Adirondack Medical Center Bariatric Center

Dr Michael Hill was the surgeon that didmy surgery, but he has a \"bariatric team\" which were the staff and Dr Edward Hixson was the MD I saw most during my prapproval time. rnrnI want to say that the whole group is wonderful and very supportive in your weight loss endeaver. rnrnDr Hill is very positive and clearly explains everything and answered my questions well. He was very punctual daily came in every morning evening 7/4 when I was due to be discharged he was there and I didn't have to wait all day for him. rnrnCurrently I am 2 weeks post-op laparoscoopic RNY from 7/1, and as I shared with him yesterday in my visit. I feel like I didn't even have surgery! I feel great and will be returning to work 7/21!rnrnThank you Dr Hill and all your staff!

02/03/08: Since my first post I have met with Dr, Hill a few times. Of course for my initial evaluation regarding my gall bladder surgery, while in the hospital and the follow up. My impression has not changed. He was very nice the entire time. I feel he likes to explain what is going on in lay terms (even though I know the human anatomy very well). I'm sure I will meet with him again prior to my gastric bypass surgery.rnrn09/07: I have not met with Dr. Hill, but have met with Dr. E. Hixson for my initial consultation. He was wonderful. Explained everything to me as well as set goals. I am very satisfied at this point in the level of care I have received.rnrnDr. Hill did operate some time ago on my husband and brother and was very patient and kind. rnrnDr. Hill will be performing surgery on me tomorrow. Unfortunately I have to have my gall bladder out. I will give my impression of the hospital and the experience when able.rnrnMy gall bladder surgery went well, and I met again with Dr. Hill. He truly is a very nice man.rnrn04/09/08rnThis post isn't about the Dr. but the insurance approval. My last appointment was 03/17/08. I was told at that appointment that my paperwork for the surgery would commence this week and I should have a surgical date by the end of April the beginning of May. I'm extremely disappointed in the way this was handled. My actual approval process didn't start until the 2nd of April. I was told that the paperwork had gone in on March 24th, but a follow up inquiry didn't take place. I had to phone the insurance company again on April 2nd when I still hadn't heard anything. I again called the office and it was at this time that the actual approval went in; two and a half weeks later. Then the insurance company was not in receipt of all the information it needed from the Doctor's office. It needed to request my pcp's approval, which I had asked for 7 months ago from him and was unaware that this information had not been received in the bariatric clinic. Hopefully this is not foreshadowing what is to come.

My first impresson of Dr. Hill was WOW! He is a hotty! How will I ever be able to talk to this gorgeous guy about how fat I am!!!! rnrnHis office staff are the best. They are so helpful and understanding. I feel right at home everytime I go there!

Here is my opinion, based on my experience only:
Dr. Hill was a wonderful surgeon. He really seemed to care about me and my family and tried to learn about all of us prior to surgery. He took his time fully explaining everything and answering all of our questions. Dr. Hill explained fully all the risks of surgery as well as the risks of not having surgery. He did not hold back about risks and things to weigh out and consider.
His office staff is responsive to the patient's needs, although they are less then friendly at times. The staff at the bariatric Center (Dr. Hixson's office) is much nicer to deal with.
Aftercare is a huge component of the procedure. Aftercare is for life and they ask you to agree to that before going in.
Dr. Hill is the complete package! He is competent as a surgeon and has a great bedside manner. I looked forward to him coming into my room everyday with a smile on his face, and a great sense of humor and attitude. He is kind and caring and seemed to very genuine. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

