"*What was your first impression of him? rn During the seminar my husband & I went to Dr Hornbostel covered just about ALL the ins & outs of the gastric bypass surgery. They explained the details of the entire process & explained the life changes it involves. At the end of the seminar, we even got to talk to the members of the support group that has already had the surgery to find out what positive & negative things they have experienced during & after their surgery. Dr. Hornbostel makes sure to schedule the seminars right before the support group meetings just for that reason. So, my first impression of him was that he was quite straight forward & very knowledgeable about all of the info he covered during the seminar. Not only was he thorough, but, even though there was about 30 - 40 of us at the seminar, he was also very amiable to us all & compassionate to all of our individual needs.rnrn*How did your impression change over time? rn My impression has really not changed over time except to maybe feel even happier with my decision to choose him as my Dr. rnrn*How would you describe his office staff? rn I would describe his office staff as being just as informative, helpful, & friendly as he is. I’ve spoke mostly with his wife & assistant, Margie, whom has (on more than one occasion) gone out of her way to help me.rnrn*What did you like least about him?rn What I like least about him, I guess, would be the fact that his office is so far away from were we live (about 115 miles away). rnrn*What should future patients know about him? rn Not sure what to say here except that if you are in the area & you have the chance to, look into what he has to offer.rnrn*How much does he emphasize aftercare? rn The programs he has for your preparation for the surgery, during the surgery, & after the surgery are incredible. Prior to the first consultation, you must fill out & send in a health history questionnaire that they give you. Then, you are required to provide insurance info, a letter of necessity from your PCP & documentation that you have attempted to loose weight in the past. Then, finally, have a psychological assessment. During my first consultation with him & Margie, we went over any health problems I have/had, any questions I’ve had about the procedure &/or the benefits & risks, and what to expect for the outcome. They also gave me a very informative “Patient & Family Education” binder that has all sorts of info & resources. The support team that he uses include: +Cardiologist +Nutritionist/Dietician +Anesthesiologist +Physical Therapy +Counseling & Psychological Consultation +Support groups, online help & forums, & outreach resources +As well as having a kind & very helpful nursing, lab & office staff who have always been glad to help in any way they can & to answer any questions I’ve had.rnrn*Does he have a structured aftercare program? rn Yes, there is a structured plan of aftercare & follow-up visits with the Dr himself & continual visits with physical therapy, dieticians, and the other members of his support team.rnrn*How did he address the risks of surgery? rn As I have already said, he is very straight forward & as such he clearly outlines all the risks & complications that may occur during AND post-surgery. In the binder I spoke of, there are several mentions of this & there is also a whole section dedicated to the subject.rnrn*How would you rate him overall? rn 5 out of 5! ;)rnrn*Which is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great?rn As far as I can tell now, both are great."
