Robin P. Blackstone Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS, FASMBS

My first impression of Dr. Blackstone was that she was very well educated on this subject, very organized, professional and very clear on describing WLS.

Her staff is excellent and quick to help with any problems or questions.

I have liked everything about Dr. Blackstone so far. If you are a future patient of her you will be very well taken care of.

I'm still pre op...so more info to come soon.

Dr Blackstone (formerly Dr Staerkel) and her entire staff have been wonderfully supportive and sensitive to the issues of their obese patients. Dr Blackstone, a former cancer surgeon, takes great delight in helping her patients transform their bodies and their lives. She describes this as 'happy surgery', and I think it gives her a charge to be able to change so many lives for the better. Her program manager, Juanette Purcello, is a former emergency room RN who underwent the surgery herself two years ago. Juanette is an invaluable resource to the patients, since she has really 'been there' herself!

Dr Blackstone is very experienced in laproscopic surgery, and will attempt to perform lap RNY even on her larger patients if they desire it. Even so, she will not hesitate to switch to the open procedure mid-operation if she gets in there and can't do what she needs to do. Although she tries to accommodate the perferences of her patient, she is decisive in the operating room. I like that.

In addition to the monthly follow-up medical visits, Dr Blackstone's office schedules a diet seminar and an exercise seminar about two weeks post-op. Also, they sponsor a support group just for Dr Blackstone's patients. It meets 'live' once a month and online once a month. Dr Blackstone, her surgical assistant Melissa, Juanette, and Dr Jay Summers (a psychologist who works with her regularly) all attend these support group meetings.

Dr Blackstone's bariatric center is still very new -- she's just been performing this procedure since Fall '01. Occasionally, that leads to some crossed-wires (like one handout contradicting another handout), but it's minor stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dr Blackstone's bariatric center to anyone who qualified for this surgery!

After 2 false starts with other surgeons, I have found the right one. The first MD stopped with Cigna before I could even make an appointment. The 2nd stopped the week before my first appointment. And am i ever glad. Dr. Blackstone is a real human being. I am much more impressed with the professionalism in her office and with her. The Scottsdale program is relatively new - less than 1 year as of May 2002 but seems very well set up. Almost all her surgeries are lap RNY and the Bariatric Center seems to consider positive support before and after a necessity.

November 14 - I meet with Dr. Staerkel and loved her she is so warm and friedly I spent an hour and half talking to her. Says that I can have the surgery lap. I'm so thrilled. I emailed her and she emailed me right back. So far I'm very impressed with her. I really feel like this is going to happen and be great experience.
January 27 - I was denied by Cigna to have the surgery I need to do one more superivsed diet. Dr. Blackstone has been so great with helping me getting through this we are going to resubmitt in April. I have emailed quite a few times and have always received a response she is just a wonderful caring person and I'm so happy that she is doing my surgery. TO ALL CIGNA PATIENTS WHO HAVE NOT YET HAD THE 12 WEEK SUPERVISED DIET DO NOT GO TO THE DIETICAN AT A CIGNA FACILITY. April 4th I went and saw Dr. Blackstone again and we resubmitted my paperwork. Cigna came back and said that the 12 week supervised diet that I had with the dietician (since I only saw her twice) was not good enough!!! Noreen and myself have been fighting with Cigna for the past week and a half. She had to resubmit at least three times not to mention the phone calls she made. Well thank God I also was going to Tops at the same time. We submitted to Cigna my weight book from tops and they approved it yesterday with that additional information. To anyone who may read this tops is accepted by Cigna and is an inexpensive way to met there requirements. You can check out tops website at www.tops.org. There is a $20.00 membership fee for the year and then only $2.00 to $5.00 a month after that to me that is alot better than paying $10.00 + a week with other programs. Also I'm not the only one this has happened to. I work in the healthcare field doing referrals and see this happen all the time where they change the rules. Good luck to all of you, and don't stop fighting.

FULL OF ENERGY AND LOVE FOR THIS PROJECT (US OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE)

NOREEN THE OFFICE STAFF IS JUST WONERFUL. I THINK SHE IS OVERWORKED AND NEEDS SOME HELP.
SHE WILL FIGHT FROM DEEP IN HER SOLE TO GET US WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS SURGERY DONE.

THE AFTERCARE SEEM VERY GOOD. MONTHLY FACE TO FACE MEETING AND MONTHLY INTERNET MEETINGS. YOU CAN E-MAIL AND THEY GET BACK TO IN A VERY TIMLEY MANNER.

WE HAD AND 2 1/2 HOUR MEETING THAT ADDRESSED ALL CONCERNS AND RISKS OF THE SURGERY.

AT THIS POINT I WOULD RATE DR. BLACKSTONE AND NOREEN BOTH A 10+.

So far I love her!! She's never been too busy for me and Noreen (in her office) has been WONDERFUL with all my scheduling. So far I have been made clear what I will and will not do. Dr. Blackstone is very "clear" on what she needs me to do. She is a tell it like it is "pearson" and also her staff like I said earlier (thank's Noreen) is great. Dr. Blackstone and Noreen are busy but never to busy to talk to you. Someone is always available to me, If I have some pearsonal issues there's Juanette Persello an R.N. and the program manager at the Scottsdale Bariatric center who so far has ALWAYS been available. (thanks Juanette I know I can be a pain!!) The entire staff has made this a reality for me, so I can get my life back, as of right now I feel like I'm watching life not in it. I rate Dr. Blackstone as wonderful I am not sure yet about her bedside mannor but given her positive and highly informative way I am sure she will be great and get me thru the rest of this. I'll keep posting..Now I will go ask others some more questions. Joanne

I was very pleased with my communications thus far with Dr. Blackstone and her assistant Noreen. My first appt. will be on the 21st of this month. We have emailed, and faxed back and forth, and I have talked to Noreen a few times on the phone.
I also spoke to others who knew of her and her work before I made my selction. I feel very positive and confident about her!

I have only converse with Dr.Blackstone via phone. But she made my night when she called me personally and spoke with me for 1/2 hour. Her staff has been on top of everything. After our phone call I called her nurse the next morning and she fax me all pertinent info. I needed to fill out. She then scheduled our first appt. That afternoon her care-coordinator called and finish with all the seminar, pre-op and doctor appt. She is in a private practice and in affiliated with Scottsdale Healthcare-Shea. The program she offers sounds great so far. Her program is adapted from that of the dr who operated on Carnie. I'll be flying out for a aftercare appointment, then a computer/phone relationship with myself and my local physcian will go into effect.
She explained risks, aftercare, and program maintenance.

Dr. Staerkel-Blackstone is the best. She spent over 2 hours with me on my consult date. She is very involved with her patients and really cares abou us. Her staff is very hepful and caring. Aftecare is very important to her and she thoroughly explained the surgery and all the risks involvd. She is great.

Dr. Staerkel now Dr. Blackstone is wonderful. She is the most caring and thoughtful Dr. I have ever met. Her program is new so they are working on getting their own office and getting organized. But don't let that stop you, they are fantastic.