Hello all,

I had J pouch surgery at Cleveland Clinic in FL. Supposedly very good surgeons, but very poor follow up and only residents. I have a wonderful GI doctor, but he (as most) has limited knowledge about us! Any suggestions?

I was in the hospital just last weekend and had a new GI doc. He seems to be knowledgable. I have an appointment with him on Tuesday. He's in Coral Springs. I'll let you know more when I see him for the follow-up.

I'm surprised you can't find a good GI at the CCF. I had my surgery there and my surgeon totally rocks!!

Have you tried Dr. Charles? He is damn good. I also went to CC Ohio to see Dr Shen for a second opinion. He said Dr Charles was doing the right thing.

UNfortunately my pouchitis wouldn't go away and I am back to the ileo .. but life is much better .. pm me if you need more help .. I know the whole department at CCF pretty well.

Hello,

Sorry I have not been on the site for a while. My surgeon at CCF was Dr. Wexner. Supposed to be the best, but there is absolutely no follow up there. You only get to see the rotating fellows or residents, and no one understands or cares about pouchitis. I have a good GI doctor, but also limited knowledge of pouchitis. Can you give me Dr. Charles's number? Sorry that we are both suffering, but it is wonderful to have a buddy in South FL.

Dr Charles is at 954-659-5642
PM me if you need to chat ... life is way better for me now, I can't imagine how much hell it was with the pouchitis. Ugh.

I am currently seeing Dr. Charles at CCF for chronic pouchitis and other GI issues. He is a great listener and will work with you to take care of the this.
I also saw my surgeon at CCF for a while when I had pouchitis but felt it was better to try a reliable GI and Ucfree recommended Dr. Charles...

Thanks.

Hi and thank you. I have an appointment w Dr. Charles on 6/2. Will love to chat w you some more about your experiences.

I live in Sarasota, FL, and I am currently having pouch problems (i.e., bleeding ulcers). I am looking for a good pouch doctor in FL. I think I might go see Dr. Charles. Let me know how it goes Willow. Also, does anyone have recommendations for other good doctors/clinics in FL?

Dr. Juan Nogueras at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston is my surgeon and has always done my follow-up appointments. I had a j-pouch made in 1992. Had complications from a j-pouch/vaginal fistula and received a permanent ileostomy in 2007. Dr. Nogueras removed my j-pouch, which was a difficult surgery because the pouch has adhered to the vagina (from the fistula and scar tissue from many repair surgeries). Dr. Nogueras did an excellent job. I think he has been made Chief of the Department now too. When I need to see him, I drive down from Merritt Island, FL. The Cleveland Clinic and his staff are very accomodating. My husband and I usually stay at a hotel the night before and see him and a stoma nurse the next day.

Caty