USC Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center

I heard about Dr. Crookes through the Orthopedic surgeon who had done both my knee replacements at USC University Hospital.After getting an appointment and going to it he said that he would do my surgery and ordered a variety of tests that i needed to have.My surgery is scheduled for October 8,2008.I will be going to see him on the 29th of September for my final pre-op appointments as I have been cleared for the surgery after all the tests he required.He has a fabulous reputation and-having worked in the healthcare field and having had over a dozen other typres of surgery in the past-I was greatly impressed with his knowledge and caring manner.I am counting the days until the surgery!rnrnWell they moved up my surgery date to October 3rd.So I will be off to Los Angeles to begin this great adventure, and will write more when I return home. rnI got home rrom the hospital on Oct. 8th and I have to say that the fantastic care I received from Dr Crookes was more than I could ever have hoped for.He is so kind,caring,compassionate-along with being a brilliant surgeon who really makes you feel that he is interested in your well being.rnrnHis nurse Mary Eddy is an absolute angel in every way.Really going the extra mile to make sure that everything was coordinated and that when I got home and needed the slightest thing she was there for me as a great nurse and a resource to get all my needs speedily met. I cannot thank her enough!

What can I say about Dr Crookes? Let's start with he's an amazingly gifted, kind, caring man who happens to honestly CARE about people. I first met Dr Crookes in 2002 (not sure if he knows that!) when I went to meet with Dr Anthone about the possibility of a DS. He was as sweet and kind then as he is now.

I have a lot of respect for Dr Crookes, and have spent quite a bit of time actually reading over his research work (my father was also in medicine and thought the world of Dr Crookes), and I have a good friend who studied under Dr Crookes and only raves about him.

Truly, I don't think there is a person on the face of this planet, living or dead, that can say anything negative about the man. He is incredibly gifted with his hands, and is a meticulous surgeon with the bedside manner of a saint! His Irish brouge doesn't hurt things, either.

When I decided to continue persuing WLS (specifically the Duodenal Switch) I knew that Dr Crookes was my guy! The fact that he really cares about the wellbeing of his patients is what got me. I have never felt like a chart or a number or that I was just another patient. His agreeing to take me on as a patient with so many comorbidities (and some rare ones at that!) only made me feel better about my choice. The 6+ year fight for approval has only made me feel stronger about my decision of choosing Dr Crookes to be my surgeon. I know that I'm in the best hands, no matter what the outcome.

In less than 30 days I'll be going in for my open Duodenal Switch, and I can say right now, I am not nervous in the slightest because I know the caliber of surgeon and human being that will be working on me is top notch. I can't recommend Dr Crookes enough.

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It's been six months since my open Duodenal Switch and I can't praise Dr Crookes' work enough! This "big huge" surgery was the easiest I've ever had (and trust me I've had some doozies and some "easy" ones). The follow up has been amazing and Dr Crookes' bedside manner is beyond reproach. He visited me in the hospital every single day including both days on the weekend and a couple times on the weekdays. His staff of residents and nurses were constant companions and took care of everything. The level of compassion and care was far greater than I expected. Dr Crookes has surpassed the praise I heard from other patients and previous students and medical staff that I have spoken with. He's taken an active and proactive role in my care and aftercare, something that's pretty much unheard of. Dr Crookes ROCKS!!!

Dr, Crookes is a really neat guy. He's honest and upfront. He will let you know what he thinks and treats you like you're a family member. The staff at the USC hospital were all extremely nice and made me feel welcome.

I first saw Dr. Crookes at my seminar in 1/08. He seemed very calm and confident. I have only heard good things about him. He has let me know that no matter what happens, if I should have any complications, he will be there for me. He will not abandon me. He has made sure that I know what I am getting myself into with the DS. He believes that the metabolic changes that occur with the DS give me the best chance of curing my diabetes and high cholesterol. I am very confident that he is a highly skilled surgeon and I am in great hands. At my pre-op appt, all the interns, docs & anesthesiologist agreed that he is a wonderful and caring surgeon.

My first impression of him was that he was funny and informative. When I met him in his office he was more serious. His office staff is very cordial and informative. There wasn't anything that I did not like about him. From what I have read about him he is a very competent surgeon. He was very straight forward about the risks of the surgery. He makes sure you have all your tests completed before getting a surgery date.

