LI Obesity Surgery Bariatric Center

The decision to have weight loss surgery is a monumental one. It is frightening. From the moment you meet Dr. David Buchin and his staff, you are put at ease and come to understand that this is the best decision you can make for yourself. They give you all the alternatives and discuss which is the best procedure for you - all the pluses and minuses. From that moment on, he and his staff guide you through all that is necessary to achieve success. His skill as a surgeon is fantastic. Your aftercare does not stop when you leave the hospital or finish your follow-up visits. He and his PA. Sophia, lead support group meetings twice a month - no charge. They are always available if you have any questions or concerns. You are now part of the "family". This is a life-changing journey and they are the best guides you could possibly want or need.

When I met Dr. Buchin I was at a crossroads. I needed to have knee replacement surgery, but they wouldn't do it until I lost at least 100 pounds. I was 5 feet tall and 286 pounds. There was no way I could achieve that goal. However, when I met Dr. Buchin he promised me that I could lose the weight and get down to my "fighting weight" of 120 lbs. Even though I didn't think it could be done, I placed my trust in him and had bypass surgery July 2008. With the help and support of Dr. Buchin, Sophia and his staff I lost the weight! Within one year I was at my goal of 120 pounds and that following summer had a bi-lateral knee replacement.
To say that he changed my life would be an understatement. My BMI went from 56 to 24. I am in excellent health and can do anything. I know that if I hadn't gone to him my outcome would not have been as successful. I had visited another surgeon who was not as caring or interested in how I perceived this journey.
It was only through the support of Dr. Buchin and his staff that I was able to reach such a successful outcome. I recommend him and his staff without reservation.

I first met Dr. Buchin a little over two years ago. I have struggled with weight my entire life and was looking for help. Dr. Buchin met with me and discussed all the options. He answered all my questions and put me at ease. I was determined to get a band as I wanted something that was reversible. While Dr. Buchin felt I would be more successful with a sleeve, he never pushed or made me feel uncomfortable about my choice. He expressed his concerns and then respected my choice.

I followed the pre-op plans and on December 30, 2009 I had a realize band put in. The surgery was about as painless as it could be. We were in and out of the OR in less then an hour and I went home the same day. The follow up was excellent and I could not find fault with any part of the experience. I had great success initially until I stopped embracing the supports. I stopped going for follow up appointments and did not get the band adjusted. A year later I had put on most of what I had lost.

When I finally went back to Dr. Buchin and asked for help he was there for me. Not once, in any way, did Dr. Buchin make me feel like a failure. He was supportive with both surgical and non surgical remedies. And, after careful consideration I decided to have the band removed and converted to a sleeve. As this was the procedure Dr. Buchin originally recommended he would have been justified to tell me " I told you so". But the words never came. As was his style from day 1, he was supportive and comforting.

My lead up to the sleeve surgery was a comprehensive set of pre op classes and support groups. I had a pre op diet to get me ready for surgery. And, just as important, I had the support of Dr. Buchin's amazing team. Sophie, Dr. Buchin's PA, is a superstar in her own right. She is increadibly knowledgable and every bit as caring and empathic as Dr. Buchin. Karla and Helene in the office were always supportive in helping me get my clearances and worked with my schedule to make sure I could always get in to see Dr. Buchin. The whole team is the picture of support and professionalism.

Dr. Buchin and Sophie both saw me the day of the surgery to check in on me before I went in to the OR. Actually Dr. Buchin saw me twice. He went over all points of the surgery even though we had done it before. He took the time to ask if I had any other questions and answered my families questions. Once again the surgery went off without a hitch. The minute he was finished, Dr. Buchin was in contact with my family. Both he and the team at the hospital kept them informed as to my progress every step of the way.

Post op Dr. Buchin checked in on me. He was there when I went for my swallow study the next day. He insured that my pain management was taken care of, although there wasn't all that much pain. I am now 8 days post op and am fine. I am driving and am really happy with my decision to go in this direction.

I owe Dr. Buchin a lot of credit for these experiences. He is nothing short of a surgical rock star, a Jedi master. He is talented, capable, competent, empathic, compassionate and all things you want in someone with whom you entrust your life and long term health.

When you pick a surgeon DO NOT settle. Go with the best. And I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Dr. Buchin and his team are it.

When I decided to have weight loss surgery, the most important thing to me was to have the best surgeon and the best care and support possible. The first time I met Dr. Buchin and his staff I knew I had found what I was looking for. Dr Buchin took time with me and went through every detail of what to expect before and after surgery. He went over all my options and made me feel comfortable with the decision to have the sleeve. I knew I had found a surgeon who genuinely cares about his patients and the success they will have. His physician's assistant Sophia is also amazing. She walked me through the pre-surgery preparations. His secretary Carla is also fantastic and had all my paperwork that was needed done and completed and I had no worries. There were no surprises going into surgery. The day of my surgery I was relaxed and confident in the decision I had made. And when I went into the operating room and saw Dr. Buchin and Sophia's smiling faces, I was excited to start this new journey. After surgery I knew what to expect because I was well educated by them. The post care has been more than I could ask for. He has an amazing support group set up and he & Sophia are always available to answer and questions or concerns no matter how silly I think they are. Through the support group I have met some great people and everyone is so encouraging and open to share their stories that you really become a part of this family. Dr. Buchin and his staff have helped me change my life and I am so blessed.

