Cahaba Valley Surgical Group, PC Bariatric Center

I was favorably impressed with Dr. Stahl when I met him at my initial consultation. He seems to be competent and thorough. We did not discuss post-op diet or support groups -- probably because I forgot to ask about them!

He was very personable, shook my hand when he introduced himself, apologized for running so late. He smiled often, was very relaxed & did not rush me through my appointment, although I knew I was the last patient of the day.
My impression changed a little after I got home & realized he had basically "glossed over" the complications I could have because I have lupus. He did say I could continue taking my present Celebrex & Plaquenil after the surgery. I should have asked him about the absorption problems, or if there will be any change after. That was my fault. He DID say there should be no problems with my particular type of lupus.
I met Jan, his Insurance Lady (?), first, when I went into the office. I had called her the day before to tell her I might be a few minutes late & to see if that was o.k. She asked if I wanted to reshedule & I said no. Then, when I WAS 15 min. late, she very POINTEDLY mentioned it when I got the forms to fill out. I looked at the 3 people still not marked off on his sign-in sheet & thought it really didn't matter, as he was clearly running late. Didn't say anything, though. She never smiled the whole time I was there that made me feel guilty, like I was messing her up because I got there late. I had to apologize twice!
Dr. Stahl introduced the staff after we left the exam room. The office manager was extremely courtious & friendly and so was his nurse that weighed & measured me.
I don't know about aftercare. It wasn't mentioned too much & not in detail or I don't remember it, if it was. That could be better. I don't know, for instance, if there is a support group of his patients, whether he has a strict diet (he said a dietician would visit me in the hospital after surgery) or the schedule of office visits for aftercare. I WAS CONCERNED HE WILL NOT REMOVE THE GALLBLADDER UNLESS IT IS INFLAMED OR HAS EVIDENCE OF STONES, ETC. I had read there is a study where over over 1/3 of WLS patients develop gallstones after the surgery & it has to be taken out later. My insurance says that no other procedures will be covered/paid for if it is a result of the WLS. Hopefully it will be taken out. I do not want to have to pay to have it taken out later out of my own pocket. He also does not do the panniculectomy (surgery to remove the excess skin & fat some poeple get around the lower stomach after weight loss (Also called "an apron removal". He said he did do these for a while but there were good plastic surgeons he could recommend. Overall, so far, I am pleased with the 1st visit. I have my pre-tests & blood work coming up on 10-16-00.
The only real trouble I had was with my insurance approval & some misunderstanding with Jan on that. I have military Tricare Standard & I don't have to go through a lot
of the steps some others do. Jan called in advance to get a pre-approval (although I had told her she did not need to do that)& was told it was not a covered procedure. She then called me & told me I had been turned down. After crying & throwing things, I calmed down & started calling. I had to call the same number, only to find out the paperwork was still in *Stage One*, which ment they didn't even have the doctor's paperwork yet, just the basic form. After my call, I got my Primary Care Doctor to fax my DX of Diabetes, hypertension & sleep apnea to Tricare. The paperwork from Dr. Stahl's office got there & it was sent to Stage Two, where approval/disallow happens. It was approved within 24 hrs. Jan called me back the next day after the fiasco of the 1st call & we started all over with a fresh slate. She was much nicer after that.
Dr. Stahl listed the risks some but stressed it was A TOOL to weight loss, not A MAGIC CURE, that I would have to do my share by following the diet, exercising & drinking lots of water.
Overall, so far I am pleased & would recommed him. I will update this again after my bloodwork Mon.

Dr. Sherer is a very kind person. He may be very slim in appearance but he is very understanding to our problem of obesity! I truly believe that he saved my life! I was extremely nervous going into his office that first day, but his staff was waiting for me and they are all really nice people. He put me at ease by doing most of the talking before he started asking me questions.
After the surgery and he comes around to see you he spends time with you, does not make you feel like he is in a hurry and does not have time to spend with you answering your questions.
I was sent home on a 1000 calorie diet with a list of example meals which I find very helpful. I don't find my aftercare program too hard to follow as long as I follow the rules.
I honestly do not have anything negetive to say about Dr. Sherer or his staff. I feel like the went above and beyond for what they did for me because I was also having problems with my heart rate dropping during the night and they would not discharge me until I had seen a cardioligist to find out what the problem was, which turned out to be sleep apnea.