I waited for the best in the industry and got it. Dr. Katkhouda has got excellent credentials and the reputation as the doctor that other doctors and nurses go to for treatment. He completed my surgery on 5/20/08 and I feel great. I chose a minimally invasive Roux-en-Y. I had no issues. I refused pain medication the next morning in the hospital, did my required laps, and did not need to fill my prescription for pain after going home. I feel so good that if it weren’t for the tiny incision scars and my clothes falling off me, I wouldn’t believe I had surgery. I actually went to work for a couple of hours on the 2nd day after surgery. I saw one patient described Dr Katkhouda as dry, but I ask you, do you want the guy with the knife in his hand to be the class clown or the smartest, most professional, most competent guy in the room??? My path to weight loss surgery was bumpy though. Years ago, when I first mentioned surgery my friends and family couldn’t have been more negative. Everyone had a story about a person dying on the table. I didn’t think that their attitude had an impact, but as I did my research and began meeting doctors I realized that I was more nervous than I realized. I interviewed a half dozen doctors before selecting Dr Katkhouda, including one I saw on television who was famous for working with Roseanne. While many were good I didn’t feel confident putting my life in their hands. In the first orientation at USC they talked about personal responsibility and health. They weren’t selling a quick fix. In fact Dr. Katkhouda, his associates, nurses, and dietician provided me with so much education about my procedure, health, and nutrition that I began studying on my own. They’ve changed my lifestyle and I know I’ll keep the weight off for life now. The only issue I encountered was the wait time. My first surgery date was schedule a few months out than rescheduled. Then I had to reschedule because I changed insurance carriers. But to their credit they then pushed me right thru. A final note- Sheri who gets your insurance approval is a saint. She would call me and I’d be busy at work and snap at her and she would be sweet as pie. If I couldn’t get a person on the phone she’d call on 3-way. She deserves a medal.

Dr.Katkhouda is an excellent surgeon, one of the best. I was one of his early patients. I had absolutely no problems or issues and a very fast recovery from lap rny. At the time I had my surgery, 2003 he didn't have much after support available. I think he does now.rnrnHe and his staff were professional, courteous and very very competent.rnrn

First met Dr Crookes in January of 2007 at the USC seminars. Knew instantly he was the Doctor for me. a no nonesense approach who demanded his patients know what they want and why they want it. You need to be fully aware of your responibilties and the risk. You can not be in better in hand than Dr Crookes, hes amazing. The hospital staff was great the PACE people make sure you are well informed and USC even has a support group that meets ever month that is run by the RN and dietician from the bariatric dept. His staff(ESPI) even got my insurance to pay for my VSG, which is pretty rare these days. You will be very pleased you chose USC and Dr Crookes, he saved my life

I thought he was great when I first met him 4 years ago. I still think he is very on top of his field and feel completely comfortable with him and the work he did on me this June 17th, 2008. Along with his stafff who tried very hard to make my surgery a success and tat was wonderful! USC was a pleasant experience for me, and if anyone I know or meet who wants to have this surgery done I will suggest they see him! He was very straightforward ad does give great after care instructions and emphasis on making all my after care appt's and even before the surgery his whole team were all very thorough with me about the risks of surgery and what a huge life change it would be! I would say he is a top notch Doctor and especially in his field!! He was very kind and patient and listened very well to my persona concerns and I felt very confident in his abilities to take great care of me! Surgica; competence is the most important of all - having someone know what they are doing !! A little bed side manner doesn't hurt either, and I liked his. He is a no nonsens kind of Doctor and I think that is what people misunderstand. He does care and show concern for his patients - if he didn't he would not have such a good team working along side him there!!rnNor would he be so successful at his surgeries!! rnP.s. I only had one slight dislie which was not about him, it was about the nurse that cared for me after the surgery in the hospital, she just seemed to be mentally somewhere else and almost pulled my IV out 3 seperate times, and then she forgot to bring me the things I needed and keep my pain in check, other than that the other nurses were fantastic.rnTHANKSrnI loved my Dr. Katkhouda for his expertise.rnsincerely, rnMs. Farris

Dr. Crookes is extremely competent, capable, and warm. However, he does not automatically allow anyone to have the DS. He will interview you and determine what your expectations and goals are, as well as your comorbilities to determine if the DS is really appropriate. He told me that he was moving away from doing the DS, and really only does it when the patient is clearly committed, has specific comorbidities that would be resolved with a DS vs. the RNY, and has realistic expectations of the surgery. His main complaint was people seeking the DS, according to him, believe that they will be able to eat everything they want - while that certainly it is the case with a percentage of people, others will have food sensitivities and will have reactions similar to the RNY. He said that there is a much greater risk of small bowel obstruction with DS which is life threatening.rnrnHe did say that he will always be available for follow up. He said, I'll never abandon you. What an amazing man.