Venice Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center
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About a month ago, I went to see Dr. Chibli for the first time at his Venice office. From the time I walked in till the time I left, i was nothing but impressed in every way. From the staff to the office, to the Doctor himself. About a week ago, I received a call from his receptionist stating their was an insurance problem. I was talked to like I meant absolutely nothing and that i was pure trash. Without even as much as a, can we do anything else to help you get this procedure, The woman told me that she was going to just write me down as an inactive patient. Never once took the time to ask if I had any other means of having the procedure.
My wife called back and spoke to the office manager and asked not once, but several times that she wanted to speak with the doctor himself. Here we are a week later and not even a call from the office staff, let alone the doctor. I can not tell you how disappointed I am after feeling like I had finally found my doctor. I guess my first appointment was just a big show. So now I am back to square 1 and have to start all over to find another doctor. So for any of you looking to know more about this practice before going, be careful and like the old saying goes, believe nothing you here and only half of what you see.
Very Disappointed,
Jim Bateman.............................
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To start: Thank you Dr. Chebli
1 year and 3 weeks ago (March 20, 2013) I had my Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Great Hospital (Overlake Hospital Bellevue, WA) care as well. I was 65 at the time and met with Dr. Chebli for a pre-op appointment. My BMI to start was 51.7 now it is 35.1 I have lost 112 lbs. and never felt better! Not out of the woods yet but I can see the light and it's not a train! I am still losing because I have committed myself to the notebook Dr. Chebli gave me when I first met him. I was fortunate at my age 65 then (66 now) to pass all of my pre-op tests. I was at the time on 3 meds for Diabetes. After surgery from day one I was taken off all Diabetic meds. Dr. Chebli simply gave me my life back! He is so humble and almost doesn't know how to take a compliment! I was lucky to have him as my surgeon before he left for Florida. I was humbled as well because I had not taken very good care of my body. At 65 I thought I would give up (too many health issues) but my primary Doctor said, "You have to meet "Dr. Chebli" He is the only bariatric Surgeon I recommend! I see why once I met Dr. Chebli.
He was voted top 10 Doctor in the state of Washington State year after year. Some patients say he is to the point! Well, he is but that's what I needed. If you commit to do you best no one will support you more. I took my notes in to confer and when he was done talking asked if I had any questions? I shuffled through my 3x5 cards and he had answered all of them before I could ask one question. Amazing!
I am here to say. Look no further for the best
surgeon in the country/world, The most important commitment is to go to the support meetings before and after. Without the help of the support meetings I wouldn't have done well at all.
I can only touch on a few thoughts as I am rambling on here. The first is when you consider any kind of weight loss surgery do your homework. There is so much misinformation on the web and word of mouth. Most of all horror stories are not true to the actual operation. Dr. Chebli makes sure you will be at your best at the time of surgery or he won't operate. That's why the pre-op is so important! Most horror stories come from people who never had the operation in the first place. Unfortunately there a few doctor's that operate on people that have had complications before surgery. I am talking about additional problems past the normal obesity problems. Was it difficult for me? Yes, learning how to take care of myself again! Switching to real foods (not diet) and giving up junk foods. I am doing things (physically) I haven't done in 40 years. I am no longer a shut in. Just changing my diet and going on the pre-op prep my wife who is 5' 2"
lost 30 lbs. by me not bringing in the junk food. Exercise? I hate exercise indoors! The only GYM I know is a personal friend Jim! I live 5 minutes from a large shopping mall in Seattle. I am now walking 1 1/2 miles a day
6 days a week. It takes me 31 minutes now but at the beginning I couldn't walk half way down the mall. Today it is 6 times back and forth. I plan to start afternoon walks as it doesn't feel like exercise all anymore! I am happy to share any and all with anyone on the forum. I leave everyone with this thought: "It's never too late to make a life changing habit work" It is NOT about will power! This operation gave me the strength to make decisions on my choices in life. I had never have had control on my eating but now I do as I choose to celebrate this new lifestyle at 66 years. Thanks, Doug J.
Here is a doctor who is dedicated to his patients and their success. He has developed a program that ensures you will be successful if you follow the "rules." I am now 3 years post surgery and lost 95 lbs. I weigh the same (give or take a few pounds up AND down) as I did nine months after my GBS. It's not just what he did to provide me this valuable tool, it's how he gave me a play book to read, understand, question and embrace. And I did just that.
What has been truly amazing to me is my ability to be athletic! I was NEVER an athlete, not in my entire life! But I knew I needed SOME activity to work together with my new eating habits. So, I started walking. Four months after my surgery I signed up for a half marathon, as a walker. I trained for it. And I completed it. And THAT began my fitness journey. I have increased the number of races from two the first year to over 18 THIS year and it's only August (I have 12 more waiting in the wings for the rest of the year.)
But it's not just about being active. It's about eating right. I've done MANY diet programs, fads and fasting. I was a complete yo-yo my entire adult life! And I was eating out of control. The diminished stomach capacity enabled me to "learn" to eat right all over again. To this day I have issues if I forget and try to eat too much or too fast and drink fluids while eating. Trust me, the process works just fine when you follow it.
