"I was surprised by my first impression of Dr. Owens. He is older than the pictures on his web site. In fact, he was born in 1940. He is a quiet, thoughtful man, and really knows what he is doing. My impression has not had a chance to change yet. I didn't see him today before surgery because the staff had already started the anesthesia. After I woke up in the recovery room, he was still involved in another surgery. But I have spoken with him on the phone, and he is extremely gracious and helpful. The office staff appears to try hard but doesn't follow through on FAXes sent or received. I had to fax things several times. And they weren't that helpful in finding the pre-surgery consultations. Other than that, they also do their best to serve and to be helpful. I think that was the thing I liked the least about my experience so far. Future patients should know that he has never lost a patient, that my PCP highly recommends him, and that he is super thorough. He also knows his stuff as well as, if not better than, anyone in the area. He even helped developed some bariatric procedures that are practiced today. He emphasizes aftercare almost more than he does getting ready for surgery, though both are important. While I haven't set up any follow-up appointments yet, the hospital staff did ask me to call his office and set it up to get started. I know that he truly cares about his patients and values aftercare, because he said that he would find a way for any of his patients to follow up, and that he wants to keep hearing from us for years to come. He explained the risks of surgery very well, citing the statistics and his own track record. He was sure that all the proper tests were ordered; and since my blood work was over a month old today (surgery day), he ordered another complete set of blood work just to be sure. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd easily give him a 10+. Both his bedside manner and surgical competence are excellent. I highly recommend Dr. Owens to anyone in Southern California (or anywhere else if the patient wants to travel). This is just my opinion, of course, as well as the opinion of my PCP. I think he is super."
"I selected Bariatric Advantage because of the nutritional value in not only the proteins, but also the supplemental vitamins and minerals. The vanilla flavor mixes well with other things, making it possible to enjoy a variety of shakes."
