Steven Raper Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS
4-8-03, I first met Dr Raper at the university of penn, both myself and my son went and this was on January 23, 2003. I liked him we both did right away, he has a terrific bed side manner, he was very good in explaining everything to us the pro's and con's about the surgery, he took his time didn't rush us at all. Dr Rapers staff is great,they treated us with the utmost respect and this made us feel good and that we had found the Dr for us. Dr Raper explained all the risks of the surgery and knowing i have already alot of medical problems,we both felt that this was the only hope i had of becoming a thinner person, losing alot of the problems i have already.
Dr Raper was very upfront in stating this was just a tool but sticking to the after care program was up to me if i wanted this to suceed. All in all i have to give Dr Raper a 91/2 on a scale to 1to10.
First impressoin, he was not judgemental. He seemed very confident and went over the procedure thorougly. He didn't rush thru the meeting. Answered all my questions. He did go over the risks of surgery.
Office staff run a smooth operation. All were very kind.
Aftercare: he strongly recommends attending a support group. There is one at U of PA each month run by his nutritionists, Rachel and Wanda.
I am confident in this surgeon. Family members and friends have had this procedure done by Dr. Raper and he comes highly recommended.
I believe surgical competence is more important than bedside manner.
My first impression was "I'm going to like this guy." And true enough I do.
My impression never changed.
The office staff was pretty great. Caring. But of course you have a few that just rubbed you the wrong way.
Honestly there really isn't anything that I could bad about Dr. Raper.
I think you all should know that he only does Open surgery. Doesn't really believe in LAP. He wants to see everything and to make sure that everything is in working order.
The WLS program at HUP is very well organized. I was very well informed about everything that I'm going to have to do after the surgery. Everyone has to go for a psych eval and a nutrition session. I had a horrible experience with the psychologist...he was rude and very unprofessional. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt...maybe he was having a bad day. But the nutrition session was so very helpful.
Dr. Raper was very up front about the risks of the surgery. What I can encounter along the way. The "dumping" etc...
Between a scale of 1-10 I'm going to give Dr. Raper and his stuff an 8.
I'm very pleased with how the surgery went...Dr. Raper did a great job and I had no complications.
Dr. Raper's bedside manner was also great...but his residents...they almost had it. They just need a little work.
Liked Dr. Raper instantly. Was very personable, and straight to the point. My opinion of him hasn't changed, he's a great surgeon, with a great bedside manner.His staff if very friendly and courteous, and are eager to help with any questions or problems that you have.I think the only thing that future patients should know about is that he strictly performs Open Rny's which I didn't know until I got to my conslutation after waiting 7 months to finally meet him.He really emphasizes aftercare, and they have a structured aftercare program with a monthly support group at HUP, and you can talk to anyone, the Nurtitionist, and any one else you feel may be able to answer you questions.He addressed the risks of surgery well, he was very up front, and that's the approach I liked, nothing was "sugar coated". I would recommend him highly to anyone that would want a very capable surgeon to perform Open RNY. He's "THE MAN". and if you have any problems, he calls you personally, which I think is great!As far as surgical competence, obviously that's most important, but he has the bedside manner also. I just can't say enough nich things about Dr. Steven Raper and his staff at Hospital of University of Pennsylvania.
My first impression of Dr. Raper was one who cares about his patients. He allowed me the time to cry and ask all the questions I had. He told me that he wants all of his patients treated like they were member of his family.
I don't know about his office staff. I go through a VA Hospital General Surgery Clinic and Dr. Raper comes over from the University of PA Medical Center. The clerks in the clinic I attend are very nice.
Right there is nothing that I do not like about Dr. Raper.
Future patients should have an idea of what is going to happen in order to form questions...do all the research you can as well as talk to others.
Aftercare is very vital as I found out in talking with Dr. Raper. Since I live alone, he is going to try and set up some help for a short time. He stressed how important it is to follow the program as prescribed to me.
A good after care program. I have my Primary Care Doctor, Nutritionist, Psychological Support System and a support Group that I have attended before over at U of P Medical Center.
Every risk was explained to me in detail. Some were given with a percentage of possibilities within a group of 100.
Dr. Raper is very knowledgeable in his field. I feel very safe and comfortable with him doing my surgery. Others that have had Dr. Raper give him nothing but the hightest remarks.
Both surgical competence & bedside manner ar important to me. I will not let anyone touch me unless I feel that he/she is completely competent to do this surgery. Dr. Raper is sensitive, caring and treats me with respect and dignity and I like that in him also. The bottom line is that he does care about his patients.
His name is Dr Steven Raper at the U of PA hospital. He seemed very understanding. I felt very comfortable with him and his staff. Just making this appointment to go see him was a failure to myself. I was saying to myself"You can't lose the weight and if you don't lose it with this option, you are done!!". So needless to say my self-esteem was very low. Thank God I came across this doctor and his staff. They had true compassion and understanding of what I was going through. If you need that extra bedside manner type of doctor, look no further. After my operation I did have complications with my wound opening up. No matter how many phone calls or questions I needed to ask, the doctor and his staff were always available. Dr. Raper did have me go see an physcologist and a nutientists before allowing me to go through with this operation. Looking back, I believe that this was truly important for my own wellbeing. I do not need to see Dr. Raper again until May 2001. He is truly a hero and my angel in disguise. He saved me not only medically but, spiritually. I now have my sense of being back.
Dr. Raper is very nice, he doesn't mind answering the smallest questions. His staff is quick to help with any problems or questions you have. Dr. Raper went over all aspects of the surgery the good and the bad. He was also quick to remind me that the surgery is not the solution to a problem. That this to can fail if you don't follow the program. The program itself at the University of Pennsylvania is absolutly great. The support group offers answers to questions about everything. The meetings offer you the chance to meet others who have had the surgery and are at different stages. The team at Univ of Penn are all great and helpful. I would recommend Dr. Raper to a friend or family member seeking this surgery.
My first impression with Dr. Raper is that he took alot of time to answer my questions, time today that alot of Physicians dont take.
I was suprised that I was approved so soon for the surgery. I saw the doctor on a Wednesday and was approved by Friday. He explained all risks to me. I will update as time goes on.
My first impression of Dr. Raper is that he was very informative. He explained the whole procedure and the risks. He seemed very attentive to what questions I had and health problems I have. So far his office staff has been polite and very helpful. The only thing I didn't like was the staff and Dr. seemed so rushed at the time. I may have forgot some questions that I had wanted to ask. I do have a few friends that have had the surgery by him and they all love him. That's what made me go to him. He is very experienced with the surgery and I feel safe in his hands. University of Penn and his office have support group once a month and have a nutritionist we can call anytime.
So far I give him an 9. But I will update everyting after my surgery. Wish me luck!