Clinique Michel Gagner MD Bariatric Center

I think that Dr. Gagner is the best
surgeon I could of had. He is not a very talkative dr. but I fully confided in his
surgical abilities and highly recomend him.

I have an appointment with Dr. Gagner on November 15. I can't wait! After much careful research, I am seriously considering the duodenal switch via lap.

I'm interested in corresponding with other patients of Dr. Gagner and can't wait to be part of a local support group.

Oh, my stars he is soooo handsome!
He is very reserved, but knowledgeable.
His office staff is terrible!!! To say the least. They are extremely unorganized, Bernadette however, does her best!
I loved everything about Dr. Gagner.
He may seem like he's not very caring, but he is, he's just quiet, but he will take the time to answer any questions you have and he is very patient.
He didn't really speak much on after care, but he did say its important.
Yes, he has a support group.
On scale of 1-10, Dr. Gagner gets a 13!!!!!!!

I met with Dr. Gagner for my initial consult
on August 23rd. I had read so much about him
and talked to a number of patients he had
already "switched", so I knew he was an
excellent surgeon. He met with me for about
45 minutes, answered every question I had,
and explained the procedure thoroughly. I
felt completely assured that he was an
exceptional doctor, and that I could trust
him to do my surgery. His office staff was
also wonderful. They are very busy and
sometimes you have to be assertive to get
their complete attention, but you CAN get it,
and once you do they are excellent.

Dr. Gagner is very firm about receiving
adequate follow-up care, but isn't so
egotistical as to think that he is the only
person on the earth that can provide it.
That was important to me because, as I would
be thrilled to do all of my follow-up with
him, I live too far away for that to be
possible/practical. I needed a surgeon that
was willing to work with other doctors in
explaining the necessary after-care and
being available to consult with other doctors
as necessary. I must say, too, that Dr.
Gagner and his office staff are very
competent at making arrangements for patients
who have to travel distances to have their
surgery. I had called several other surgeons
when I thought I might not be able to have
Dr. Gagner and their office staff was
clearly unsympathetic to my traveling woes.
They were going to require NUMEROUS trips to
their own office for services that could have
been combined into one day or could have
been done in my home town. I'm very grateful
that Dr. Gagner's staff arranged my pre-op
appointments so that I only have to make two
trips to NY - one for the pre-op stuff and
one for the surgery itself.

I recommend Dr. Gagner and his staff without
reservation. The only "complaint" I have -
and it is minor - is that you have to be
assertive in dealing with the administrative
staff. I have found them great to work with
as long as I was actually *working* with them.
You may have to call several times to get
what you need, you may have to fax them items
more than once, but once they are slowed
down enough to focus on you, they are
absolutely awesome. I particularly
recommend Bernadette (Dr. G's RN), Yvette
(non-clinical questions), and Jacenth and
Teresita (insurance). They have been
enormously helpful to me!

He is the best. I liked his straight foward
manner and his extensive knowledge of the
procedure. I would recomend him to anyone.

My first impression of the Dr. was that he was cute....honestly, my first impression. His staff, though many, seemed to not know what other staff was doing. The head nurse tried to keep everything under control, however, she is doing the work of 4 people. Under the circumstanses, I feel Bernadette did a fabulous job. Aftercare? All I know is to eat protein, exercise, drink water and to get my bloodwork done every 3-6 months. He address all concerns, fears and responsibilities of the hospital, his surgical technique and staff. He allowed me enough time to discuss any question I might have had with him. His bedside manner? He's a Dr.......he smiled, nodded his head, asked me somethings (thank God my sister was there to answer him) and left. I feel that because he developed this surgery laproscopically and is also a professor teaching this technique to others and is the Chief of laproscopic surgery.......his competence outweighs his bedside manner. :)

Dr. Michel Gagner came highly reccomended by a fellow BPD/DS patient, Jill Sokol. He was the only surgeon in NY at the time that did Lap Duodenal Switch surgery and luckily he was right in my backyard.

I was told a bit about him prior to my meeting - I was told he was quiet, reserved, and knew a great deal about barriatric surgery since he had been doing it for quite a while. When I met him, he was indeed quiet, but also very approachable and easy to talk to - and he was very complete in his description of the DS surgery, including the risks, what life would be like post-op and what type of loss I could expect. The added bonus was that his is a VERY skilled surgeon, and head of laporoscopic surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital. I am VERY glad he performed my surgery, which was without any complications. I beleive the fact that I sailed thru surgery, recovery, and post-op life to date, had ALLOT to do with having him as my surgeon.

His aftercare program is thourough, with checkups and bloodwork every 3 months, and yearly after 1 year post op, and he has always been available via e-mail for questions and concerns. He is much busier now than he was when I had my surgery in 12/99, so I am glad I was able to have him do my surgery, where now, some patients opt for his associates because there is such a long wait for his services. In my opinion, the long wait to see him is worth it and the occasional frustration patients experience in dealing with his over-worked staff is worth it to obtain him as a surgeon.

I am now almost 3 weeks post op. Dr.Gagner is a nice enough guy, but very quiet. I chose him because of his expertise, not his personality. If not for him, I would not have been able to have my switch done lap. I had many pre existing adhesions & like I said I doubt any other doctor would have spent the time. His office is a tad too busy for my taste & there are times it's hard to get in touch with assistants etc. His assistant (RN) Bernadette is leaving next week permanently & I shudder to think of the bedlam that will ensue. However, his service in hospital was great, very attentive & very nice. I will follow up with his partner Dr.Herron because DR.G's schedule is too hectic for mine. Overall, I'm happy with my choice.

11/99 - I met Dr. Gagner last week, he was highly recommended, he seemed a little reserved, and quiet. I really feel that I am making the right decision by going ahead with the surgery.

12/20/99 - My Surgery was cancelled today in the OR, I am very unhappy about this, I feel that his office staff is not organized enough, and things could and should be prevented from happening like this. I will keep you posted.

1/27/00 - I had the LAP RNY on Monday, 1/24/00, I was very pleased with Dr. Gagner. I am so glad that I went through with it, and its over.....I will keep you posted.

3/10/00 - At 6 weeks post-op I have lost 35 lbs so far!! I feel great.

6/5/00 - At 4 months post-op, I have lost about 70 lbs and feel great!

Dr Gagner is the Chief of Laparascopic Surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital. At first meeting he struck me as quiet, reserved, and calm. Although I knew scads about the BPD/DS before we met, I still had some questions,mostly relating to laparoscopic techniques and pain management, which he readily answered. He took his time and made sure I was well aware of the risk factors. We first met on Sept. 15th, and my insurance approval came on Dec. 1. In the interim, I learned a lot about him, all of it reassuring me that I had chosen well, and I would be quite safe in his hands. There is simply not a more skilled surgeon on the east coast. He's not as warm as some physicians, but I feel his outstanding surgical skills and quiet confidence are far more important to my success.

His office staff can be a trial at times, but they aren't performing the operation, and they did the job, which in the end is what matters most. Bernadette, his clinical coordinator, is very accessible and helpful.

At 4 months post-op, I'm still exceedingly glad I chose Dr. Gagner for my DS. When my 3-month bloodwork (drawn locally) showed that my iron, calcium and protein levels were low, his Nutritionist, Nicole Siegel, called me and spent 45 minutes going over suggestions to improve those results. Dr. Gagner has worked very well with my local Internist, faxing all information to her promptly and discussing my treatment with her via phone and fax. If you've got to travel for surgery, NYC and Dr. Gagner are a very viable option. Down 98 pounds, over halfway to goal.