"I was referred to Dr. Alverdy by a friend of mine who had the surgery in Sep 2000. I called for an appt in Nov and was given an appt in May 2001. After completing a food log, giving a written medical and diet history, meeting with a nutritionist, a psychologist, Dr. Alverdy and a resident-this is a teaching hospital, my paperwork was submitted to BCBS PPO-Empire. My surgery was approved and scheduled for Nov 13, 2001.
Dr Alverdy was very professional as was his staff. They answered all questions. Aftercare is a big part of the program. There is a support group at the office once per month, as well as several followup visits to Dr. Alverdy and staff. Food logs are required to be sure adequate protein and vitamins are being consumed.
Insurance approval was easier than expected. One reason the insurance co. gave was because Dr. Alverdy's staff completely filled out the required paperwork.
Having attended 2 support group meetings, there seems to be quite a bit of printed material that is given after surgery to help you stay healthy. The support group at the office had at least 50 people in attendance. There is a new support group in the northwest suburbs of Chicago that has about 8 people attending. However, it is open to more than just Dr. Alverdy's patients and from my one visit, it seems that his follow-up was much more substantial than other doctors in the area.
I feel very confident about going to Dr. Alverdy at this time. I will post more after surgery."
