Joseph Kamelgard Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Kamelgard was a great surgeon and I am sorry he isn't practicing anymore. He was very no-nonsense and really helped me to see that this was a big decision. I don't regret it.

Its been six years since Dr. Kamelgard did my gastric bypass. I have had wonderful success with no complications. I've lost just about 200 pounds and have completed my reconstructive surgeries. Dr. K and his staff were the best!

My first impression of Dr. Kamelgard was that this is a very intelligent man who would take very good care of me. He took the time to make sure that every little question was answered, even thought i overheard a nurse say that he was late for a meeting. His motto is that he doesn't do something if it can't be done right.

Aftercare is great- if you have the surgery with him, you need to continue aftercare with someone, if not him, and he has a support group meeting monthly. The meetings are small- he's working on making them better and more informative, but the members of his support group have formed their own little group that meets monthly to lend friendship and support.

I rate him an 11 on a 1-10 scale! I couldn't have asked for a better surgeon.

My impression of my surgeon was very knowlegable,professional,and caring. I liked that he was very informative but very strict and on a scale of 1-10 I give him a 10.

He is also very strict on after care and stressed the risk of the surgery.

Dr. Kamelgard is a warm and caring person. He is also a very serious person. I realized soon that he is extremely sincere and dedicated to helping you be successful. His office staff was always helpful and became personally involved. I live two hours from his office (yes, it was worth the commute!) and spent quite a bit of time on the phone with them. They helped in whatever way they could.

I selected Dr. Kamelgard because of his thorough pre-op and post-op programs. His support group has been so helpful and two members actually came to see me in the hospital since I did not have my family drive up to the hospital. That's support!

By the time I went in for surgery, I felt Dr. Kamelgard had prepared me for the surgery in all ways. I was informed of what to expect. It turned out much easier than I had expected. The hospital care was great. They pain -- truly minimal. More like discomfort than pain. My recovery was quick and I was certainly back on my feet and feeling good much sooner than several of my friends who opted to have the surgery elsewhere. Dr. K is the best. I highly recommend him for anyone contemplating this surgery!

It took months to get an appointment to see him the first time. I had a hard time finding his office and ended up being a half hour late for my appointment. Even though I called before my appt time to advise the office staff that I was lost and would be late, they were not very accomodating and almost refused to let me keep my appointment. So my first impression was not good. I was on time for every appointment after that, but the Dr was always running at least an hour late. One time I waited 4 hours to see him.

My time spent with the Dr. has been short, he always seemed extremely overbooked. But I did feel that he focused his attention on me and was thorough. He seems to genuinely care and understand. He is very strict about following his pre-op instructions and won't operate on those that smoke or don't follow directions.

I brought my sister (an RN) and my best friend to the hospital the day of the surgery. They were very concerned and had a million questions and concerns for Dr. K. He was very patient with them, answered all their questions and calmed their fears. I was impressed with how he handled them.

Dr K had an office manager that was extremely efficient. She ended up marrying and moving away, but I feel that my procedure ran smoothly due to her competence. I had only on submission to my insurance company and was accepted immediately. I have other pre-existing health conditions that benefitted by weight loss-so I'm sure that had a lot to do with the swift approval.

Dr. K fully explained all the risks and what to expect before, during and after. I didn't lose as much weight as either one of us had hoped for (95 lbs) but my other health issues are to blame for that.

I would do it all over again and highly recommend Dr K for anyone that is disiplined enough to make it thru his pre-surgery diet and exercise.

Dr. Kamelgard was very streight foward with me.
He was very informative and gave me alot of information to take home and read as well.
I new after talking with him that I was with
the right surgeon. I am in the medical profession and found him after a year of research. His aftercare is wonderful. He watches his patients very closely. he explainns that after care for life is nessecery. He is well educated in this surgery and will make you feel very confident in him.
If I had to do this agian(which I won't have to!!) I would go back to him without a second thought.

Dr. Kamelgard is a pretty no-nonsense kind of doctor. He persents prospective patients with a viewing of a videotape discussing all aspects of the surgery, the risks, possible complications, his expectations, the whole thing. After viewing the videotape, I sat down with him and asked any questions I had. He doesn't try to "sell" you the surgery, he doesn't even want you to decide right then and there. I went to him ecause of his extremely positive reputation and his pre and post surgery care program. I felt in good hands going into this surgery. My aftercare, although the time spent waiting in his waiting room can be looong, has been very thorough. He comes across as being committed to his patients. I would rate him as being an excellent surgeon and a very competent physician. The office staff leaves a bit to be desired, though. In all of my dealings with them, they seem very hurried, not very friendly, and a bit disorganized. Oh, well. I am sure that they have much more work to do than I can imagine. These are just my own, personal impressions.

Dr. Kamelgard was very precise and informative in his meeting with me. I had a page full of questions and he answered most of them without my having to ask.

I appreciated his forthright attitude and his thoroughness with his explantions. His office staff seems very busy and overworked. You will not find any hand-holding here, but I think you will find a talented Doctor who cares about doing what is best for his patients.

On a scale of 1-10, I rank Dr. Kamelgard 10. He seems to be a gifted surgeon and treats his patients with the respect that they deserve.

Office staff - my opinion of Dr. K's office staff is just mediocre. His assistant Kathy seems overworked and is sometimes short with the patients. I also felt like she sometimes talks to patients in a demeaning way. I am sure Kahty is a very hard worker though and seems very knowlegable with what the insurance companies require. I am also sure that it is very difficult to speak with patients every day who are desperate.

I had my consultation with Dr. Kamelgard on March 13, 2003. I didn't have to wait long in the waiting room when I was called in. He made me watch a 1 hour video of him explaining in great detail the proceedure of the surgery. He took you step by step and told you the risks involved with the surgery. After the video, I then spoke with him. He answered all of my questions and concerns. He took his time with me, I didn't feel rushed. He then asked me if I had made up my mind to have the surgery and asked if I wanted him to do it. He also told me that if I am not sure to let him know. "Well I was ready for this a year ago!" I honestley think I made the right choice to have him do my surgery. I hear only good things about him.