New York Bariatric Group Bariatric Center

Have been seeing Dr.Garber since October of 2001. My surgery was originally scheduled for September 2002 but due to the problems at St.Francis Hospital I have had to reschedule. My new surgery date is March 13,2003 at Huntington Hospital and I have just scheduled my pre-surgical testing and final clearance vist with my primar physician. Tha day can not come quickly enough. I have attended at least 15 monthly meetings and gotten as much info as possible. Every new date unfolds some new info that is always helpful. Onward and upward!The doctors staff,especially Jennifer, is always very helpful.

My first consultation with Dr. Garber went very well. Even though he seemed to be busy, he was very infromative and polite. He explained everything with detail and gave you time to ask any questions you had in mind. In thing that new patients must be aware is that he is busy and there is somewhat of a wait until you are called and because he is very busy the first initial appt can take up to a couple of months to see him.

1/30/03-Well, I decided to go to the best doctor in New York...Dr. Garber...but my first consultation isn't until August 1st. But I have been overweight for about 30 years so to wait a few more months will be worth it. Will write back then..

My first impression of Dr. Garber was the same as everyone else. He talks fast but, is very thorough and will answer any question. I found him after the surgery to be a little aloof about visiting me in the hospital. I really would have liked to see him in the critical care unit as I was very emotional and the only one to see me was a priest. I really neede some re-assurance. Dr. Garber's office staff has been very nice to me and informative. Future patients should really ask him what kind of apparatus will be attached to me after surgery and at home. I will tell you all that you MUST have someone home with you for at least the first week. You will need your badages changed and the bottle emptied. Being too big it is hard to do it yourself. Take a shower as soon as you feel strong enough it really helps. Nobody really emphasized home care to me. Thank God for my sister she saved my life that first week. I would say that Dr. Garber is a very good dr. My drain opened up the nite before thanksgiving and the odor could kill me and my sister. I left a mess thanksgiving morning for Dr. Garber to call me about this and he got right back to me and ordered a antibiotic for me. I would say that Dr. Garber surgical competence and bedside manner are both great.

My surgery date is Feb 6th and I am getting very excited and very nervous. It took a long time to get me here. My 1st consultation with Dr Garber was March 15th (2002) and I would have went directly into surgery if I could've. My husband and I trusted him completely and felt totally comfortable and satisfied with him and his abilities. My focus right now is to get thru the surgery...

My first impression of Dr. Garber was THIS MAN IS GOING TO CHANGE MY LIFE . . . I looked to him as being my "hero" and I couldn't wait to get started. I am pretty hyper and have a lot of QUESTIONS and Dr. Garber was very patient with me answering every one of them. Dr. Garber has responded to my email questions as well (and believe me there were plenty!). The only negative is that I had to wait a long time to make an appointment with Dr. Garber - I started my quest in June 2002 and didn't get an appointment until October 2002. I got all my other doctor's visits done pretty fast and was (am) excited about getting the surgery done, however, have a surgery date of May 2002 - which is almost an entire year to wait for this procedure. I've thought about going to another surgeon but feel my confidence about Dr. Garber is worth waiting for. He's the best and with a life-changing surgery like this, I can afford to wait for the best care I know I will receive. Dr. Garber has answered all of my questions in a very friendly and informative manner. He has made this decision an easy one and now I await the BIG DAY!!

I met with Dr. Garber on 9/10/01.. I found him to be very informative .. He has this way about him that makes you feel so comfortable. At the moment after we talked I knew he was the one to do my surgery .. He doesnt look down upon you due to your Obesity!!! He treats you with the most respect and gives u his 100% attention while talking to him .. He is very busy but still makes the time.
After this last year i trust him with my life 100%!!!!! There is no other surgeon who is as qualified and as good as he is .
His ofice staff is real good , Lisa and Jennifer are very good, always answers any questions you may have as best as they can ..Dr. Garber is good to, he returns phone calls as quick as he can or you can Email him as well and he seems to respond to the emails in a much quicker time frame .
I guess the normal complaint about Dr. Garber is the wait to see him and the wait for surgery dates .. Its always a long wait when you go to see him, bring a good book ...lol
He is very good with after care ,, stresses PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN !!! And always tried to get you to attent the monly support groups ..
He was open about the complications due to this surgery ..In my case, i had almost every complication unfortunetly ..He was right there for every step of the way ..He helpedme through it all .. He is an angel in my eyes...
It has been a year (1/10/02) I feel wonderful .. I have lost 150 lbs in one year and im planning my next journey which Dr. garber is a part of (Hernia/tummy tuck) I wouldnt trust anyone ,BUT DR-GARBER!!!! .. thats How strongly I feel about his ability as a
Surgeon !!
AS for his bed side manner he really is on your level , never talks in ways you wouldnt understand tells you just how it is, and makes you feel relieved no matter how bad it is.. He is the sweetest careing DR. I have ever had pleasure of taking care of me ....
I would rate him overall a 10 .. if anyone cares to ask me about him .. Emailme @ [email protected]

My first impression of him was that he was straight forward and informative. My experience has been mixed. It took me a very long time to get a surgery date, 6 months after I finished all my appointments. I was very happy with my aftercare immediatly after surgery. I have had long waits in his office for my aftercare visits. Overall he is good at what he does.

Dr. Shawn Garber was informative, professional and reassuring. He was very open re. positives AND negatives. He performed my lap RuenY and removed my gall bladder full of gallstones all at the same time. He requires you to see cardio, gastro, endocrinologist, psyche, nutritionist, pulmanary and get an Xray of your gall bladder, then get full clearance from your primary care. The list of specialists require you to have other tests(lung capacity, bloodwork, thallium stress test, etc.) but I was off over the summer, and was able to complete it all in less than 2 months. I felt confident going in to surgery that I was in good health and that there would be no nasty surprises.

Office staff are helpful and courteous. He emphasizes aftercare and regular bloodwork, but I've switched to my PCP for aftercare on a regular basis due to traveling and Dr. Garber's limited office hours.

Surgical competence and bedside manner are both excellent.

My only suggestion for him or his office staff would be to recommend sites such as this for support and info by those who have "been there." I have found this site very helpful. I feel surgeons, such as Dr. Garber should post a listing of sites such as this, as well as the dates of their monthly support group. I was having trouble with vomiting when I started solid food, but Dr. G's answer is "Did you eat slowly? Chew thoroughly?" On this site I see many people are still having trouble with meat and chicken at 4-5 mo. post-op, so I stopped it and now just do cheeses---protein, calcium, AND easy to digest! Works for me.

My first impression of Dr. Garber was of a person who cared about the patients who came to see him. My next was one of someone I could trust. When we discussed my weight I felt comfortable telling him which I hadn' with any other health care provider. He was very honest answered all my qusetions and provided me with information before I ever asked. While the wait in the office was long it was well spent because of the sharing between the patients. Dr. Garber's staff are very helpful. I did not have to handle any of the insurance company contacts . They did that and I had my original surgery date within a week. My only frustration has been the postponement of my surgery twice. I have complete confidence in Dr Garber and feel he has a great bedside manner and these are both important to me. I feel I am well prepared for the surgery and this is due to the preop preparation and the post operative instructions I have already received