St. Agnes Hospital Bariatric Center

I am almost 1 year post op and I still have a very high opinion of Dr. A and his entire staff. I have had a great experience with them so far and my only "complaint" is that sometimes minor questions are not answered. If I had a real serious issue I would call back and make sure I got in touch but I've had a couple of small things that ended up being no big deal where I left messages and never got called back.

For over 3 year I have been thinking about having WLS. I have worked for doctors who perform the procedures and seen the pros and cons of the surgeries. Well, basically it came down to the point when I went to my primary doctor and he told me I was boarder line of diabetic so I decided to get the surgery I have prolong for so long. I first met Dr. Averbach at his seminar in December 2006. His staff was professional and quick of getting things done. My impression of Dr. Averbach is that he is a very professional doctor and he cares about his patients. St. Agnes employees are excellent as well. Dr. Averbach I wanted personally thank you for doing my surgery and for caring about my recovery. You were there when I needed you and your staff as well. I started off slow the first week but I successfully lost 30lbs in my first month. I have been working out on the treadmill 4 to 5 times a week for at least 30 to 45 minutes. I will recommend this doctor to anyone who is considering of having bariatric surgery. That was the first surgery as you can tell the band was not a good choice for me. I had the sleeve done 12/23/10 and so far I have love 22lbs. My feelings about Dr. Averbach and his staff are the same.

My initial appointment is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2011.

Great care and staff. Thorough through the whole process. I had lapband then revision to bypass through no fault of surgeron and he did my revision. He has helped me tremendously and know he will always be on his patients side

He seems nice but horrible front office staff--I arrived early for my appointment, and ended up waiting over an hour. And it was the first appointment of the day! Hope subsequent appointments are not as long. They did say Fridays are their busiest day but it's the only day I can get in there.

Edited to add: Terrific nutritionists (who I hadn't met when I wrote the first review) but I'm not real impressed with their follow-up care. I had to remind them, more than 6 months after the surgery, that I hadn't been seen since my first post-op appointment. I wouldn't bring it up, but they stressed they had excellent follow-up care, so it's an area that needs improvement.

When the time came for my very 1st visit to Dr. Averbach's office, the office staff had already helped me through the beginning paperwork that was needed for that day. They are ALL wonderful and VERY knowledgable in bariatric surgery. (ie...what insurance requires, what the doctor requires, what they required out of me...etc.)
Dr. Averbach was, and always has been, very willing to answer any and all questions that I have. He was very business like, the first time we met, and 'to the point'.
Coming away from that 1st encounter with him, I knew that his experience and knowledge would benefit me, through my upcoming surgery and after care.
Dr. Averbach's nurse is also very informative, being, she has been a WLS patient, and is now living the "life".
The nutritionist explained the importance of protein...protein...vitamins...more protein...and more vitamins...
They want their patients to remain healthy, which I take comfort in.
The pre-op class and visit with the nutritionist was great! They both gave lots of material to read over and become aquainted with. (pre-op, surgery day, and most importantly...post-op.)
As always, if I have a question, and they aren't available at the time (maybe with other patients), they call back as quickly as they can. (If you have an emergency, they give you special numbers to reach the doctor or nurse, directly, so you never feel 'alone' through the whole process.)
Over the course of time, I've had with Dr. Averbach, and especially on the day of surgery, he has been WONDERFUL!! He came into the surgery pre-op smiling and immediately I felt at ease. His operating room staff also came in and introduced themselves to me, and I KNEW I was in capable hands. Dr Averbach and his team work wonderfully together, and make you feel safe.
I am almost 4 weeks post-op and feeling great! Dr. Averbach and all of his staff emphasize that after care is very important. (They also mention to drink LOTs of water, along with taking your vitamins, and drinking or eating your protein.) The quality of the care they give is 100%! They are always willing to help and give you tips on transitioning into your "new life", so you can reach your goal weight...and stay there.
I do look forward to my post-op visits with Dr. Averbach and his staff because I feel like we have formed a special friendship... and it's for life.

I've only met Dr. Averbach once. Contrary to many posts on this site, I found him to be very personable. I had a typed list of 25 questions that he took the time to answer individually.

Nurse Cathy is amazing! She is warm and attentive and is the glue that keeps patients coming back. The rest of the office staff is polite and responsive.

I stick with this office because I believe that Averbach truly is the finest bariatric surgeon in MD.

UPDATE 7/9/10: For anyone considering Dr. Averbach let me say this -- his office runs a very tight and responsive operation; let me explain. A week ago I was slightly dissatisfied with a few administrative issues and I voiced my dissatisfaction. In all fairness I, like every other patient, am probably too nervous, too anxious, and too short tempered about WLS. In response I received a personal call from the office manager who assured me that client service was their top priority. She was very polite and genuinely interested in my concerns. Clearly she communicated my concerns with her staff. I received notification of insurance approval and my surgery date today. At a time when excellence in customer service is often disregarded, it is good to work with an organization that "gets it."

My surgeon was Dr. Averbach. He and his whole staff are excellent! They have all been available for all my many questions, and have been patient and kind the entire way. Dr. Averbach is very encouraging and tells you "like it is", which I appreciate. He may appear to be a bit on the impersonal side to some, but I never felt that way...he always showed that he cared about me as the person which was good. I like that he has a strutctured aftercare program with a support group and frequent follow up. If I was to ever have surgery again of this sort, he and his staff would be my first choice. I also was very favorably impressed wtih St Agnes Hospital. The staff there was also kind and supportive. I've only had 3 surgeries before...2 were my kids' births and one was my gallbladder, and all were at my "home" hospital; so I was a bit worried about St Agnes. I shouldn't have been. The whole experience, while not easy or without pain, was the best I think it could possibly be, and I feel very supported in the aftermath as well. Yay Dr. Averbach!

Cool,and Calm He told me what I needed to have and the risk but explained wigh a changed in my eating habits and exercise I would be fine.
The staff is great
Cathy answered all my ?

I have been working with Dr. Averbach as a surgical technologist for about a year now. After working with 4 other Bariatric surgeons, I can honestly say that he is the best I've seen so far at bariatrics and laparascopic surgery. His office staff has been very friendly and helpful. I look forward to the rest of my experience.rnrnIt has been 8 months since my lap band was placed. It has been a great experience for me, watching the pounds melt away. I am able to do more physical activity and am feeling so much better about myself. i want to say thanks you to Dr. Averbach and his wonderful staff. They have all been very supportive. You guys are the best.