"My first impression of Dr. O'Connell was that he was a busy man and very professional. If you need mushy gushy stuff from your intended surgeon, perhaps you may not be happy. He was attentive to all my questions and took the time to answer all. He certainly was honest because I already knew most of the answers to the questions I asked him about his stats, his experience and his experience level. His staff are wonderful and busy. I had a time span of six weeks from first consult with Dr O'Connell to surgery (5/2/200). I did followup with every detail of the process and incurred a reputation with him, his staff and my insurance company about followup. That bothered me not one whit! My insurance company had a rep with his office for denying patients 55 and older. I was approved without appeal. I worked hard on the medical history and gave great detail and the Dr. included it with his letter of necessity. Dr. O'Connell's aftercare program is there and the structure is well organized. I had Open RNY Proximal on 5/2/2000 and came home (three hours away) on 5/5/2000 and have not taken pain medication since leaving the hospital. I am essentially pain free at two weeks and feeling stronger each day. The hospital staff at Pendleton was wonderful as well as Dr. O'Connell's staff. "
