Lael Forbes Bariatric Surgeon MD

She seems very thorough and kind. She spent a lot of time with me and the visits were not rush, rush. rnrnEdit: Dr. Forbes is no longer with BGH. She went somewhere else.

Dr Forbes was WONDERFUL! She was kind and approachable and always seemed happy to see me at each check up. rnrnThe program at Buffalo General Hospital is quite strict...You are required to follow South Beach and exercise PRE-OP until they feel you are ready. I am so glad I ended up with this program though! I made myself healthier and stronger and better prepared for surgery. I lost 81 POUNDS preparing for my Gastric Bypass!!!rnrnUPDATE~rnrnDr Forbes left the practice a couple months ago. I now see DR. POSNER for my follow up appointments. He is even more awesome. I actually had him when I had my post op (2 months out) abcess and he was very kind to me. I was crabby and in alot of pain and he didn't let it phase him. He even said it was OK to YELL while he was hurting me (draining the abcess... I know it's gross, sorry TMI)rnrnAnyway...whoever you get, Buffalo General Comprehensive Weight Loss Program is the way to go if you are looking at surgeons in B~lo. They truly rock!

She's GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She appears to be very thorough. She and Dr. Posner answered questions after the Seminar for well over an hour. She was personable. she came right to people to answer their questions.rnrnI have an apt. with my Surgeon on May 11th, 2007. I hope and pray we can schedule a surgery date then.

Dr. Forbes is an awesome Dr. She tells you how it's going to be, and demands that you follow instruction. Dr. Forbes wants to make sure that you are going to be compliant as a pre op as well as post op. I have had many instances of having to call her, and she has met me every single time with a smile and a warm comment. Dr. Forbes and Dr. Posner are strict on people doing the South Beach diet and exercise program they set out for you during your consult. If you plan on being non compliant in the begining, be prepared to have a long wait. This diet and exercise regimine is crucial for you to meet and exceed your weightloss goals...and thiers.rn She was with me through every complication that I had making sure that I was ok. She is almost like a mother hen when things don't go right, but I truly appreciate her for that. She is very knowledgable at her craft, and is caring. I was very happy with all of my medical treatment. And was very happy that she did not hesitate to call on Dr. posner when she wasn't sure about something. I give her an A plus for all her efforts.There are no amount of words that I can say to you to thank you for giving me back a life where I am part of it and not sitting on the sidelines watching it go by. Thanks Dr. Forbes for making this possible for me. May God watch over those hands of yours as you give this wonderful gift to others.rnrnWith much love to you and your staff,rnMonicarn

Dr. Forbes is a very motivated person and gets you motivated. She requires alot of extras, but then is that not better? It took me over a year to get in to see her, and I am glad I did. I have a long way to go yet, I just started my testing and evaluations, but with her help and that of her staff I know that I will succeed.

I would recommend her on a dime.

When I first met Dr. Forbes, I immediately felt comfortable in her presence. She was very informative and did not sugar coat the risks of this surgery. I have not had surgery, but I am very confident in her surgical expertise and trust her completely. The staff at the office are just as professional and also make you feel like a person and not a number. I would recommend this practice to anyone considering WLS.

1st Impression: Very warm and talkative. She spent almost 2 hours with me and my husband on our first visit! My impression of her has changed over time. During my hospital stay, there was not a recliner in my room for me to sit in. And I wasn't given a "cough pillow" to hold against my abdomen. When she found me sitting in the low back chair in my room without the pillow, she was quite upset! I had a recliner and a pillow a short time later! She actually stayed around to talk, too. Very caring woman!
Office Staff: They are GREAT! Very friendly, warm and full of compliments. A small problem with them misplacing my file when it came to submit to the insurance company, but not a big deal - They had just moved from one hospital to another.
Aftercare: There are regular support group meetings that also have guest speakers. Pre-op patients come in 1/2 hour before. Post-op patients are encouraged to attend so the pre-op patients can ask questions, etc. It's not required, and I think they should push it more onto the patients.
Risks Addressed: During the 1st visit, Dr. Forbes explained in detail the procedure, the risks, and complications that are possible, and what she has experienced. She also explained her training. I was extremely pleased with her record.
I give her an EXCELLENT overall rating.
I think surgical competence AND a good bedside manner are equally important.

Dr Forbes seems very nice. I finally met her and she is very strict. From the diet before and after the surgery. She wants to see result for 14-20 yrs post-op. When you meet her you will have to go on the SouthBeach diet and exercise for 6-8 weeks prior to surgery. YOU MUST LOSE WEIGHT. This will prove to her that you will listen to the post-op care.

When you first go to Dr Forbes it is a very long wait. Her office staff seems very professional. Brenda is wonderful. Very pleasant. Brenda helps with paperwork and scheduling.

Dr Fobes definitly emphasizes on the aftercare. She wants you up and excercising 4 weeks after the surgery. You will be visiting drs for the rest of your life. 4 weeks after surgery, then 6 months and then 6 months- 1 year.

She explains all the risks for the surgery. Since I am young she gave me the "young" person speech. The speech is that research has been done, obesity is a gene and some day that majic pill will be out there without surgery. But who knows how long since nothing has been "invented" yet.

All together it was a long journey. It took over a year to see her. Then it took me another 3 months with all the testing and weight loss until surgery. But the Buffalo General team is definitly worth it. And remember she is a laproscopic dr, which means you wont have that big incision that you will have with open surgrey.

i was a bit unsure about my new doc. but she is great. she was happy about how knowledgablei was about the procedure. and happy that i have explored all my options.she is very open about the risks. so far so good .