"My first impression of Dr. Weiner was good in that he listened to me carefully why I explained why I wanted weight loss surgery. My first consultation with him was to see about having the Lap Band surgery. He took time to explain why it was not appropriate for someone my size as I would lose only half the weight that I wanted to lose. He then told me about all the various surgeries he performs and suggested Duodenal Switch as a good option for me based on our talk and a survey I had sent to him online. He gave me a book on the DS which I scoured and spent hours on Obesity Help and other DS forums before I made my final decision. He did address the risks of surgery and we talked about my overall excellent health and chances for a successful outcome versus the diabetes I was destined for since both parents have this and I was more than 300 lbs.rnrnDr. Weiner is rare in that he is a busy surgeon who answers emails promptly and takes time to make sure patients are comfortable with every aspect of their WLS journey.rnrnI left the hospital five days post-op with a date for follow up a month later knowing that follow ups are required also at three, six and 12 months post op.rnrnrnI found it a bit frustrating dealing with his secretary Mrs. Pohl-Ziegler at times as I wasn't getting some questions answered even after asking them several times and trying to re-word them so she would understand. I am assuming this was a language barrier since she is German and I found her English in emails to be barely adequate.rnrnFor me, surgical competence is way more important than bedside manner. I had so much faith in Dr.Weiner's techinical skill that I didn't care if he ever cracked a smile or said a kind word to me. You want someone who knows exactly what they are doing when they are literally holding your life in their hands.rnrn"
"The staff I dealt with all spoke English, some better than others but at no time was I worried that I would not be taken care of properly because of a language barrier."
