Bruce Deckinga Bariatric Surgeon M.D.
26 yr Experience
30 yr in Bariatrics
12 yr in Laparoscopic Surgery
2 yr in Laparoscopic Bariatrics
25% Practice is Bariatrics
Min Age of Patient is 20
Max Age of Patient is 50
26 yr Experience
30 yr in Bariatrics
12 yr in Laparoscopic Surgery
2 yr in Laparoscopic Bariatrics
25% Practice is Bariatrics
Min Age of Patient is 20
Max Age of Patient is 50
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I had known my surgeon Dr Deckinga on a professional and personal level for many years prior to him becoming my surgeon. I have always had a great deal of trust and respect for him. His office staff was outstanding. Professional, yet compasionate and understanding. His nurse at the time jumped through hoops to speed up insurance approval. His nurse now (Brenda) is terrific.
My only fault with Dr Deckinga is the fact that he really doesn't have an aftercare program. I did my initial post-op f/u, now all my f/u blood work and such is done thru my Internest, who doesn't have a clue about post gastric bypass pt's and how to treat. As far as addressing the risks of surgery Dr Deckinga was very open and up front about the risks, complications, etc... He was also able to provide info on how many he has done and the sucess ratio etc...
Overall, I would rate Dr Deckinga with ****(4 stars)for surgical competence and *****(5 stars) for bedside manner!! He was in to see me every day post-op including saturday and sunday. He's "my hero" that changed my life!!!
If you would like information about this surgeon please contact me and I will answer any of your questions.
I thought Dr. Deckinga was a kind and compassionate man. He was very thorough with his description of the surgery and was very patient with my questions.
His office staff are very friendly. His nurse Brenda sits and talks to you face to face for whatever time it takes to explain every step of what happens after the surgery. She is a peach.
What did I like least about him? that he doesn't work at my hospital
What should future patients know about him? He follows a guideline on who he will operate on and I liked this because he is looking out for the patient.
He addresses all the riskes of the surgery as did Brenda his nurse.
I would rate him a 10 at this time.
MORE to come stay tuned
My first impression of Dr. Deckinga was he is down to earth and seems to care about his patients. He takes the time to listen. Over time my impression didn't change.
His nurse, Brenda, is terrific. She is almost always available to take a call or returns her messages very promptly.
Dr. Deckinga has a very loose aftercare program. He schedules regular appointments, but has a really liberal eating plan. He sends patients home and tells them he cannot tell them what to eat. He says, "it's your body, you figure it out". I would have preferred slightly more structure.
Both the Doctor and his staff were very graphic in their description of the risks of surgery. They described everything using pictures. When I point blank asked him if he ever had a patient die, he very candidly said yes. One patient that I know of and one that I heard had passed after the surgery, but was never confirmed. I liked the honesty.
An overall rating would be an 8 out of 10. With 10 being the best, of course.
I personally would rather have surgical competence over bedside manner. I was lucky enough to have both with my choice of surgeon.
I'VE ONLY SPOKE TO HIM ON THE PHONE, BUT I WAS IMPRESSED THAT HE TOOK THE TIME TO CALL ME AT HOME TO DISCUSS SURGERY. I WILL BE MEETING HIM ON APRIL 26, 2001. I MET WITH DR. DECKINGA AND HIS ASSISTANT, VERY NICE PEOPLE VERY TO THE POINT AND VERY HONEST. HE WILL DO MY SURGRY IF I QUIT SMOKING AND INSURANCE APPROVES. Hello all-completely postive is suspect. So far I've had no problems with Dr. Deckinga. Ok other than I would have liked more time off of work.LOL-
He has been respectful and honest whenever I've seen him. So as of April 2002, I can't complain
Dr Deckinga is straight forward and I feel honest. He is very informative and explains everything in detail so you understand it.
Dr. Deckinga is a very up front surgeon. Thats what I really like about him. He pulls no punches and tells it like it is!
I initially had been seen at the Bariatric Surgery Center in Ypsilanti, but for various reasons, was not happy with them. I found them to be long on promises and short on delivery, which scared me. Upon further research, found Dr.Dekinga in Petoskey, which is only 3 hours from my home, as opposed to 9 hours away. So far, I am extremely happy with him and his staff, and am very confident in Northern Michigan Hospital. He does not have a structured aftercare program, but because of the long distance from my home, I am not interested in this, and I have access to dieticians at the hospital where I work in my hometown, so I am not concerned.