UC San Francisco Hospital

Great surgical team, post surgical accommidations, care, treatment, and superb nursing. Very understanding of the needs of a surgical patient as well as an RNY patient.

Hospital is in good condition and everyone seems knowledgeable regarding weight loss surgery. This is a big business for them. Nursing staff knowledgeable and exceptionally kind. Physicians generally appeared aloof/disinterested prior to surgery. Have warmed up post surgery.

Make sure to request a private room when you do your pre-surgury check in. Before you are wheeled out of recovery to your room, ask for a private room again, and even ask if you can get sent to the 13th floor (it is recently remodled). The rooms are great!

It's a surgery mill and I felt like a slab of meat on a conveyor belt.

The program is somewhat impersonal, and getting a hold of anyone with questions was and still is very difficult;as a non-patient, as a current patient prior to surgery, as well as post-operatively (needing help 1st day home, questions, setting appointments..). But the UCSF hospital is quite reputable, and I forced myself to overlook these unfortunate qualities. The physician seems quite competent, and I guess this is what ultimately matters.

Many of the nurses and others were very good & helpful, but at times there seemed to a disconnect btw my medical information and whoever was on duty (post-operatively). They forgot to give me my regular medications, and so I was cut-off cold turkey (against prescription); They gave me the wrong medicine at a particular time, despite my notification it was the wrong one. They told me to swallow it anyway. I have a very small wound on my arm, which must have occurred during the operation; not sure what happened.

There is very little written information given about foods to eat, and what to do after the surgery in regards to food. Just one small very poorly written pamphlet, which left me confused and frustrated. I had to seek outside help to make sense of it, so it would work for me in a practical way. The whole informational packet needs to be rewritten, logs provided, and a really an "eating plan" for all the weeks up to eating regular food would be most ideal.

In addition there is a disconnect between the cafeteria who sends up your "meals" and the bariatric program. Large amounts of liquid "foods" were sent, but no indication of how much I was supposed to eat. I'm pretty sure the volume of food given at each meal would have burst my new stomach. They should have measured the allotted amount out so the patient didn't have to figure it all out. Plus they served yoghurt and coffee immediately, which contradicts some of the information provided by the program.

Despite my efforts to not allow any critical personnel to view my surgery, most likely this was ignored because it's a teaching hospital. When I brought this issue/request up to many people along the line, including the surgeon, I was given reasons why those people should be there. I was never really allowed to demand that only essential personnel be there or to see me nude. I was left to worry about this all prior to surgery.

Just make sure you are in charge of your medical information, that you question what you're being given and when, and watch out for yourself. Make sure you bring someone with you to help you, ask questions for you, to give the emotional support, and at the minimum be the caring bedside manner that I would say for the most part is not present.

Even though it is a teaching hospital I received excellent care.

The staff at UC was so friendly and extremely helpfull

This facility was very good. They rank in the top ten in the U.S. in the gastroenterology area. It is a teaching medical center so be prepared for a lot of student Dr's.

I couldn't ask for better pre-op, peri-operative and post-op care.

I am so pleased with my surgery and my stay at UCSF. I am glad that I had the surgery, and that I was there. I would trust them with anyone in my family if they were ill.