Surgical Association of Mobile, P.A. Bariatric Center

Sorry I have not updated in so long,but Ihave been busy. I had my first visit with Dr. Weinstein 11/18/03.I really like him, he is very upfront and really good about listening and anwering my questions. I have sent all my info to the Dr.'s office ,I hope to find out if my letter has been sent to my insuer tomorrow. I pray it has. I heard that BCBS is not approving anymore of these surgeries after the first of the year. If anyone knows anything about that PLEEEEEASE let me know. I am going to push and try to get approved before the first of the yesr just in case. I also was very impressed with Dr. Weinstein's staff , they were great and so helpful. Please keep me in your prayers

I met with Dr. Weinstein for my initial consult and I am very impressed. He is a very likeable person and I feel very comfortable talking to him. I am very happy with my decision to wait for my consult with Dr. Weinstein rather than get a quicker appointment with another surgeon.

I first met with Dr. Lane on September 10, 2003. My first impression of Dr. Lane was "this is an honest, straight-forward man." I asked him about the benefits I had discussed with PCP and the risks that I had heard about. He agreed with my doctor's prediction that there was a very good chance that I would be able to stop my high blood pressure and diabetic medication. He was also very frank about the risks that are involved in the surgery. The members of his staff have been both helpful and professional to date.

Future patients should be prepared for their visit; make a list of questions you want him to answer and research the surgery (this site has been an excellent resource for research and encouragement).

The medical leg of this journey has been "mapped out" by this group of doctors. The group has performed around 1,400 weight loss surgeries, and they have developed an excellent nutritional program for their patients. They are great about grouping pre-op appointments together to cut down on the out-of-town patient's trips to Mobile. This has been great for me personally because it is a 3.5-hour, one-way trip from my home to his office.

Dr. Hannon is great! He was very patient when I was asking my questions and he didn't act as if I were stupid! He answered my questions so that I could understand what he was saying. He is requiring all his patients to take a test on bariatric surgery as well as requiring them to attend a new program called BEGIN. He explained the risks of surgery and was thorough in his explanations. His office staff is wonderful! A couple of the ladies there have had the surgery themselves so they understand our anxieties! I have not experienced any other aspects of Dr. Hannon's competence, but as soon as I do, I will update. I had heard a lot about him from others who have had the surgery.

Dr. Hannon seems like a wonderful man, although incredibly busy. He is confdent in his abilities, and that puts me at ease.

Dr. Ringold is such a sweet man! He is also very considerate and understanding. My mom was not completly happy about me doing this at first, because of the risks. He sat and talked with us and explained everything to us and made her feel SO much better about it! I am so glad that I chose Dr. Ringold! The office staff @ his office were so sweet and helpful! His surgical competence and beside manner are great!! I highly recommend Dr. Ringold and his highly qualified staff to everyone!! I live in Headland, AL and I travel 4 hours to my Dr's visits, and it is worth the drive to have a doctor as good as Dr. Ringold!! I hope that you will give him a chance to help you get a new lease on life!

Dr. Hannon is a young professional doctor who knows his field. He is easy to talk to and glad to answer your questions. He makes sure that you understand the changes that will happen in your life after surgery. He even gives you a test to see how knowledgeable you are about WLS (I passed with flying colors). He has a program called "BEGIN" which he insists that you participate in. During this program you are given diet information by a nutritionist and are evaluated by nurses for skin problems and physical therapy personnel to see if you are going to be able to walk (WALK-WALK-WALK) after surgery. Because of my complications I gave him a lot of trouble. Even then he was always happy and informative. He also gave me a moral booster when I saw him the first time after leaving the hospital. He said I was looking great and healthy. He is my savior and I hope I live up to his expectations in the future. He makes you want to do what's right because you don't want to disappoint him. I think that may be a good thing.

First Impression: very warm and friendly; eagar to help me

Office Staff: everyone was fairly nice and helpful, although not that nice on the phone

There was not really anything I did not like about him

Emphasized their aftercare program called "BEGIN" briefly

He addressed the risks of surgery, but also the ones of obesity

Overall, I think he is a wonderful doctor and I will trust him with my life

Dr Weinstein displayed both surgical competence and a great bedside manner. I wouldn't go to a doctor who didn't have both.

First impressions are physical, naturally and being all honest here, my first impression was my, what a little man. He was really nice, despite the fact he was the first physician in my entire life to call me "morbidly obese." He was completely optimistic about me, as a candidate for WLS. You can tell he likes his job. I did laugh out loud when he said I should weigh 133 pounds.....Everything else he told me I had learned on this great website. When I brought my husband in to meet him next visit, he gave my husband the nearly exact same chat about the surgery. It felt salesmanish. Doc dosen't read these sites. I hope to feel more from him next time.

During my consultation, Dr. Lane was very nice and thorogh with his explanation of the surgery (pre and post op