Independence Health System Hospital
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Dr. Gagne and his staff were very pleasant and efficient. I was in the hospital for 20 hours and back to work in 3 days. There encouragement was awesome.
When I first walked into the waiting room of the office, I was impressed. Most places you go, they don't have larger chairs to accomodate bigger people, and they did. So, that was a plus there.
When I met the Dr. Gagne I liked him immediately. He is very educated and confident of his abilities and even a little conceited because of it. He took time and answered all my questions and explained the surgery, how long I could expect to be in the hospital, what his procedures for complications are, and what the recovery would be like after.
When I told him that I had a family history of blood clots, he wanted me to see a hemotologist. Right there told me that he's a cautious, efficient surgeon.
He addressed the issue of complications and without me asking him he told me how many surgeries he's performed and how many deaths he's had too. He was able to recite off the top of his head the dates and complications of each of the patients that he's lost.
His staff was very friendly and out-going. They all took time to answer my questions. Julie, the billing specialist was excellent as well. She took time with me and explained the ins and outs of getting approved. I called her 3 times that day with information from my insurance company and she was extremely upbeat throughout each coversation.
His PA is very friendly, thorough and informative as well. The same goes for the dietician.
Overall, I would give Dr. Gagne and his staff a 4 star rating.
I initially met Dr.Gagne on May 23, 2003 when my sister was going for WLS. I was very impressed with his demeanor, character and office staff. They do not make you wait in the waiting room for 20 minutes. They take you on time. During her surgery, he was very informative and sympathetic toward the family always giving us the updates.
This is what led me to Dr. Gagne as well. He pulls no punches, tells it like it is and that's the way it will be. He can tell you the dates of complicated surgeries and the names and dates of his fatal surgeries. He travels the U.S. giving conferences on WLS. I would rate him outstanding as a surgeon.
Dr. Gagne is the best!!!! I did not know what to expect before I went to my consultation ( as a matter of fact I made an appointment in 2004, got scared and did not go!!!!!- then a year later finally got up the nerve). After meeting Dr. Gagne, he put most of my fears to rest. He told be everything I needed to know, the good down to the worst case scenario. Dr.Gagne came highly recommended, the staff at West Penn Bariatric Surgery Center are wonderful , and I am blessed to have Dr. Gagne as my surgeon.
He did my husbands surgery on April 6, 2004. My hubby was 387 then, now he is 220. He looks amazing. Dr. Gagne's bedside manner is impeckable. He really makes sure you understand everything and makes you feel so comfortable that you can tell him anything. He has a great respect in our community. His office staff is incredible. I really feel confident that he is the right surgeon for me. I would have never have considered this surgery if it was not for my husband needing to have it done and Dr. Gagne being the surgeon. I cannot wait to have this surgery done and look forward to the next 34 years of my life feeling good about myself.
Dr. Tony Maalouf is very soft spoken and informative. My impression of him post op has not changed if nothing else has gotten better. The office staff at Dr. Maalouf office is professional and very helpful. I have nothing about Dr. Maalouf that I haven't liked. If he wants a test done before surgery have it ready or you will wait. He is very thorough. I am going to my first aftercare appointment tomorrow. I assume I will find out his aftercare program at my appointment. Like I said before, Dr. Maalouf is very thorough and he went over all the risks their are in having gastric bypass surgery. He is and excellent surgeon and his bedside manner is great.
I was working with another doctor at first (Who was extremely busy and took way to long to get me through). I was having a heart catherization when the nurses asked me if Dr. Maalouf was my doctor. When I left the hospital that day, I checked into Dr. Maalouf and made an appt. with him. I had already had all my testing done so it did not take long to get things rolling. When I first met him, he was a little hard to understand but I really liked him. He was sure to address the risks of this surgery. He also made sure that I understood what all I was getting into. As time has gone on, I understand him completely now and am soooo glad I switched to him. Dr. Maalouf and his office staff are wonderful. He found an umbilical hernia and repaired it. I was not expecting this and ended up calling at least once a week for the first 3-4 weeks. They never once acted like I was being a pest. Every time I called, Dr. Maalouf had me come in, looked at my belly button and assured me that it was o.k. He is very willing to answer any questions before and after surgery. He refers you to the nutritionist as to when you can move to the next phase in eating. (Before you leave the hospital she meets with you and gives you instructions for each phase and a number where you can reach her.) Dr. Maalouf and Carol Landis (nutritionist) have a support group once a month. They welcome anyone. I have a friend who had the surgery in Pittsburgh and she is welcome to come also. Dr. Maalouf's surgical competence and bedside manner are both wonderful. I would rate Dr. Maalouf as an A1 doctor. I would highly reccommend him.
I liked him from the very start - he was very willing to talk with me about anything and everything concerning the surgery
it did not change at all
They are very nice - always willing to help- and available to answer questions
there was nothing that I did not like
feel free to ask as many questions as you need the answer for
he greatly emphasized after care - which I am glad - I do not feel like I had the surgery and then I was forgotten
point blank - told me everything that could happen including death
My experiences were and continue to be good
both
He was very professional. The office staff were extremely friendly and helpful. He does not rush into surgery. I spentprobably six months seeing him before surgery. I met with his dietician and psychologist. He became angry with me at one visit because I had not lost any weight pre-op. Initially I was upset but it did make me lose weight. His surgical competence was more important than his bedside manner anyway.