) Oct. 31, 2019. He and his staff were the best. They stayed in touch with me to make sure that all of my questions were answered. I never experienced one complication. I am very pleased with the Bariatric Center of Kansas City. I have researched this group for over 15 years. I am 65 years old and finally qualified because I am now on Medicare. If you want an understanding team, that has your best interest in mind, this is the place to put your well-being in the best of hands. read more

The surgery center that the surgery is done through will not take payments after the fact. I think this place has a lot going for it. I have almost completed the process but have not run into a huge snag. For those of you that have a high deductible insurance policy. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT ALL SAVED before starting the process as Shawnee Mission Medical Center (where the surgery is done) WILL NOT take payment arrangements after the fact. I MUST be paid in full prior to getting the surgery. This is not something they stress to you and since the seminar stated they will work with you no matter what. I made the mistake in thinking that was a payment plan even for someone with insurance. This is most certainly not the case. I have paid out $1,500 just to discover I may not be able to raise my remaining 5000 by the end of the year and therefore will be out $1,500 and will not be able to get this surgery at all. read more

This surgery changed my life in the best possible way ever. I have been obese most of my adult life. I was recommended by a friend and after researching The Bariatric Center of Kansas City I decided to go to the seminar and see what it's all about. The doctors all introduced themselves and told him they have this down to a science. I took the big leap and signed up. Surgery was a success and my over night stay was one of the best I have ever experienced. The nurses and staff took very good care of me.i have gone from a size 22 to a size 10 in little under 2 years. I look and feel great. I have recommended the Center to several friends who also took the big leap too. If you are over weight I recommended you go to the seminar and see what the doctors have to say. It's well worth your time and effort. read more

I hesitate to write this review since I am still pending surgery. But I feel that I just can't wait longer to let other people know about what they need to do. However, that being said, I am NOT giving a negative rating to the services of the surgeon or the Shawnee Mission hospital portion of the procedure. First, I have to say that I live 2 hours away and am getting much of the preparatory work done locally. That means I need the directions faxed to the local specialists and then they have to fax the results back to KC Bariatric. It's not the most ideal situation, but it is better than driving 2 hours to talk to someone for a few minutes. When I do have to travel to Lenexa, they used to make certain that I could have two appointments on the same day if possible. However, as I started getting the routing testing done I found that I have to call almost daily to check to see if results have been received and added to my file. One reason is that the directions to the specialists sometimes don't arrive at all and then they are incomplete and leave the specialists not knowing what is required. Then I have to continually follow-up to make sure the results were returned to KC Bariatric and that they were what was needed. At least one time I was told by my case manager, Sandy Lange, that everything was completed when it came to the sleep study so I relied on that and let things go. It wasn't until 3 weeks later when all other requirements were met that Sandy told me things were not completed for that requirement and then I had to go back and get things straightened out. Then my Sandy Lange told me she'd moved my file to the sleep coordinator, who told me she hadn't seen the rile at all. After a few calls, she finally got the file and returned it to Sandy. Sandy then said she'd moved the file to the scheduler, Nicole Daniels, when in fact Nicole said she did not have it. I had to call Sandy again to finally get her to send the file to Nicole Then it took a week for the Nicole to call me to schedule the surgery. Nicole scheduled me for a date without, apparently, looking at my file. I went on the two-weel liver-shrinking diet relying on the scheduled surgery date. Five days prior to the scheduled surgery date, seven days into the liver-shrinking diet, I was called and told that due to my circumstances they couldn't do the surgery on that date. My issue is that the Nicole had my entire file, according to Sandy, and had Nicole merely checked the situation before scheduling the surgery date she would have known beforehand that the date was unsuitable. But she told me that was not her job and that Sandy should have let her know this was a special situation. My son had rescheduled his work schedule. I had rescheduled my schedule. We had given away all our food that I might eat during the liver-reduction diet (quite a bit of food, actually). All for naught. When I was called by Nicole and told that the surgery needed to be rescheduled, Nicole implied the doctor didn't want me inconvenienced over the Thanksgiving holiday. When I responded to the change by asking if this was an issue where the doctor was worried about my missing the holidays I was immediately transferred to the case manager supervisor, Dustin, without any explanation or answer to my question. Of course, I was transferred to the wrong number so that didn't help. Dustin explained things in a matter of minutes. That could not be farther from the truth. What I was originally told by Dr. Hamilton, perhaps via Sandy, was that I was to have a laparoscopic surgery which cannot be done due to a previous (very old) surgery which is being repaired. I was told I'd be in the hospital overnight. Now Dustin, the case manager, explained that I may be in the surgical center for a few days, most likely due to the fact that I will likely be having an open surgery. I was told I'd be going home Wednesday evening after a Tuesday surgery. Now they explained that the entire facility shuts down on Wednesday at noon -- a direct contradiction to previous information. Then I had to speak with the Nicole again and we got the surgery scheduled -- not at the earliest possible date, but two weeks later. Therefore, my 8 days on the liver-shrinking diet were totally worthless, unless I planned to remain on it for an entire month. Nicole Daniels never apologized for the error, simply claiming it was due to someone else, Sandy, not providing the information. The doctor did not go out of his way to give me the earliest possible surgery date but just gave me the next available date. I hope that I have complete faith in the surgeon and that the staff won't hold this against me. But I have to warn other patients that they must be on their case day in and day out. Don't rely on telephone calls because they are not returned. Always email and hold on to them for your records. I have never had a return phone call from my messages, only from my emails. Disgusting service! read more

