Miami Hope Center Bariatric Center

I absolutely adore Dr. Rabaza and his partners Dr. Verdeja and Dr. Gonzalez. I was treated very well. His office staff is very accommodating. Mora did all of the work dealing with my insurance company...bless her!

I was given all of the information I needed before the surgery. He does have and after care program.

Overall I would rate him a 12 out ot 10!

He is a very skilled surgeon which is why I went to him in the first place. He also has a great bedside manner!

I chose the RIGHT doctor.

I feel that I can strongly recommend Dr. Rabaza. My major concern going into the surgery was that there would be any leaks in the connections and stapled parts of my stomach. The workmanship of his surgery was excellent. My scarring was minimal. I was checked twice for leaks and they found none.

I had a colon infection that was related to taking antibiotics during my hospital stay. It cleared up relatively fast. Being a self pay patient, this infection did raise my hospital costs. I don't think this infection was related to the surgery per se. By the way, South Miami Hospital, where Dr. Rabaza performs surgery is great. The nurses are excellent.

Dr. Rabaza and his team are quick in and out and during their check ups post op, especially Dr. Rabaza, he is not a very outgoing man. But, his ability was excellent and I have healed quickly after the surgery even walking 2 miles only 1 week post op. I felt some members of Dr. Rabaza's team were a bit arrogant at times and not as caring as I would have liked them to be, meaning his partners. Dr. Rabaza's skill seems to be excellent although he is a very matter of fact and unanimated man. IN the end, the quality of my surgery was what was important.

I knew about this webb site but was hesitated to write because I dont like to express myself in any negative way. Until I heard a similar history, so that is the reason that I m writing today
I heard about Dr. Rabaza thru a friend. My friend and I were in the support group and I really like him as a surgeron, he was very profesional and down to earth. After this I called the office to try and get an appoitment but the staff would always make it difficult saying the diferent escuses. Therefore I have to choose another physician.Eventhogh it may seem incredeble they never gave me the oportunity to speak with Dr. Rabaza. I hope one day to meet with Dr. Rabaza and finally say thank you Dr for your advise....anyways....

Well I sat in the waiting room for about almost an hour and a half. At first I was pissed but I started talking and actually met some patients who had the surgery so It wasn't so bad.
Finally Ketty(DR.ASST/NUTRITIONIST) came in she was great asked me some questions. I asked her she answered great. She also informed me to make sure to ask the Dr questions.
Dr. Rabazza came in I had seen him from the seminar so I knew what he looked like.
He came in introduced himself and told me I WAS A CANDIDATE for the surgery. I didn't know if to be happy or sad all I knew right there and then that I Had let my WEIGHT get this far. Besides that he explained everything to me he asked me if I had questions I did and the first one was " I DONT WANT TO DIE DR" He said your young and this is going to change your life... He made me feel good. He was a bit serious but that was ok cause I'm not there to laugh but He made me feel at ease that he was professional and I felt good knowing that he was. He went over everything post op to the eating through my body changes the incisions all of it. I think he is an excellent SURGEON. Then I came here to obesity.help and I see all these wonderful reviews on him and his practice and it just reassured me I Made a good CHOICE!!!

I had my one on one with Dr. Rabaza on July 13, I waited about two hours to be seen but it was o.k. the office staff is not very helpful they always seem to busy and don't take the time to help you . First I met Ketty the nurse practitioner "very kind" she asked me a few questions to get me ready to see Dr. Rabaza. When I met Dr. Rabaza he is very kind and Professional I had a list of 50 questions he was patient and answered each one he is very honest about the risks but he makes you feel very comfortable with the idea of having the surgery. His partners and him have an after care program they meet once a month at South Miami Hospital.

Dr. Gonzalez was a very good surgeon. He works with two other surgeons, and I saw all of them while I was in the hospital. I had laproscopic surgery, which I highly recommend.

The only negative thing about Dr. Gonzalez is the very long wait I have had every time I have gone to see him, both pre-op and post-op. Two hours past my appointment time is not an unusual time to wait. I have waited three hours once for a 5 minute post-op visit. He has a good nurse practitioner, who has been very helpful post-op.

I did get a very good orientation to the risks of surgery. He soes that in a group setting. That was good, because others asked some questions that I would not have thought about. I was also sent to a half day session with the dieticians at Baptist Hospital in Miami, and consulted an exercise specialist as part of my pre-op. I felt very prepared and committed by the time my surgery was done. It took about six months to complete all of the required consults and tests.

My impression of Dr. Whitwell was Good.
My impression over time of Dr. Whitwell became outstanding.
His office staff was great.
There was nothing I did not like about Dr. Whitwell and his office staff.
Future patients should know that he is a great doctor/surgeon and that I have not had any complications or any complaints about him.
Dr. Whitwell is adament about post op aftercare.
He does have a structured aftercare/followup program.
Dr. Whitwell addresses the risks of surgery by giving pre op education on the matter.
I would rate him an excellent doctor/surgeon.
Both his surgical competence and bedside manner are great.

Dr Gonzalez was really great and so was everyone in his office. They were all very helpful and answered all of my questions and concerns.

My first impression of Dr Rabaza was that he is very knowledgable but speaks in layman's terms. Although he seems a bit shy, he is very direct in answering whatever questions I had. I would definitely recommend Dr Rabaza and I greatly appreciate his talent and compassion.

Dr Rabaza's office staff, however is a different situation. On the phone, they appear quite stressed or busy and always seem in a hurry. Sometimes they come across as rude and inconsiderate. They are not quite as bad in person. I'm sure they deal with a lot of patients, but they need to learn how to handle the pressure better. Dr Rabaza's staff is the only negative issue I have with his practice.

Aftercare was greatly emphasized, as well as participation in a support group.

Overall, on a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the best, I rate Dr Rabaza, his partners and entire practice, a 9.

-My first meeting w/ Dr.Rabaza was a group meeting, very informative and instructional.
He addressed all the risks candidly and without reservations.

-My second meeting w/ him was one-on-one and he was willing to answer all my questions and seemed very knowledgeable. Although a tad serious and shy (but remember this isn't a personality contest!) To me what concerns me is his surgical competence not the bedside manner to a degree. I was mostly impressed by his training and by where he received his education. His office staff seemed busy, but willing to answer all my questions. The group this doctor belongs to hold a monthly support meeting at the local hospital which is important to me.