When I walked into Dr. Buchin's office two years ago, I could have never imagined how much my life would have changed. Meeting with Dr. Buchin and his wonderful staff members pushed all my worries aside. They made me feel at ease and comfortable with my decision of having gastric bypass surgery. Over the next six months that followed, Dr. Buchin was there to answer all the questions I had. On July 29, 2009, I walked into the hospital ready to leave my old self behind. Throughout the months that followed, I felt more like family every time I visited Dr. Buchin's office. I wasn't just a patient! He helped me to learn how to adjust to the new person I was transforming into. With his support and the support of all the members of his wonderful staff, I was able to reach my goal. On July 29th I was 276 pounds and now alittle over two years later, I am 115 lbs and a new person. I am not sure where I would be without all of the support and encouragement I received throughout my journey. I have never been able to find the right words to say...how many thank you's would it take to show how much appreciation I have. From the moment I walked into the office of Dr. Buchin, I knew he would not only be the right surgeon for me, but I knew in my heart that both he and his wonderful would be some of the most important people in my life...for the rest of my life!! So even if it takes a million thank you's I will be forever thankful for the support, direction and care I have received since day one. This journey is not over for me, it continues each and every day and I know that Dr, Buchin is here for me every step of the way.

I started out my journey into the world of bariatric surgery in 2010. I attempted to attend a seminar of another bariatric surgeon who practices on Long Island. After reading this particular surgeon's website I planned to attend a seminar that was posted on their schedule. I went to the hotel where the seminar was supposed to be taking place only to find that the hotel staff had no idea of such an event. I called this surgeons office and got his answering service as it was after regular business hours. I left a msg with them as well as emailing his office asking what had happened to the seminar. I received no apology or for that matter no reply whatsoever. I became a bit discouraged. I decided immediately that I wouldn't be doing business with that doctor.

Determined to continue forward with bariatric surgery I researched other practices in my area. That is when I came across Dr. David Buchin and his staff. I saw when they were planning to have an informational seminar and this time called the office to confirm that it was going to happen as planned which it was. The seminar was more than I would have expected. At no point did I feel like I was being "pitched" a weight loss solution. Dr. Buchin and his staff were very informative without ever seeming like they were selling me a bill of goods. He listed the procedures he performed, the reasonable expectations with each procedure, as well as the possible negative scenarios associated with each procedure. I left that day unsure of what I was going to do but felt very well armed with all of the information I needed to make an informed decision.

Shortly thereafter I made an appointment to have a consultation with Dr. Buchin. I was originally thinking of lap band surgery but by the time I came in to see him I had changed my mind to a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. When I met with Dr. Buchin I expressed my opinion and why I felt the way I did and he thought I had made a sound decision for myself. Again, there was no salesmanship involved and I never felt pressured to make a hasty decision. He took his time answering every question I had and I never felt hurried. He was more than happy to make sure I had every detail I needed to go forward with surgery or to decide it wasn't for me and walk away.

I went through his office for my medically supervised diet prior to surgery . His physician's assistant Sophie supervised my diet until I got my insurance approval. I learned quite a bit about nutrition during this time. This information served me well after my surgery.

I got my approval and had my sleeve surgery on 6/27. It was the best decision I've ever made for myself. Dr. Buchin was very attentive during my stay in the hospital stopping by multiple times a day to insure my well being and answering any quesitons I had. He also told me if anything doesn't feel right day or night to have him notified immediately. The immediate post surgical care was terrific.

The support that I have received from both Dr. Buchin's office as well as his online support group and in person monthly support group meetings have been a huge help in getting me through this. I think the pre and post operative support is what brings this practice a notch above any other medical practice that I've personally experienced or heard about through others.

What amazed me about the entire practice was their accessability throughout the whole process. Dr. Buchin and Sophie have an online presence on Facebook. On one occasion I had a totally non-urgent question roughly 2 weeks after my surgery to ask Dr. Buchin. I sent him a Facebook message about 11pm on a Sunday night. I was hopeful that he would have some time the following day where he could get a response back to me. As it turns out I had a reply in about 20 mins later that same night. My wife and I were both astounded by the level of accessibility that we get from this doctor and his staff.

In summary, Dr. Buchin and his staff have a wonderful, professional, and caring practice. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anybody who is considering bariatric surgery. I was so pleased with my care and my results that my own mother is also going to have sleeve surgery performed by Dr. Buchin.