When I first met Dr Hill it was after my mother's surgery. I remember him coming into the waiting room with a smile on his face and telling my father and I that the surgery went fine. And that she would soon be out of recovery. He gave us the time to ask questions. He told us about the things that were tricky during her surgery ---like she had scar tissue from a previous surgery and that he had to do a few different things (nothing bad) to go around the old scar tissue. It was wonderful that he took the time. My mom also had some later complications and he made me feel calm in a stressful situation. rnrnWhen it came time for my surgery he was wonderful. He came to my hospital room daily and made sure I was getting up and moving. He was impressed by how good I was doing. rnrnHis aftercare program is great. If I had any problems I was to contact the hospital or his office and I did have to contact his office a few times with questions. The nurse staff at his office is very efficent and answered my questions right away/rnrnI would tell future patients that they are in outstanding hands with Dr Hill and I would highly recommend him to anyone. (and I do recommend him to anyone who asks me)

When I first went in to the office to meet with Dr. Hill, I must admit I was VERY nervous. As soon as Dr. Hill stepped in the room he really eased the nervousness. Everyone who has told me that he was great was so right. He is truely an awsome doctor who knows his stuff. After a firm handshake and introduction, he proceded to go over the procedure that I would be having in great detail. He even drew pictures to make sure that I had a firm understanding of what was going to happen during and after my surgery. He also went over the risks and complications in great detail too. He is such a wonderful Dr. and I am so much more confident in getting the surgery after meeting with him. I know that I have chose the right surgeon to do my surgery and know what to do if any such complications occur during my stay at AMC.rnrnUpdate: Now that I have had the surgery I can say that Dr. Hill is the best doctor I have ever had! His surgical skills are superb and his bedside manner is unlike any other doctor I have ever had. He truely is a lifesaver in my mind. AMC's nursing staff was also wonderful and made my stay as pleasant as it could be for just having major surgery. I look forward to continuing the program at AMC and attending the Post op support groups. I would rate the program a definate 10 out of a scale of 1-10. I would also VERY HIGHLY recommend Dr. Hill to anyone considering this surgery. He is such a great man and I know that anyone would like him if they met him! I send a BIG thanks AMC and Dr. Hill for such a wonderful experience! Good Luck to all who make the decision to undergo this surgery and I hope you have a great experience like I did.

He was energetic and eagar to make sure you have a firm understanding of the whole picture. He is truly caring about your well being. Everyone at his office and the clinic are friendly and professionly. Very timely in getting back to you if needed. I feel it is very very important to go through the program for at least 6 months with monthly followups before having the surgery. It greatly helps you to be honest with yourself. It gives you time to research and start new habits that you need in play when you do have the surgery. I feel the program at AMC is very thorough. I would recomend the program as well as Dr. Hill to anyone.

Dr. Hill is great. I have not had any complaints about him. He was there twice a day to visit in the hospital. I trust him and respect him.

My first impression of Dr. Hill was that he was very friendly and personable. My impression never changed, he is very attentive when you are in his office and he doesn't make you feel rushed. His office staff are friendly and accomodating and always willing to answer all your questions, if they can. I honestly can say there isn't anything that I didn't like about Dr. Hill or his staff. I think anybody who has had him as their doctor would probably agree. Dr. Hill is really big about aftercare and encouraging you to follow up with the Bariatric Center. The Bariatric Center has a great bunch of people working there. They are very friendly and always willing to help or answer questions. The risks of the surgery were made very clear to me right from the beginning. He drew diagrams, gave handouts and made sure I understand everything before I left his office. My overall rating of Dr. Hill and his staff would be a 10 on a scale of 1-10. I really did have a great experience after making such a difficult decision. He is a well rounded surgeon that knows what he's doing. I took great comfort in knowing that if something went wrong he knew what was going on and how to fix it. His bedside manner is that of no other doctor I've ever met. He doesn't rush you and never leaves the room unless he's sure that you understand everything and all your questions have been answered. He always has a big smile on his face as well. I truly did have a great experience and no complications, but I realize that's not the case for everyone and everybody has to make their own informed decision about this surgery and who performs it. Good luck to all who make the difficult decision to go through with it and I hope you are all as fortunate as I was.rn

I should be getting my date on 2-9-07 wohoooo. I have to say I'm nervous... would like to chat with anyone with info.