Not really happy with their customer service. Botched appointment times, get voice mail most of the time.

Due to other medical reasons I gained a lot of weight and was facing some serious health concerns. I was restricted in my options to lose the weight and decided surgery was necessary before the risks with the weight gain became more severe. After doing a bunch of research I narrowed the options down to two places, The Bariatric Center of Kansas City was the only one that would take my insurance. The surgery has been a success and that is the only positive thing about this place. The first step in the process is to attend a seminar. During this seminar they paint a picture of the costs and what to expect with the surgery, diets, exercise, etc. The picture they paint of the costs is terribly unrealistic. Many things that are a part of the process are not included in the price and must be paid separately. The price ideas they give do not include the surgical testing and counseling, the doctor monitoring while in the hospital, and many other things. It is still worth it, but I have to wonder how many people start the process and pay some of the fees, but can not continue due to the hidden costs. It is very much a used car salesman pitch feel. When I went to get my pre-surgical blood they told me I could have a light lunch being my appointment was late in the day. When my tests came back days before the surgery, the doctor said my tests were not within guidelines and I would need to get a release from my PCP to have the surgery. I knew there was no way the blood work was accurate, no way I could get in to see my PCP prior to surgery for a general consult, and after more conversation we realized the problem with the blood work was due to not fasting. Still they said a release from my PCP was required. After some more discussion over how this was their failure, they agreed to do the blood work again. I went in for my second round of blood work. I am a very hard stick and always inform the people doing the sticking of this. Sometimes it leads to just a couple of sticks, and occasionally someone takes the time to really find a good place in order to get things done in one stick. This time, after multiple tries the lady finally gets the blood flowing and all of her tubes filled. With the tubes in one hand and the other hand full of things that need to be properly disposed of, she opens the little container on the wall and puts the blood tubes in it instead of the trash. This meant more pokes. Surgery day came and I showed up still unsure if the blood work was acceptable or if I would be sent home. No one bothered to call me with the results and initially they were unsure if I was even going to have surgery. Finally everything was ok'ed and I had my surgery. This was a very frustrating experience as you are placed on a very strict liquid diet for weeks before the surgery. If the surgery would have had to be rescheduled, this would have meant starting the process over. The actual surgery part of this facility and the nurses that take care of patients after surgery are great. You do not see your surgeon again after you have surgery. There is a separate surgeon that checks on you afterwards (that you have to pay separately for) and your follow up appointments are with the doctor's nurse practitioner, student, whatever he is. You can count on spending a lot of time at the doctor's office when you have follow up appointments. They are never running on time and overbook terribly. Although the actual visit is less than 5 minutes, you will have at least an hour wait after your scheduled appointment time. Don't bother showing up early and don't fret being late. The nurse that takes you back is really sweet and seems to genuinely care. I feel bad that she is often the brunt of frustration from patients because of the greed machine that dictates the poor scheduling. Her concern and care is pretty much where it stops. There is absolutely no genuine empathy or concern from anyone else for the constant and absolute lack of respect for your time. It is very clear the concern is more about maximizing profit and not the patient. Would I recommend The Bariatric Center for this type of surgery, yes, I think they are very skilled in what they do and successful in the surgery process, but I would also set realistic expectations for the entire process and how much it will suck. In response to the business response. I did not request not to be contacted regarding my complaints. I made my complaints well known and no one cared. All that was said was sorry, that's the way it is or some variation. Implying that I did not read the material, is wrong and indicative of the service. read more

