Advanced Laparoscopic Associates Bariatric Center

so far...my consultation is scheduled for May 31th. the receptionist was polite and quite helpful. i even called back with questions and it was very nice to be able to speak with someone. i could have had a consult in five days but chose to have it in a couple of weeks. The one draw back is that they don't have support groups yet, but they are working on setting them up. i will post after i speak to the dr.

- my first impression of dr. schmidt was that i knew that i wanted him to do the surgery.
- over time i grew more and more confident.
- his office staff were helpful and friendly
- he expects his patients to have the responsibility to take care of themselves and follow his aftercare instructions.
- he was very honest and forthcoming with the risks of the surgery.
- i would give him a 12 out of 10. if i had to have this surgery over again i would go back to him without even thinking.
- his technique is fantastic, i have minimal scaring, and his bedside manner is fantastic, he treats you like you are his only patient, completely focused on you and your needs.
- negative points: it can take a while to get an appointment sometimes. sometimes appointments are double booked so be prepared to have a bit of a wait.

***this was my experience with the doctor, others may not have the same experience, i was lucky that other than my weight i was in perfect health so my surgery went better than some others may. this is strictly a personal rating of the doctor!!***

I have met with Dr Schmidt in his office,on
April 9,2001
It was a very small but busy office,I did have to
wait a while for my appointment, but once i was in
there the doctor gave me as much time as I needed
to explain things and answer all my questions.
Doctor Schmidt is a very young, handsome man that
seems VERY knowledgable in what he is doing.
I really liked how POSITIVE he was, made me feel
alot more at ease.
I like him alot !!

I met my surgeon on March 29th. The office was kind of small and the office staff was clearly overwhelmed. Dr. Schmidt was very nice and informative and very encouraging. I am now waiting to have the surgery approved by my insurance company. My tentativ surgery date is June 18th. I can't wait.

4/6/01-Met with Dr. Schmidt yesterday. On a scale of 1-10 I rate him a 10. Was very busy (phone, pages, etc.) but still spent over an hour with me. As they say, if you want something done right hire a busy person. He is very confident in his ability and the results his patients have achieved after this surgery. He put me at ease as much as possible. His office staff was very friendly and accomodating. He is 35 years old and single. He says his practice is his significant other. He went through the whole procedure and discussed the risks of surgery in detail. Compared with the risks of no surgery the decision is a no-brainer. I will keep updating as I have more interaction with his office and the surgery date gets closer.

I have a consultation set for 3-29-01! I'm on my way.

Drs. office called 2-21 with cancellation for 2-22, asked if I would like to come in then. Of course I jumped at the appt., over a month sooner than expected!

3-22-01 I am very happy with Dr. Schmidt and Barbara in his office. Barbara can be pressed for time
but she is very helpful. I have put together a support group but Dr. Schmidt is getting a room
at the hospital so that he can have a support group meet there.
As far as surgical competance, a lot of people say to make sure you use a Bariatric surgeon.
I feel that if I want a procedure done laproscopically, I don't want a Bariatric surgeon,
I want a Lap specialist. If the surgeon has been trained in what needs to be done for the
procedure, I think that it is more important that he has the experience of how to perform that surgery.

My suggestion would be to start the insurance approval process yourself. You are the one person that is most
concerned with receiving your approval. Call your insurance company and ask what you can do to assist the surgeon's office and the insurance company.
They will appreciate your assistance and it just may help you in the long run.

Good luck to all and if I can help, please let me know.

my first impression of dr.trivedi was he was
young and said he was amazed on how
his practice is going being he just came down from new jersey. and is doing like 4 surgerys a week.his nurse was very nice
i have to get her name. he went over the whole procedure kinda scary.....
he also added alot of dry humor to lighten the situation. but always told me how there are complications and went over each one of them twice. you can reach dr.trivedi at
954-989-3053
1150 n 35th ave in hollywood,fl.33021

My first appointment with Dr. Schmidt was rather rushed. I spent nearly two hours in the waiting room and by the time I got to see him he was so far behind schedual taht I only had about ten minutes with him. When I did meet with him he was right to the point and seemed quite professional.
The upside of the prolonged wait is that I meet several people in the waiting room that had already had the surgery. The where all so pleased with their results that I felt much more comfortable about my choice to have the procedure.
The office staff seemed to be as pressed for time as Dr. Schmidt. The person who deals with the insurance companies told me I needed a Psych. evaluation and an evaluation from a nutritionist for my Oxford Insurance. The only problem was that I was unclear as to what exactly the Psychiatrist and Nutritionist were supposed to be evaluating. When I contacted them they seemed equally confused but wrote referals anyway. Now it's up to my insurance company.

I used Dr Schmidt, 3 years ago for a Lap Nissen, not only was he a expert, he is very caring,,When I e-mailed him about the gastric
bypass, he got right back to me...See there is a problem, because of the Lap Nissen, that will have to be reversed, then he can do the bypass,,,I trust him completly, I live
in SI, Ny and I am going to NJ, because he is the only one I trust, the only problem is that he is so booked with consults, I couldm't get a appoitment till Feb 22, I can't wait, I am tired of being fat, I am a diet school drop out,

My first impression of Dr. Schmidt came from some of the women sitting in the waiting room. They sang his praises--and they were right. He was patient, caring, and educated in his field (I'm a nurse and used to working with doctors--I liked him right away--and still do!).
His staff is helpful and always call you right back when you have a question or problem.
He is trying to set up a support group of his patients all over the state of NJ. I think this is a great idea! He seems to truly care about his patients and wants them to do well.
He is a teacher--and usually has a fellow ("almost doctor") with him. These doctors are wonderful also. So you get 2 for the price of 1 (don't worry--Dr. Schmidt ALWAYS does the surgery himself). I loved having 2 doctors--someone was always there in the hospital for you!
I loved him and would rate him a 9--I am taking 1 point off for telling me he would be back one night and not coming (he had an emergency--but I was looking forward to seeing him--I had a question).
I need bedside support--I think most doctors are capable to do the surgery--but I need that bedside manner and support. Dr. Schmidt has both the competence and the great caring personality...