Danbury Hospital - Center for Weight Loss Surgery Bariatric Center

2/08-05 WELL I WAITED A WHOLE YEAR BEFORE MAKING MY FINAL DECISION AND I AM GOING WITH DR ZUCCALA FOR MY SURGERY - HIS STAFF IS WONDERFUL! SURGERY DATE SCHEDULED FOR 4/04/05

This surgeon is very confident and easy to speak to. His program is very detailed and he is stict about who he allows into the program. He makes sure you are in this for the long haul. Dr Z. has a very good reputation around here. He was reccomended by a lot of Dr's that I have contact with. He has a huge sense of humor which is importatnt. He is exremely thourough. All my questions that i had written down were answered befor I could ask them.

18 months later...
My surgeon is still as involved today as he was when I started this. Whenever there is a question, or need for additional help he is always there! I just had a problem that was not GB related and he was there to fix it, surgically, the next day!

I had attended information sessions at a couple of other places before I went to the one that Dr. Neil Floch did at Norwalk Hospital. This was different right away.

Other places felt like an Amway meeting. It was all about signing me up and answering questions later. The presentations were not professional and usually done by an assistant to an assistant. They could answer very few questions that was not already in the handout.

Upon arrival at Norwalk, I was welcomed by someone who made eye contact. I was told there were informational folders available that I could take if I was interested, versus having a stack of forms shoved at me and told to fill them out.

I liked that one of the surgeons was giving the session. The presentation was professional and was detailed. He even had some video of a lapband being put into place.

At the initial consultation, everyone that I met was great. They go over the details with you as if you were the only person they were seeing that day. That included Dr. Floch.

They emphasize aftercare a great deal. In fact, one year of aftercare is included in the price, because they want to ensure that it is done.

I like the whole approach that they take. It is not just about getting the surgery done and then I am on my own.

I am not one who is easily impressed, but so far I have not encountered anything negative to report. It is still early in the process of course.

I am now in the process of seeing the other doctors he referred me to. Once that has been completed, I hope to obtain a surgery date.

7/4/2005 Update:
I have a surgery date of 7/12/2005 set. I have been to see the myriad of doctors that were required. I am pretty persnickity about my health care providers and was not looking forward to a slew of folks that I did not select. However, they were all fantastic! I could not have done better myself. I had my pre-op appointment with Dr. Floch last week. What I continue to like about him and his team (in no particular order):
1) they are candid and up front
2) they are respectful
3) they have a sense of humor

I found Dr. Zuccala to be just wonderful. He makes you feel at ease. Extremely knowledgeable and in tune with his patients. The office staff is just great. They were like family. I found that they remembered who I was and added a personal touch to my care. The environment was warm and friendly.

Dr. Zuccala is one of the best in his field. He does great surgery. They have an excellent weight loss program from pre-op to post op. Over all I would rate the program on a scale from 1-10 as 9. I'd like to give them a little bit more to strive for.

Surgical competence and bedside manner go hand in hand.

VERY NICE PERSON EXPLAIN EVERYTHING THAT I NEED TO KNOW. IT HASN'T CHANGE.
HIS STAFF WAS VERY NICE AND HELPFUL.DIDN'T STAY THAT LONE TO FINE OUT THE LEAST THING ABOUT HIM THAT I DIDN'T LIKE. I DON'T KNOW WILL TELL YOU AFTER SURGERY.WILL TELL YOU MORE AFTER SURGERY.

Dr. Neil Floch is a very kind man. From the day I met him I knew he was the one I wanted to perform my surgery. I showed up at one of his seminars with a HUGE list of questions. After the meeting he took some time and sat down with me to answer ALL of my questions and to address my concerns.
His staff is very sweet as well. At first I had a tiny issue with faxes being received and handled but that was taken care by Danielle. She is super sweet too! All of the women I have spoken to from that office are all very sweet.
Dr. Floch made me feel comfortable in his office. So many other Dr.'s out there treat the "Obese" in a rather negative manner. Dr.Floch is the complete opposite. I felt at ease talking to him and his sense of humor helped me feel less afraid as well.I am happy to recommend him to ANYBODY out there considering W.L.S.

I researched LAP-Band surgery for almost 2 years. As a RN, I am very particular as to what I want/dont want. When I attended the seminar at which Dr. Neil Floch presented the information, I knew immediately that he was the surgeon for me. He is sincere, understanding, respectful, gracious, extraordinary, outgoing, kind, caring, and compassionate. His office staff is understanding, helpful, and make you feel at ease. I recommend and will continue to recommend Dr. Floch to everyone who is interested in gastric LAP band surgery. Dr. Floch addressed the risks/benefits of all the bariatric surgeries. I think that surgical competence is of greatest importance, but bedside manner is important too...one has to feel comfortable with their surgeon...Dr. Floch is "one of a kind"...I trust him completely!!

Hi, my first impression of Dr. Zuccala is that he is very serious about what he does,and is very honest to his patients. My impression over time has changed somewhat only because i know him a bit better, i have the utmost respect for him.The office staff has been wonderful, any time i ever call with a question , they all work on getting the answer and it's always a very quick response.Well as far as what other future patients should know is that Dr. Zuccala znd his staff will take the best care of you. Dr.Zuccala emphasizes after care very much, it is as important as the surgery itself.I go to the bariatric support group meetings every month and i always get a lot out of them.Also he is always there if you have a question about anything anytime day or night, which makes me feel comfortable.They are very up front about the risks of having surgery, but everyone has to decide for themselves whether the risks outwegh the benefits of surgery. I would rate Dr. Zuccala and his staff as a 10 on a 1 to 10 scale.Well to me his Surgical competence is much more important, but both were awsome.

My first impression of Dr Zuccala was that he was a caring person, he seemed really interested in what brought me to that first meeting with him and he remained like that the whole time, it wasn't like he was trying to hook me and then he changes into a meat market surgeon before my eyes...everyone on his staff is so wonderfull they work together to make it as smooth of a transition for you as possible, their support during and after surgery is second to none they make sure you know all aspects of the surgery and the aftercare backwards and forwards and their support group is fantastic! just when you think you are alone in how you are feeling, you go to a support group meeting and come out of there with a new outlook on everything. I love Dr Z and everyone in his office, they gave me back my life, how do you ever thank someone for that.

Dr Zuccala was very patient and kind each time I met with him prior to surgery. He explained the procedure very clearly, including all potential complications. He stated that he would be there to get me through any complications and he was true to his word. He remained patient with me in the hospital at a time that I would have tested anyones patience. Terry, Cathy, and the insurance person all did their jobs very well.Aftercare is emphasized preop and is carried through post op. Support group meetings are very helpful. I would rate DR Zuccalo 10 out of 10. I just wanted to take a minute to state that I recently saw Dr. Zuccala for my 2 year visit. I was made to feel like I was able to ask any question that came to my mind and the answers I received were not rushed in any way. I was made to feel that my followup care was just as important as my pre-op or in hospital care. In looking back on my choices, I would not change anything.