"My first impression of Dr. O'Connell was great. He's all business but nice. Extremely knowlegeable in his field, gastro surgery. My impression of him and his staff only gets better. I wish he were closer to my home but his office is only an hour away. Not too bad. Future potential patients should know that he and his office are very busy and getting busier so it's important to be patient for your appointment. The personalized attention is when you meet with your surgeon.
His program (Renew) emphasizes aftercare a lot. They feel it's so important they make you sign a contract and give them $300 that you get back as you fulfill the requirements of the contract. If you don't sign the contract you won't have the surgery there. Aftercare was one of my biggest concerns. I've always been able to lose the weight but never have been able to keep it off. So I need this kind of structured aftercare program to help me establish new habits and a new way of life.
As far as addressing the risks of surgery, they have a very informative video you watch before you have your consultation. In my case, I had done so much research and read everything I could get my hands on that I really didn't have any questions or surprises.
Overall I think Dr. O'Connell is outstanding. I think surgical competence beats bedside manner somewhat but both are very important. Dr. O'Connell is looking for a commitment from you before he moves forward. As long as you're making the effort to change your life habits he'll be there for you.
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