Top Surgeons 1800-GET-SLIM

I arrived at their office for a Saturday seminar and was immediately treated badly.  It was unorganized, crowded and unprofessional.  Then I finally met Dr. Salamatari.  That's when #*#* really hit the fan. 
One prospective patient asked how many LapBand Surgeries he had done and he kept trying to say "we".  Finally when I asked him how many he alone had done he finally came clean that he had done less than 20.  I asked when he had finished training and he responded last July. 
Then came the cattle call.  I was escorted to am exam room.  I was forced to go thru a series of consultations.  None of which I had asked about or wanted.  I didn't want to be seen by a podiatrist for bunions or a plastic surgeon for breast reduction surgery or by a gynecologist for urinary accidents. 
I left having thought that I would not hear from them again. 
A couple of weeks later, I get a phone call telling me that Insurance does not cover the LapBand Surgery but that if I pay them $18,000,000. cash they can do the surgery for me.

What they didn't tell me is that Insurance wouldn't pay them because of their center not being in network because they are not accredited!
Later I find out that their the same Doctors that have had their medical license's revoked and placed on Probation. 
***1-800-GET-SLIM ***Weight Loss Centers*** TopSurgeons*** are all owned 100% by Dr. Michael Omidi (Medical License on Probation http://www.tmz.com/2008/10/06/90210-doc-disciplined-over-lipo/) and Julian Omidi ( Medical License Revoked)
 
Their surgeries are done in unsafe operating rooms with unsafe physicians.  They have no regard for patient safety and worse they are dishonest.

It is very easy to check the status of your docs license here in California, it is a very good idea too. Just go online to Departmant of Consumer Affairs State of California Medical License Board then click on check my physicians license or M.D. license status, it is on the far left side. Then simply put in your docs name and city, hit enter and the info will pop up. This website will let you know if the license is current and if the doctor has ever been sued. You can also see where he went to school and when he / she graduated.

I hope you didn't pay then anything!

Sorry this happened to you.  There are lots of good WLSurgeons in Cali.  Find someone at a reputable clinic near you, associated with a big good hospital or a university.  You could also ask folks here for recommendations in your area.

Good luck.

OMG!!! Better to have found out now than later. Yes, it pays to do your research, it's your health and life you're talking about.

 He and his brother are in business together and are accused of some medical wrongdoing. They are primarily plastics. I have never heard them to do WLS, Huh? I live in your area, if you are interested in the lapband Dr. Carson Liu in Westwood would probably be a good way to go.  Dr. Liu does only lapbands and his nurses are specifically trained.

Lea

Thanks, I have met Dr. Liu and Dr. Naim...
I think I'm gonna hold tight for a while... im on a 6 month regimen for insurance reasons any way.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post! good luck and I'll keep intouch...

Thank God you found out before you had surgery with that center! It is a shame they have not been investigated as of yet! They flood the market with their advertisement and lead patients to believe that they can have surgery, until the patient arrives at their surgery center for their consult! Then patients are told that their insurance will not pay, when in reality like you said the insurance will pay just not to their center or at a per day amount which is not enough! They then tell the patients they have to pay cash and have a consultant get them approved for a loan of  $15,000 to $20,000. If only patients knew their benefits before going to Top Surgeons they would not waste their time. Beware the fast talkers when looking into a life changing surgery. Check them out thoroughly first!! Do they really have a support group or just say they do? Who leads their group, non bariatric physicians and or  non bariatric educated staff. There is a reason for physician and staff turnover here! Also beware of people who have had the Lap Band procedure and not done well. They will try to convince you otherwise, but education and healthy eating is the only way to succeed in the long run. And yes they do have you consult with other physicians, some of whom your problems would be resolved with weight loss after the surgery, like stress urinary incontinence!
Save yourselves and find a reputable facility for surgery.