I only came here because this is the only clinic my insurance will pay for. Complete dog and pony show. My insurance requires 6 months of a supervised diet. I'm going to my 3 month apt on Friday. No diet. Met the surgeon - for 4 minutes 23 seconds. Took the scheduling dept THREE attempts to schedule my appointments within my insurance guidelines. That wreaked havoc with my employer!! And the scheduler is undoubtedly one of the nastiest humans ever placed on the earth. None of the scheduling problems was ever my fault - they just can't get their crap together here! I was told I needed a sleep study to satisfy the anesthesiologist's need to know if I have any breathing problems. I did that, returned the device and received a random call from a company telling me I needed a CPAP machine and if I wasn't compliant with wearing it, I couldn't have my surgery. The call didn't even come from a person in the clinic, but from an entirely different business!! NOT a requirement of my insurance company. Just something the clinic cooked up on its own. Does a CPAP makes things better during surgery? No. Does it do ANYTHING to prepare you for surgery? No. Just a random requirement - because the people who run this racket are in a position to demand WHATEVER they want - for money. They use the excuse that if you have sleep apnea, you need to have this mask in order to breathe better. Wonder why they didn't schedule me for a mammogram or a brain scan? Probably because they don't have a hook-up with the guy in radiology yet. The clinic owners also have a little racket called the "Don't Gain any Weight" policy. They don't put you on a diet - at all. But if you gain weight on one of your monthly weigh-ins, you have to start the 6 months process all over again. Money. Oh, and there is a one-time fee which cannot be billed to your insurance company for "administrative costs" - of $250. Like I said, I'm in my 3rd month of this carnival. And I'm totally self-supporting. The clinic has given me a figure of $4,000 at MOST that I will owe out-of-pocket after insurance. But like the other reviewer said, you find along the way - not up front - that there are costs you were never told about. Like sleep studies and CPAP machines and other labs and doctors and . . . you get the picture. So I could well end up in that group of people who has been scammed by this practice - who cannot afford all the *surprise* costs they have in store for me - and will have to walk away before I am able to obtain the surgery. Yes, I believe the surgeons are skilled. Dr. Hoehn says he can do a gastric sleeve in 20 minutes. I don't doubt that. When you're running the cattle through the chute, time really is of the essence. Update: Yesterday, 6/17, was my third month visit. I went early and settled in for the wait. No sooner had I arrived than the office manager - a really nice, well-intended woman, called me into her office. This lady actually CARES - and she has to balance the needs of the patient against the needs of a business. She had read the yelp review and wanted to clarify that the "No Weight Gain" policy is not theirs, but is one of the burdens placed on it's insureds by my insurance company. I told her the insurance representative had told me it is a rule of the clinic - either way, just because you've been approved for a medically necessary operation, does not mean that you will not be exposed to meaningless demands and restrictions. Be prepared to be pulled in both directions - you will be the taffy between the clinic and your insurance company. Part of my update today is about money - again. I received my first bill from the Center today. The total fee for my first "OFFICE/OUTPATIENT VISIT NEW" was $95.76. MY responsibility is $113.75. Yes, you read that right. I am being personally billed for 20% MORE than the total fee. How many people actually notice that they're paying MORE than the actual fee?? If you end up having to go to this clinic for your surgery, hold your wallet close, check your bills carefully and be prepared to jump through flaming hoops you were never even told existed. read more

