"Many people had mentioned that Dr. Rabkin was the best. Several people I know who had bariatric surgery with him and my professional psychologist (who works with Dr. Rabkin regularly) all said that you could be in no better hands. Knowing that so many people trusted him, made me feel very comfortable, and I kept going back to that whenever I felt unsure. I probably would have been a lot more uneasy had his reputation not preceded him.
Dr. Rabkin himself is wonderful. He is very friendly and I think really cares about his patients and wants them to do well. My procedure went off without a hitch and I'm recovering well. I also appreciate Dr. Rabkin's while I'm in there I might as well poke around approach. He took biopsies of my liver and removed my gallbladder during surgery after feeling some suspect lumps. Everything was fine, but if it hadn't been, I'd be thanking Dr. Rabkin for more than weight loss right now.
Dr. Rabkin is super busy, so you won't spend a ton of time with him, and when you do it is very deliberate. This didn't bother me however, because he spent enough time with us to answer all of our questions and was very nice. He also is available during the monthly meetings PACLAP hosts, so you can speak to him in a more relaxed setting. He answers the many (often redundant) questions nervous would be patients have patiently and with a smile. Many surgeons don't roll that way. I also saw Dr. Rabkin twice after my surgery and he called me my second day home to make sure all was well. That's a pretty awesome doctor in my mind.
Dr. Rabkin's staff is stellar. Maria, his assistant, is very responsive to questions and friendly. My memory is cloudy, but I think she visited me a few times post surgery as well. During my first follow up she very casually told me to call her if I had any problems. I liked that. It made me feel like I could call her without worrying that I was overreacting.
Some medical practices are like bad landlords. They only want you to call when the roof is falling in. PACLAP is best-in-class. Not only are they a Center of Excellence, they have a great day-to-day operation going on.
The office staff, I had direct contact with Ernesto and Matt, are friendly and great about answering all those logistic questions you have to answer. Matt will do his best to get something out of your insurance company, and Ernesto has filled out last minute paper work I didn't know I needed within hours. They are both great and make the stressful time before and after your surgery easier because you don't have to worry as much about all the other stuff. The nurse who weighs you and takes all you signs is also very sweet.
I wouldn't have gone anywhere else for my surgery.
There are only a few things that could improve at PACLAP, and these are minimal.
1. The informational videos/presentations/materials are kind of confusing. I think that is because they were originally created for the duodenal switch and adapted for the sleeve. As a patient, I would have liked to have been able to read them without thinking, okay, so this is for the duodenal switch not me.
2. This is the designer/communicator in me. The videos/presentations are not great quality and could be condensed to communicate the messages quicker and clearer. PACLAPs website represents the professional, best-in-class medical practice that they are. These materials don't carry that brand across.
Otherwise wonderful place, wonderful people and wonderful results so far!
Also, the St. Mary's nursing staff was great! "