I was very impressed with Dr. Stahl. He took as much time as I needed for him to answer all my questions regarding my surgery.
He is very knowledgeable and I trust him completely. His office staff is very nice and helpful. Jan, the one who files the insurance, told me that my insurance would approve within a week after I completed 3 requirements for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of AL insurance. One was an EKG, then a Thyroid Profile, and finally, a psychiatric evaluation. I jumped through all those hoops and within a week's time Jan called me to tell me that I had been approved. Dr. Stahl addressed all the risks of surgery but the benefits outweigh the risks. He has a structured aftercare program and he emphasized the aftercare program.

My first impression of Dr. Stahl was a good one, in my opinion he seemed very professional and very concerned. I did not have many dealings with his office staff yet, but so far they have been nice.Dr. Stahl really does emphasize aftercare. He lets you know right up front that he is not going to cure you, he is going to give you a tool so you can cure yourself. At this point I would reccomend Dr. Stahl to anyone.

I liked Dr. Stahl, he is not much of a talker but he will answer your questions and he made me very comfortable. His staff was very nice and Jan, his insurance filer, was kinda cool at first but with some talking and laughing she really warmed up....I really didn't see anything that I didn't like, I believe it was a good visit.....

My first impression of Dr Stahl great. I had read all the information his staff sent me before my vist. He just basically went over some of the same stuff and answered all my questions. The office staff were very helpful. They were very helpful in answering all of my questions. I think he was a good choice over all. I am glad he did my surgery.

He is very professional, as is his staff. I had two prior surgeries with him before I even knew he did this procedure or this was his specialty. I would highly recommend him to others. He gave me a list of people in a support group so I really can't honestly say how structured his support group is since I have not been in contact with them yet. I do know that I feel very good about having this surgery since I inquired about the procedure and not the other way around. No sales pitch, just the facts-good and bad. I would rate him very high just because of my past experience with him, his office, and the facility he uses.

Dr. Stahl spent a lot of time and effort to get my surgery approved. He goes the extra mile to help when he sees that someone is not being treated right by their insurance company.
I don't think I would be having this surgery on the 29th if it wasn't for him and his staff. They are very caring and helpful.
Dr. Stahl is quiet but an excellent surgeon and is highly recommended.
I will know more as I see him but have all confidence in his expertise. Not worried at all and can't wait for my day.

I met Dr. Stahl in his office in Alabaster. He was very friendly and answered all of my questions. He was very upfront with his answers. His staff was very friendly and easy to talk with. I have only talked with them briefly on the phone and have only met him once, but he seems very competent and friendly. He came highly recommended by another bariatric doctor that I have worked with for the last 3 years.

The only thing I didn't like was the cursory exam that he gave me. I had had a physical 4 months prior to going to him, but he really didn't give me a full medical physical. This would not be a benefit to someone who had not had a physical in a while.

I think overall Dr. Stahl is a concerned physician who takes great pride in his work. I think he genuinely wants whats best for his patients and he encouraged me with regards to the surgery, but he also encouraged me to continue working with the program that I have now. I liked him alot.


May 18, 2000--I went for my Preoperative appointment. My weight has gone up 20 pounds in the last month. That fact by itself upset. But then, we went down to the Surgical center. There the nursed drew some blood, took a medical history, and told me a little about anesthesia. We talked some about the possibility of me donating my own blood should I need it for a transfusion. I suggest that if you want to do that, go ahead and call your local Red Cross. It is a week before my surgery and it is too late for me. As usual, everyone at the office was really nice. I'm getting very nervous. This time next week the procedure will be over. I'm excited about that. Keep me in your prayers.