Before I met Dr. Buchin and his staff I had been in the process to have LapBand surgery with another surgeon. Throughout the process I was never at ease or comfortable with my surgeon, nor his staff. So, I decided to look into changing surgeons and hospitals. In my search I came across Dr. Buchin's website. I emailed him about my situation, where I was in the process, and about my concerns with my surgeon. He emailed me back the next day. We met a couple of weeks later and I immediately knew this was where I needed to be! Dr. Buchin took an extensive amount of time educating me on all of the weight loss surgery options; however, I was determined I would be having the LapBand. Dr. Buchin did not try to make my decision for me, what he did do was to make sure I understood the type of results I would see with any of the procedures--and it was not his opinion he gave me but real statistics. His professionalism and knowledge of the surgeries and of the obese patient far exceeeded anything I had seen. After further research and thought I chose the VSG and it was the best choice I ever made for myself! Dr. Buchin and his staff are commited to professional yet personal service to each of their patients--they are in it for the long haul, not just doing the surgery and sending you on your way . They have commited time and energy into creating helpful and informative support group meetings. They listen, answer, correct, and inform. I truly feel like Dr. Buchin, his staff, and my fellow WLS patients are an extension of my family. Dr. Buchin saved my life and I will forever be grateful!

From my initial appointment, I knew that I was in the right place; it was the beginning of my true weight loss journey. 14 years ago I had a stomach stomach stapling procedure that failed. I lost weight for about 8 months and then re-gained weight quickly.
At my first office visit, Dr. Buchin sat down with me, discussed options and created a plan to guide me towards my weight loss surgery. He is professional, personable, empathetic and has the utmost knowledge in his fields of medicine.
Dr. Buchin's physician's assistant, Sophia, is extremely hands-on in all situations regarding each patient. She is a motivator, a wealth of knoweldge on every level and a huge multitasker who still has time to make herself accessible to someone who has a question or needs her guidance.
Dr. Buchin's office staff have always and continue to be very courteous, helpful, competent and will assist in any way they can. The office environment is relaxed and happy; a place where the patients and the staff are always relaxed and smiling.
Twice a month Dr. Buchin has a weight loss seminars. These meetings provide a question and answer forum for new patients and support for patients who already had their surgery and are learning to continue living more healthy lives.
Once a month Dr. Buchin has a pre-seminar, for new patients, where he describes each type of weight loss surgery. Using a wide screen he shows diagrams and explains the procedures,
the possible risks; pre-op planning and post-op instruction, in addition to aftercare. Every question is answered; we share experiences, stories, even recipes. Some seminars have guest speakers who discuss pertinent topics, such as nutrition and many other related fields.
Dr. Buchin's bedside manner can only be rivaled by his cutting-edge medical and surgical expertise. Not only is he a wonderful doctor but he inspires confidence. During a seminar, when a patient asked why he chose to do weight loss surgery, Dr. Buchin said that he loved seeing how people's lives could be so drastically changed for the better and how much happier and healthier they could be.
I have lost about 100 lbs. and feel the best I have ever felt in my life. I don't need cholesterol or triglyceride medicine anymore. My blood pressure is perfect and I am happy and healthy.

Before my Gastric Bypass surgery on 4/13, I met with Dr. Buchic for a pre-op consultation. He was extremely patient with me, and spent lots of time answering all my questions. His easy manner and understandable answers made me extremely comfortable in the proceedure I was about to undertake.
Before the surgery, I was invited to attend one of Dr. Buchin's supoort groups consisting of both patients who have had wt. lose surgery and those, like myself, considering or planning to undergo a proceedure. These were excellent groups, lead by both Dr. Buchin and his PA, Sophia.
Dr. Buchin's office staff was instrumental in assisting me in getting all the medical/psychological clearances needed for my proceedure. All are great professionals and very nice people.
My experience of having the surgery was made as comfortable as possible by the great people at Huntington Hospital. From the pre-surgical staff, up until the nursing staff of Unit 5S who bid me goodbye upon discharge, everyone was absolutely great. During my hospital stay, I only used the pain medication button minimally, and can't imagine ones hospital stay to be any more comfortable or complication free. Dr. Buchin and Sophia came to see me often, and were on top of any medical issues that needed to be addressed.
Post- operative, when an issue came up on my 1st day home, I made a call to Dr. Buchin which was returned a very short time later. From there, my recovery has been uneventful thanks to the great surgery performed on April 13. I am grateful to Dr. Buchin, his staff, and all the staff I came in contact with at Huntington Hospital.

Yes Im back for an update,I meet Dr.Buchin and his staff back in march2011,and as I stated before they were very nice and caring.As the weeks turn into months I continued my reserach on Dr.Buchin .I kept looking to hear something all I could read were positive feed back.I just would like to add that Dr.BUCHIN did an awesome job hes very knowledgeable,experienced,professional and very caring surgern.On 09/28/2011 I had gastric sleeve (vsg) which I find hard to believe NO PAIN. NO COMPLICATONS. I did have one spot on my right side if touched felt sore.Dr.Buchin did an AWESOME JOB and he has great bedside manner. His assisant Sophia is very kind and always willing too listen and returns all calls which brings me to the office staff Carla she is amazing she hands on and get the job done very caring and on point.The support group meeting are always interenting,I highly recommend Dr.BUCHIN the experience was more than I could of ever have wished for.Thank You you soooo very much Dr. Buchin and Saff I WILL BE SO EVER GREATFUL PS. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT YOU AGAIN DR. BUCHIN TURN MY DENIAL FROM GHI INTO A POSITIVE. THANK YOU THANKYOU.