BetterLife Bariatrics Bariatric Center

My first impression of Dr. McDaniel was that he cared about me as a person. He also looked too young to be a surgeon! Since some 9 months have passed since my surgery, I know now that he IS a caring person and that looks can be deceiving! He has such charisma and charm and yet is so professional. He personalizes his discussions so that you feel you are his only patient. His office staff is tremendous. I only had one little problem in that I was scheduled for my 6 month visit and was supposed to get orders for my blood work prior to the check up. I did not receive the orders so I called his office and they faxed the orders to my primary care physician here in Corpus. I rescheduled both my blood work appointment and my check up appointment and everything went smoothly from that point on. Dr. McDaniel and his physician's assistant both stressed to me the importance of the aftercare program and following through on the instructions given for it. He did tell me about the risks of surgery; but with the health problems I was experiencing, I felt the risks were minimal compared to what could happen if my diabetes and blood pressure problems worsened. I just have to say that I would recommend Dr. McDaniel to anyone who is considering the surgery. If you live in or near Victoria, TX., he is the surgeon you want to put your faith and trust in. He is just excellent in my book both as a surgeon and as a caring individual.

Dr. McDaniel is very professional and competent. He informed me about the latest trends in Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery and told me what I could expect during the entire process. He is committed to the well-being of his patients for their entire lives and he emphasizes this with patients. He was very candid with me about the risks of surgery so that I was able to make an informed decision.

The office staff is knowledgeable and is quick to answer any questions I have. Ann, the benefits coordinator, is a phenomenal being as she kept after my insurance company until they finally gave their approval.

Dr. McDaniel's program consists of several components. Prior to surgery, I had a gallbladder ultrasound, I had to attend both a personal and a group session with a therapist, and I had to attend a nutrition class at the hospital. My stay at the hospital was great despite the fact that I was uncomfortable the day of and the day after surgery. After surgery, there are group counseling sessions, pouch pal meetings, and regular visits with Dr. McDaniel and his staff. They have also arranged with the hospital to offer special exercise classes for gastric bypass patients.

Generally, my experience has been positive. To prospective gastric bypass patients, I encourage you to research the procedure thoroughly. Please realize that this will drastically affect your lives and that there are psychological effects on you as well that must be worked through. It isn't easy but the reward comes in becoming healthier, fitting into smaller clothes, and seeing those pounds on the scale wither away.

Best of luck to you. Choose wisely.

I had a very good first impression of Dr. McDaniel and his office staff. He made sure I was aware of everything before the surgery was done. Also wanted to know what my expectations and what kind of out come I wanted. He does emphasize after care with groups and vitamin care.

As of June 2004 when I had my initial consultation with Dr. McDaniel, he said he had done over 500 gastric bypass surgeries and has a very low complication rate. He considered me extremely low-risk, so I felt quite safe about the whole thing. Though Dr. McDaniel seems very young, he is a very experienced bariatric surgeon. His entire practice is dedicated to bariatric surgery, so this is all he does. He's very competent and reassuring.

As for aftercare, Dr. McD and his partner Dr. Chang run a monthly support group meeting for all their patients--and they attend these meetings themselves. It's nice, but I would prefer a more interactive forum. They usually ask speakers to make presentations to the large group, which means that we don't have a chance to "meet-n-greet" or talk freely with other WLS patients. I want a chance to make new friends who understand life after WLS. Though the meetings are informative and useful, they don't meet this need for me.

I was very comfortable with my first meeting with Dr McDaniel. I have always been embarrassed to discuss my wieght problem, but I felt at ease with him. He seems very dedicated to the fight against obesity. The PA, Ron, was extremely personable. I was a bit overwhelmed with finally being there and drew a blank on questions I have, but they made it clear that they are there anytime to answer questions. I'm not sure what I expected, but I really didn't leave with more information about RNY than I went in with.

I was given his name by a friend and later attended a reunion with her for post op patients. At that time the doctor spoke on many points of the surgery before and after and the effects it can have on the patient and family relationships. I found him to be very intelligent and I thought very honest about the good and bad of the surgery. When I went for my nutrition class and psychologists meeting I also saw the doctor as well as his P.A. I was given the opportunity to ask questions and was satisfied with answers. Before going I did a lot of research into the different types of surgery and decided that for me the Roux NY would be the best. The only thing I have objection to is that I was told I would be contacted to set up a date for surgery and I kept thinking that my insurance had not been approved. When I contacted the office and spoke with Ann in insurance she informed me that medicare and tricare did not need to be approved. I assume that is because medicare accepts the doctors recommendation that the surgery is necessary for my health. At that time she transfered me to Veronica and I was told that if I desired a surgery date that we would set it. I said of course and we set the date. At that time she informed me that they would let me know when to come in for pre op tests.

I have only met Dr. McDaniel once at the consultation but I was very impressed with him at the time. He was very matter of fact and direct. He was able to quickly answer any questions that I had. He did not make me feel uncomfortabe about wanting this surgery and not being able to lose my weight on my own. He stressed the importance of exercise and the fact that this procedure is only a tool. His office staff was very friendly and helpful; especially Ann, who works with the insurance. I will post more when I get my insurance to approve my surgery and I meet with him more. I now have more questions to ask as I have researched the procedure more.

Dr McDaniel was very nice upon meeting him. I really liked his staff. They are very helpfull with explaining and helping getting things done. They are also very nice. Will be able to update more after I have had more meetings with him.

My first meeting with Dr. McDaniel was with a very calm and competent surgeon. There was no lecture, we just exchanged questions and facts. There was no sales pitch, but he did say be preferred laproscopic over open for the obvious reasons.
The office staff was great. There was very little waiting time, everyone was knowledgeable, courteous, and honest, and most of all patient. My only drawback is that the hospital and Aetna don't agree, so I've decided to go laproscopic and self pay.
Dr. McDaniel has a terrific aftercare program, which is one of the reasons I chose him. I've attended several of the monthly group sessions and am very impressed with their caring and advise. I feel that I can contact any one of them at any time for help or advice.
I wish Victoria wasn't 2 hours away. I would really enjoy attending the group sessions with Paul Primm, but because of the distance my job doesn't allow me to do so.
I was treated as a partner in this venture, not someone a level below the experts.

My first impression of him was that he was young and handsome :) After I got over that, I realized that he was very intelligent and was knowledgable about my condition, and the procedure (that's a good thing) He was friendly and eager to answer all of my questions and wanted to be sure that all of my questions were answered and that I understood the seriousness and the committment needed for this procedure. I had already done a lot of research on the procedure and had done some self educating about the procedure, the aftercare, etc. I did not have many questions but they asked anyways as they wanted to make sure I was well informed. This is not a procedure to commit to lightly.

The staff at his office are awesome, from Veronica to Ann to Ron. I got there an hour early for my initial consult and was going to wait in the waiting room, they saw me right away. I am sure that this was probably good luck on my part. No WAIT, now that's a change. They are really friendly and fast to answer any questions or find the answer for you. I was also lucky that my insurance approved my surgery very quickly without a lot of follow up from the doctor's office. I am truly impressed with this whole program. Although I am still waiting to have surgery, the program appears to be very in depth, not only from the initial consult but in following you after surgery as well. Overall, so far I would rate Dr. McDaniel and his staff and the program a 10. Now these statements are only my opinion and my experiences, but so far it has been a smooth road. All of this process is very individual and I have read a lot of profiles where people have had a difficult time with different programs, the procedure and with insurance, it just has not been that way for me. I guess this time is making up for the 3 years that I have been trying to get this surgery done. I guess the third time is a charm.