Mohamed Ali, M.D. Bariatrics Bariatric Center

Dr had great bed-side manner. I felt that the Office staff was a bit unorganized. All appointments prior to "pre-op" are group meetings with at least 1 other patient. 1st 2 post-op appointments are individual. You are seen individually about 10 days post-op, then again at 8 weeks. 6 months post op is a group meeting. This doctor and program have a very high safety rating and long term success rate which is why I chose them.

My first impression of Dr. Ali inspired all the confidence I needed to go through with this surgery. My opinion of him has grown even more positive over time. He's professional, knowledgable, likeable and manages to be positive and kind all at the same time. Pretty darned good-looking too!

His staff is great - competent, but really busy. I don't have any complaints about Dr Ali or his staff, except that I saw so little of the Dr himself. Future patients should know that if they don't take personal responsibility for their health, and take this seriously, they might as well give it up - it's a basic requirement for being eligible for surgery. All phases of care - pre-op, post-op and long term are emphatically emphasized. (You even get tests!)

Risks and aftercare were explained in detail, and given out in writing. Overall, I think Dr Ali is the best - his staff is also top-rate. After reading on these message boards all the differing care that bariatric patients receive, I was very fortunate to be able to be a patient of Dr Ali. You'd love him!

I am very happy with how my surgery turned out. It took quite a while to even get an appointment to see the doctor and I ended up meeting with one of his associates. I did meet Dr. Ali for about 2 minutes. I had three appointment, and all the appointment were 3 to 4 hours. A lot of waiting. They have such a demand that they are restructuring the way they do apppointments and hopefully the wait time will be shorter.

But I have to say that everyone I meet in the program were very nice and helpful. The program is set-up in a group, there are nutritionists, nurse practitioners, residents and Dr. Ali. I have spent much more time with the nutritionists and nurse practitioners.

THey really spend a lot of time going through what you will have to do after the surgery. They have created a book and handouts to cover when to eat, how much to eat, what to eat and aftercare.

I would rate my experience excellent, but I had no complication.

You may not see Dr. Ali very often but you will still have excellent care.

I thought Dr. Ali was very intellegent and kind, although he made me wait almost 2 hours for him on my first visit.
Since my surgery I have found him and his staff very helpful.

Fanstastic surgeon,my inpression has not changed. office staff is very good, professional,but also friendley. Everything.
I did not find anything I did not like about DR. Ali.

To future Patient you will love this Dr. He is so careing about all his patients.

At home after care is very structured for you and easy to follow.
Was very informitive and went over all risk and possible complications.I would rate him
on a scale of 1-10 a 10. which is better I'd say both are great. I could not have had a better surgeon. Dr Ali made me feel I was I very good hands.

I absolutely adore Dr. Ali - He is very personable and he makes you feel like your the most important person to him. His staff is great as well. I can call them at any time if I have any questions or concerns. If they happen to be away from their phones and I have to leave a message - I usually get a response the same day.

During my surgery - I spent more time on the operating table than most due to scar tissues from previous surgeries - the doctors took so much care in "cleaning things up" so that I would not end up having an "open" surgery. I truly appreciated that.

The doctors and staff @ UCD all took great care with me and others. I would highly recommend them (and I do) to any one.

The only downside I can say about the program right now is that I no longer see Dr. Ali at my follow-ups. I see a member of his staff instead. Dr. Ali is soo popular that he focases his time on the new patients.

I think he is very smart and very concerned about his patients.

My impression over time has just gotten better.

His office staff is absolutely wonderful, and very helpful.
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He is a very tuff doctor to get into but once you do, it makes it all worth it.
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Extremely Great

Dr. Ali was great! Right from the start he made me feel comfortable. He's very knowledgeable and friendly. His office staff have all been awesome! When my PCP's office didn't send over my inital paperwork, his appointment scheduler went out of her way to help me. It is my impression that Dr. Ali will only operate on patients who are healthy enough to recover without complications. By that I mean, I have a past history of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) he was concerned enough to insist that a filter be placed in my vena cava to catch any potential clots. His reasoning? "It would be a shame to have a sucessful surgery and have you lose your life to a clot" As much as I didn't want to undergo the procedure, I'm so glad I did. When it came time for surgery, I was much more relaxed knowing that Dr. Ali had done EVERYTHING possible to protect my life. Overall, I don't think you could find a safer, more through and knowledgeable doctor. The only thing I have to say that is not completly "Rah, Rah" is I haven't seen him since my hospital stay. Follow up's have been with the dietition & nurse practitioner.

What was your first impression of him/her?
---First impression? Very intelligent, experienced in this speciality, very professional.

How did your impression change over time?
---My impression of Dr. Ali has not really changed.

How would you describe his/her office staff?
---The office staff is very professional, some are nicer and more personable than others, but all are helpful once you are their patient. Before that, in the beginning when trying to get an appointment, they seem cold and less than helpful.


What did you like least about him/her?
---The clinic is hard to get into, they need more surgeons and they are in the process of expanding the program, so this will surely get better.

What should future patients know about him/her?---Dr. Ali stresses that the surgery is only a tool, he expects his patients to change their life. He stresses proper diet/nutrition and excersize in addition to the procedure.

How much does he/she emphasize aftercare?
---There is follow-up aftercare at regular intervals and also a post-op support group.

Does he/she have a structured aftercare program?
---No.

How did he/she address the risks of surgery?
---All the risks of surgery and hospitalization were clearly explained on numerous occasions before the surgery date.

How would you rate him/her overall?
---Excellent. Dr. Ali does this surgery exclusively and is clearly a specialist. He is nice and friendly, but not overtly "warm & fuzzy". Like most doctors he is busy and professional. I liked him very much as did my Mother, who met his on my surgery date.

Which is better, surgical competence, bedside
manner, or both great?
---Dr. Ali's surgical comptence is superior. His bedside manner is friendly, but he is busy and visits are quite short. He won't be hanging around visiting with you, but he will take good care of you.

My first impresson of Dr. Ali was that; "Dang, he's young!" But, it soon became apparent to me that he is a thorough doctor and is good at what he does. So far, I've not found anything that I don't like about Dr. Ali.

Dr. Ali and his team are very adamant about aftercare and consistently emphasizes it. They have a structured aftercare program.

Dr. Ali and his team addressed the risks of surgery honestly and did not gloss over any aspect of it.

My overall rate so far is a 7 based on a 1-10 rating scale (1 being the lowest).

I haven't had the surgery yet, so at this point in time, I cannot give a complete assessment.

I think surgical competence and bedside manner are both great.