Northside Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center

I WAS SO NERVOUS I DON'T REMEMBER

I HAVE NOT SEEN HIM SINCE MY PRE-OP APPT. UNFORTUNATLY MY SURGERY WAS SCHEDULED DURING A HOLIDAY AND ANOTHER DOCTOR WAS ON CALL.

VERY FRIENDLY

HE SEEMED TO HAVE TO MANY PATIENTS

I PUT MY LIFE IN HIS HANDS AND EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL. MY SCAR IS BEAUTIFULL.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO GO TO SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

CONSULTATION AND PRE -OP APPT

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 A 5

SURGICAL COMPETENCE I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS AS OF YET

dr macik was very professional and very helpful...he explained everything to me i needed to know...i am so excited about this life-altering procedure i'm about to go through...icould not be HAPPIER!!!!

Very professional & you get right in & don't have to wait long to see him.
Very friendly & helpful.

He is very helpful & seems to care about his poeple.

He answers all questions & tells it like it is.

I only had one visit with this dr but i am very impressed with him & believe that I will be in good hands with him.

I met Dr. Macik on July 17, 2002, when I went in for my consultation. I enjoyed talking with him and he was very patient with me while I asked my questions. He asked me a few questions and then explained the procedure.

The office staff was polite and well organized.

(AUG 26, 2002) I was called today to have my date set. DECEMBER 3, 2002!!

Everything I had read or heard about Dr. Waits was true. When I got to the office Karen made sure they had received my filled out packet of information. I was taken back to a private room where I was weighed and my blood pressure checked by Nancy (the nurse and Dr. Waits' wife). Nancy asked questions about my past medical history, verifying information on my information package. Then Dr. Waits came in, he is an older gentleman, and he sat down with my brother(my support) and me, and asked us what questions we had about the surgery and about him. He said that he was going to sit down with all of the new candidates and discuss the procedure in depth, but wanted to answer any personal concerns first. We then went back to the waiting room and were joined by the other candidates. Dr. Waits came out sat down and explained - step - by step the procedure. He described the day before surgery all the way to the day you are released from the hospital. It was a lot to comprehend, but, he went slow and did not appear to answer any question as if they were "stupid".

6/19/02
Met Dr. Macik (Dr. Wait's associate) he is nice, but, very cut and dry. Did not spend a lot of time but asked if I had questions. and then said "see you on surgery day" I am not paying him to joke around so what matters is that he is a good surgeon. I realized that he has been performing this procedure for some time so I feel I am in good hands.

My initial consult was with Dr Waits. His staff treated me with dignity and respect. Dr Waits was easy to talk to and appeared to focus all his attention on me while I was talking with him. He answered all my questions and did not rush me. He carefully explained the procedure and a typical surgery day from the patients point of view. I have not met Dr Macik yet. I will meet him for the first time about a week before my surgery.

Due to alot of research before my first initial consult I knew what to expect. Dr. Waits is an older man with very steady hands and a huge heart. He relates very well with the pain and suffering that many obese encounter on a daily basis. My first visit was February 7, 2002 in which I was weighed and put into a private room to meet with the doctor. First impression- a grandfather figure that knows his surgery. He was very patient and answered all my personal questions. Never once did he undermind me or make me feel uncomfortable. He is a competent surgeon that stresses aftercare and support groups. If you have not attended at least one support group before you surgery he made it clear that he would cancel it. He makes a commitment to you to take care of you but you have to commit to him to do what he says and take care of yourself. After that I returned to the waiting area while he privately met with the other patients there for their first consults also. I met two post ops that were very encouraging, both were about 3 months out and had had no complications and one had lost 60lbs, the other 90lbs. They were very open about their surgery and showed me their scars even. No where near as bad as some pictures I have seen on the internet. At three months postop they looked really good, healing nicely. Next Dr. Waits came out and addressed the group as one. He went over everything.. risks, complications, the history of the old vs. new surgery, his experiences, the hospital, his staff, and even a moment by moment starting with the day before your surgery to the end of your hospital stay- everything that would be happening to you and what to expect. I loved it!! I went in with two pages of questions to ask him, but he answered ALL of them during his presentation- even the one where I wanted his opinion on pregnancy after WLS. His recommendation- wait at least a year, get my approval, and carry on. His office alone has had 12 patients with healthy pregnancies and babies delivered. How encouraging! He is a wonderful man and his manner and competance made me 100% comfortable in my decision to have this surgery. His wife, Nancy, is his nurse and she is just as great as he is, very kind and very knowledgable. Karen, the insurance nazi or insurance guru as she is known, is also very kind. She can be a little abrupt, but she knows her business and I have heard she is wonderful at getting approvals and goes to bat for you if you are denied. Before my visit I had read some negative comments about her and was kind of nervous to meet her and have to deal with her, but it went well. She really is a nice person. Question for you... have you ever dealt with an insurance company?? I know I have, and that is enough to drive you nuts... she does this day in and day out for US- to HELP US become healthier individuals. For this, I can live with her being a little short sometimes. Don't let anyone scare you, she is on OUR SIDE!! The other staff member I met was Jerry, I am not sure what she does, (I think she schedules) but she is a sweetheart!! Overall I rate Dr. Waits and his staff above a perfect 10! Now I am just awaiting insurance approval and then I am off!
UPDATE: 05/02/02 I AM APPROVED AND HAVE A DATE OF 07/15/02!!! Due to Dr. Waits having hip replacement surgery my surgeon will be Dr. Macik. At first I was a little bummed because I have never met him, but I have read enough and talked to enough of his patients that I am confident in my decision to go with Dr. Macik. Pray for Dr. Waits to have a complication free surgery and speedy recovery and while you are down there pray for Dr. Macik to have a very rested night July 14th and to have a great day with steady hands on the 15th!! LOL UPDATE: 07/09/02 I met with Dr. Macik for the first time and he seems very confident in his competancy. His bedside manners are lacking, but I am looking for a surgeon not a new best friend. For full details on my visit please see my journal dated 7-9-02.

Dr. Waits was who I had my first consult with and he is a Doll he was so very nice to me that I broke down in tears in his office and he knew exactly what I was going through. He is a very compassionate person with a great bedside manner.... Dr. Macik is the one who actually did my surgery and he was very sweet and very good. He did a wonderful job.

After meeting with Dr. Macik, I felt like he really cared about me as a patient, and he seemed very open and honest about what to expect from the surgery. I left with a clear understanding of the procedure he preforms. Dr. Macik answered all my questions and addressed all of my concerns.

Very knowledgeable and competent.
Uncomfortable talking to people, but very nice and straight forward.
Same

Didn't have time for any crap. Have your stuff together. BUT VERY NICE.
The amount of time I saw him while I was in the hospital after my surgery. About 10 minutes over the entire stay.
Have your questions ready when he comes to see you. He will stay as long as you have questions.
Yes

Very well. Very blunt.

8 out of 10

Surgical competence is better. My tummy will heal up nicely. He is very nice, just quiet.