"In my opinion, this man is horrible. He has NO bedside manner AT ALL. I had the Realize band put in on 5/4/2010. Had my first fill in July. Right off the bat he couldn't find the port to fill the band. Took a few tries, NOT fun but I dealt with it. I followed the program to the letter. Liquids, purees, soft foods. Wasn't getting restriction though and I kept telling him that. Two more fills - both with equal difficulty in finding the port and still no restriction. Dr. Binnenbaum kept insisting I must not be doing something right which is why I was not losing or feeling restriction and that it was basically my fault. He said I must not be eating the right things or I was not exercising. I told him I was doing all the things I was supposed to be.(Seriously - why would I lie? I'm 40 not 14 and it benefits no one to lie!!) The other Dr in the practice, Dr. Borao (whose reputation was the reason I went there but didn't he take my insurance) had trouble finding the port as well so he suggested a fluoroscopy. Low and behold there was a hole in the tubing. So, I had a revision in December. After the revision I have been in constant pain. I have called and complained and called and complained and gotten nowhere. Finally I called and said I wanted it out. I even asked about removing the band and doing the sleeve.
In my final meeting with Dr. Binnenbaum, they gave me the last appointment of the day and then left me waiting in an exam room for an hour. Probably until all the other patients had gone so no one would hear what was going to happen. Dr. Binnenbaum basically told me it was MY fault I had lost no weight and that he didn't know what I expected him to do about it. He said I "don't want to exercise" and I "obviously don't want to follow the program". He also said he would never do the sleeve on me because it would always be "some excuse with you" so why would he bother. I thought that was a wonderful way to speak to a patient. He never acknowledged that the first 6 months I had the band it was not working correctly - that wasn't his fault apparently. Everything that did not "work" was my fault. He also went as far as to tell me the next time I "bash" him or "threaten to sue" him on Obesity Help there would be "trouble". So apparently he looks at what his patients write about him then uses that against them. Again, real professional. This meeting escalated into a screaming match where he just continued to reiterate that it was my "fault" that band had not worked and nothing would work for me because I didn't want to follow the "rules". I finally got up and told him I wanted my records and would find another surgeon. He was fine with that.
Dr. Borao is the ONLY reason to go to this practice. Dr. Binnenbaum has NO bedside manner, is arrogant and totally lacks compassion. He is obviously in this line of work for the money and does not care about the patients. The way he treated me was not only unprofessional and childish but just plain rude. I am sure he will read this review as well, and I really don't care. Surgery does not always work the same for everyone. If the SURGEON can't admit that and admit that sometimes things don't go "by the book" than he should not be dealing with people. At least not people who are awake!!
8/1/2011 - Just an update. After the "revision" of the port in December it hurt constantly as I stated. I found out in July the port had flipped - which should NOT have happened if he had done the revision correctly. It then became infected and had to be drained and now, 3 days after it was drained and I was put on antibiotics for the infection, I can SEE the port as it is popping out of the incision. NICE WORK DR. BINNENBAUM!! I am filing a complaint with the medical board as well.
An another update - my band and port became so infected in late August of 2011 that the port was sticking OUT of my skin. I had to have emergency surgery to have to entire thing removed. Because it was so infected when they removed it I ended up with a blood infection. Five days in the hospital, six months of "wound care" afterward - which entailed stuffing the hole in my abdomen with wet gauze until it filled in and antibiotics for a month. I still have issues with food getting "stuck" even thought the band has been removed. This man did such a horrible job in my opinion and although my surgery was in 2010 I am STILL suffering from what I believe was his lack of compassion. It felt to me like he didn't want to be bothered with a "problem" but would have rather had me go away to protect his reputation.
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"GREAT protein powder! I swear I couldn't even taste it! The only caution: be careful when adding to tea or broth. If the water is too hot it will congeal. "
