"Dr. Moazzez is very good in the two most important ways to me. First, he has the knowledge and the skills. He's a good surgeon who has had a lot of success with the type of surgery I wanted, and he is able to help patients understand what's involved and make the decisions we need to make. Second, he treats patients with respect and kindness. Overall, I was looking for a doctor who knows what he's doing *and* whom I felt I could trust to take my care seriously. I'm glad I chose Dr. Moazzez; he did my surgery and my husbands, and I feel that we've both been in good hands.rnrnDr. Moazzez also has a knowledgeable and thorough team of nurses, nutritionists, and specialists (such as gastroenterologists) with whom he has a working relationship. Some are in his office (Metro Bariatrics), and some are part of the larger Bariatric Center of Excellence with which he works at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. Together, they provide a lot of help and guidance. His office team really knows what they 're doing, whether it's scheduling and getting results from needed tests and consultations or helping a patient negotiate the wild world of insurance. rnrnThe wider program offers resources from nutrition classes to support groups to exercise classes specially designed for WLS patients. Some of these are optional, and some are required by Dr. Moazzez before he will perform a surgery. I admire that stance, and am grateful for the diligence with which the team made sure I knew what decisions I needed to make, what I was getting into, what I needed to do to prepare for success, and whom I can call with question later. rnrnI've heard too many stories of people who've undergone surgery without all of this support and knowledge, and suffered for it. It shouldn't be that way. I'm glad I chose the surgeon and program I did, and I'd recommend them to anyone. rnrnNegatives? None with Dr. Moazzez and his team. I could pick a nit or two with the informational program -- maybe the content is not as well-organized as it could be, maybe it could be clearer in places, and so forth -- but overall it is very good. The hospital's after-care was less consistent, and there are some negatives in my review of it. Again, though, I would recommend this program strongly. "
"The staff supporting the Bariatric Center of Excellence here are very good. A number of them have worked hard for special certifications in Bariatric nursing and practice, and they really know and care about what they are doing. Some of them are also alumni of bariatric surgery themselves. The pre-surgical nurse I met with during my pre-op testing is one, and she gave me such a dose of inspiration and hope!
The ratings I gave to the general helpfulness and pain medication questions are averages across all staff. The one weak spot in the Inova Fair Oaks program is in the consistency of hospital after-care. Some of the staff at the hospital are really excellent. They were responsive, thorough, respectful, and were clearly keeping track of vitals, progress, comfort, and the things that are beyond patient knowledge or capability, especially in that confusing and weakened post-op state. I did, however, encounter a bad apple or two -- for example, a night shift nurse who seemed to have some kind of agenda against pain control, and ignored my calls that I was having trouble breathing. Far, far too much time elapsed until someone bothered to check my vitals and noted how low my oxygenation had gotten. Then they took me seriously, but they should have done so at least an hour earlier. Unfortunately, this was in the middle of the night, and one of the few times I did not have someone with me. I'd recommend (for anytime anyone spends in any hospital, really) having a family member or friend with you as much of the time as possible. If everything is going well, they are great moral support. If you run into one of these bad apples, or if you are at a busier hospital and it gets overwhelmed, they can advocate for you and make sure that you are getting the care you need. You can't really do that on your own when you're wiped out from surgery, medicated, or in a lot of pain. "