October 1,2013 my life started to change for the better. I started to lose, and loss140lbs. I kept it of for three yrs. Then having back pain I took Naproxen for back pain. It caused me to have a ulcer and I couldn't eat meat and got to where I couldn't keep water down hardly. Went to the dr. and was told I needed the tube moved to another location away from the ulcer. After the next yr I made an appointment to see about having it done and was told my new insurance wouldn't work there. I was told in the very beginning that they take all insurances. Well when I needed them the worst they would not help me. I have Cigna now and they wouldn't take it. But would take at the time of surgery Humana? Seriously Health care that is mainly for the ones on Medicare? Now I am in limbo and gained weight back because I can't eat most meets. read more

Best decision of my life!! After a couple of years seeing multiple specialists and having multiple procedures and surgeries without getting results, my cardiologist, after a rather intense heart cath, informed me that I needed to lose weight but that my heart would not be able to handle the stress in going about it the traditional way. So, after researching bariatric centers and checking with my insurance for coverage, I chose The Bariatric Center at Shawnee Mission even though it was nearly a 4 1/2 hour drive from my home. I contacted the center, they emailed me the initial paperwork to save me a trip. Upon my initial visit to the center, Dr. Hamilton spent 30-45 minutes with me explaining the different procedure options to me and then discussed which would be best for myself and why he thought that way. He took the time to answer every one of my questions, regardless of how silly they may have seemed to him. After the doc and I were finished, my case worker, Angie came in and gave me a binder with detailed information regarding the center, costs, contact #'s, checklists, diet intructions, and other helpful information to make my journey easier. I was impressed that she had already contacted my specialists and insurance company and knew exactly what I needed to have in order to make sure my insurance company paid. My insurance required a minimum of 4 monthly appointments with physical therapy,dietician, and the doctor prior to authorizing payment for my surgery. The scheduling/case manager worked with me to get all of my appointments on the same day or on back to back days so that I wouldn't have to make multiple trips in a month. Everyone in physical therapy, the dietician (Laura), even the P.A (Dustin) were very kind and considerate. When I lost weight at a visit, they celebrated my loss as if they lost it as well. They really wanted me to be successful in my journey. Throughout the entire journey they were very friendly and accommodating, always considerate of my drive time and distance and how I was doing. The day of my surgery was no different. The staff was super friendly, explaining everything. The procedure took as long as was expected, my family was kept informed of the progress. During my recovery, after the typical hospital stay time was up, I was ready to be discharged, however, Dustin, the P.A. who had been seeing me in the clinic, wasn't comfortable discharging me because I was experiencing some nausea, so he talked me into staying another day. He was very concerned for my well-being. I never experienced any hidden fees as others have mentioned in their reviews. Everything was explained to me upfront and was also documented on paper in the binder that was given to me at my first visit. Yes, there is a fee that insurance does not pay, however, you are given months to pay it. My experience has been exceptional. I am now a little over a year post-op. The dietician, medical staff, and my case manager have always been there for me, even now. I can call or email anytime with questions and they will help. This was the best experience I have had. read more

A family member had a procedure here and we couldn't be more pleased with the service and results. Top notch in every aspect, very professional providers! read more