St. John Providence Weight Loss Bariatric Center

He seemed very young and arrogant/pompous.

He was very knowledgeable and confident and very able to answer my many questions.
Very nice and helpful.

No sense of humor at all.

I was in the waiting room for 1 and1/2 hours, then waited another hour in the room.
Haven't discussed it much yet.

I hope so/not sure yet. My first post-op appt. is tomorrow and I'll know more then.
Very much so.

Very knowledgable and competent.

I think both are very important but his surgical knowledge and competence far outweighed his bedside manner.

My first impression of Dr. Pesta was that he was young! I'm not sure how to take that, some people may think inexperienced... but being 21, i felt more comfortable with him. I am also in Nursing so I can somewhat relate to him and understand what he's talking about. He's cute too, haha.

I've only met with him once, so i can't say how my impression of him has changed over time. I am from kalamazoo, live in ann arbor, and his office is in warren. My parents couldnt come with me to any seminars or office visits. I called Dr. P's office to see if he could call my mom to answer some of her questions, and he called her back in less than 24 hours and even gave her his pager number. i was impressed!

Aftercare is stressed greatly, especially following the diet despite whether you can "eat what you want" and not get sick. Taking appropriate vitamins and following nutritional guidelines to avoid side effects is also stressed.

Dr. Pesta's office staff is satisfactory. Shelly is awesome, i think she is the office manager/RN.

My first impression of Dr. Kole was a very secure on. There was just something about him, where I felt safe placing my life in his hands. He looks you in the eye, takes time with yu and doesn't make you feel ashamed for being where we are. the staff was very kind, proffesional and excited for me to make this important step in, my life.

At first I was upset because my consult was cancelled three times before I got to see him. However, once I met him I was very pleased he would be my suregon.

Dr. Kole is a wonderful doctor. He is very laid back and makes you feel comfortable from the very start. His office staff is very knowledgable, both Jen and Chuckie. Chuckie has been a great resource for me since she had the surgery in November of 2003. I've called her many times to make sure what I was feeling was normal.

There was nothing I liked least about Dr. Kole. He does emphasize aftercare. He addressed all my concerns about the risks involved in this surgery. He let me know that there are risks but they weren't as bad as all the things I had heard from other people. He also explained what they and what you can do to prevent most of the risks.

I feel he is a very competent surgeon and has a terrific bedside manner too. The best of both worlds.

My first impression of Dr. Pesta was that he was young, confident and knew what he was talking about. My mother thought otherwise and stated, "I think he's just selling the surgery." I am happy to report that my mother has completely changed her opinion and takes it all back!
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Dr. Pesta has a wonderful bedside manner and he knows his stuff. He also does a great job of relating to the patient and their needs, whether it be reassurance, a warm smile, or complicated medical explanations broken down to a level you understand (usually with pictures)! I can't think of one negative thing to say about him or one thing I would change about the care he provided during my hospital stays or outside of the hospital.
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Dr. Pesta gets my stamp of approval and I highly recommend him to my own friends and family, as well as anyone else who is thinking about WLS.

My first impression of Dr. Kole was that he held himself with great respect. He was very kind and answered all my questions.

Dr. Kole was very down to earth but professonal. I liked him immediatly. I really like the fact that he has so much trauma care with Gastric Bypass Patients. He answered all questions and did not make you feel like you were being rushed. Thourally explained the surgery to the group and answered all questions. His presentations of the surgery and obesity was very extensive. All of his staff and the CORI staff in general are so sweet and nice. AFter surgery he promptly came out and spoke with family to tell them how it went and answered all questions. Cori staff has been great answering my calls when I call or returning them quickly.

UPDATE 04/27/04
I can not say enough good things about CORI center and Dr. Kole. First thing is after dealing with them now for 6.5 months, i have NEVER had a bad episode with this staff. Dr. Kole is so awsome,and is willing to answer all questions and take his time till you understand the answer fully, he never makes me feel rushed. Also his staff, Jenn and Chuckie, are great too, they answer any questions you call and ask, useally right then and there, you dont get voicemail. I would recomend them to anyone.

When I first went to a liv-lite seminar I met Dr. Pesta, Dr. Katz and Dr. Marshall.

I first liked Dr. Pesta off the bat. Then after hearing Dr. Marshall talk, with all of his experience, I then liked him. Then Dr. Katz came in and had his scrubs on and he a nice smile...I was tossed on who to pick.

I then met people who had Dr. Pesta and even my pysch eval was done by someone who is a friend of his (and I found him on my own). It seemed there were so many signs pointing to Dr. Pesta. Even one of Liv-Lite girls mentioned how nice his scars are..and they are. Mine is smaller than most I've seen.

I was in the hospital for tests and 2 doctors commented on what a great job he did. AND HE DID!

Dr. Pesta has a great bedside manner, is very talented and is an all around great surgeon.

If you are up in the air....talk to Dr. Pesta (or send me an email!) He is always available for you when you need him...he really cares!

I really liked Dr Kole. He was willing to answer any questions I had and answered some I didn't have since I couldn't think of any to ask. I was already decided I would have this surgery come hell or high water. The office staff was very nice but forgot to tell me in advance that there was now a $150.00 program fee that included a binder, nutritionist visits and some samples. When I first started this process my surgeon was Dr Sapala, any I really really liked him but he is in New York to open a clinic for New York fat people. I don't hate them though for taking the best doctor away. I guess they deserve a clinic too.