So, if you choose Dr. Chebli as your surgeon you will get the best. I don't have ONE NEGATIVE point about him...not ONE! Just follow all his directions, refer to his notebook if you need a refresher, go to group (for at least the first full year) and see him on schedule. It's important, it's your life! Good luck to you.
My first impression of Dr. Chebli was that he is intensely interested in the well-being of his patients. For this reason, I decided that he would be the best surgeon for me. I knew I would need a surgeon who would give me every tool I needed to succeed and then actually expect me to do something with those tools! Dr. Chebli is that kind of surgeon.
Preparing for surgery was a challenge for me. It took me longer than I expected and I kept vacillating between having the surgery and not having the surgery. I had a limited support system in my life and found that I needed more support that I thought I would. I found that Dr. Chebli's office staff were very supportive. At the very first visit, they gave me information about three different support groups with other patients from that practice. I immediately connected with the group on Facebook and have found them to be the resources I needed to move ahead with surgery.
Flash forward to the morning of surgery. Dr. Chebli came into the preop area with a level of excitement that I needed to get me through my fear of surgery. Seeing him excited at my progress made me excited at my progress. I knew that I could make it through whatever trial lay ahead because I had the support of my family, my friends, my support group, my friends at Dr. Chebli's office, and Dr. Chebli himself.
I think other patients considering bariatric surgery could not make a better choice than Dr. Chebli. He is a gifted surgeon and he cares about his patients! A word of caution. Dr. Chebli will be honest with you. If you are someone who likes things sugar-coated (and I'm not talking pastries!), you will need to be prepared that you won't get that from this doctor. He tells it like it is. Personally, I prefer knowing where I stand and I like hearing the absolute truth.
Overall, I think Dr. Chebli is just probably the best bariatric surgeon in my area. I can only thank God that I was fortunate enough to find him.
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This is an update for my previous review. It's now been a year and a half since Dr Chebli performed my vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I have lost 104lb since surgery, and have a current BMI of 23.3 (NORMAL! not obese, not overweight, not borderline). I have not regretted my decision for a single moment, it is the best thing I ever did for myself. I know some people who have had their surgeries done in Mexico due to cost, and while they have done alright also, I remain grateful that I have a surgeon here who I can check in with continually and discuss any ongoing questions or issues with. My primary care doctor simply is not very educated about weight loss surgery and I feel like I can count on Dr Chebli to stay on top of the things that are specific concerns for me as a wls patient. I am so glad I listened to Dr Chebli and went with the vertical sleeve gastrectomy instead of the band. Go in with questions, and ask them, but realize that he knows more about weight loss surgery than you can ever google. You wouldn't step onto an airplane and tell the pilot how you think they should fly the plane, you choose your destination and trust that they will get you there safely. I only see him now every 6 months for checkups but he still remembers that I bicycle like a madwoman and am interested in pharmacy. He takes a personal interest in his patients which translates to better care. If anyone is interested in talking more with me about my experience with him, please feel free to message me on the site.
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Dr. Chebli is very self-assured and knows exactly what he wants to convey to his patients. He can seem like a bit of a fast-talker, but this is because he is determined to educate his patients on everything they need to know and not leave anything out. I would highly recommend making a list of questions you have for him, and then go over the list with him *after* you've let him say his part. You will find he answers 90% of your questions if you just wait. I went in thinking I wanted a lap-band, but Dr Chebli went over every available option in detail with me and truthfully told me he thought I'd do better with a sleeve gastrectomy, and backed up his argument with statistics. He is not a doctor who is out to please people by telling them what they want to hear. He lays out the risks and is very up-front about the disadvantages of each option, and about the hard work needed on the part of the patient. He's certainly not the cheapest option out there. I could have gone to mexico and had the whole surgery done for less than half of the cost here. But you have to ask yourself, how much is your LIFE worth? Would you buy a car without seatbelts just because it saved you a couple bucks? Your life is the only thing you truly have at the end of day, and you owe it to yourself to put it in the best, most capable hands out there. I chose Dr Chebli because I did tons of research and he has the best outcomes and is the most competent in his field. I am now home and healing very nicely from my sleeve gastrectomy. He has high expectations for his patients and is vocal about it, and when you live up to those expectations by taking good care of yourself you will find yourself in a good place.
Dr Chebli's staff is wonderful, Lisa in particular is great. She kept track of all my test results and helped me track down the ones that sometimes got lost, and was very supportive. I could call the office any time I had any sort of question. The pre-op testing is extensive but this is another reason Dr Chebli has such good outcomes, because he puts everyone though a rigorous battery of tests to make sure they don't have silent underlying conditions that could complicate surgery. I hope I'm not sounding like an infomercial here. I'm a real person. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to my loved ones. The only thing I can think of that would be off-putting for a client would be his very speedy manner of talking sometimes. It can seem rude at first, until you realize that he's just trying to get you the facts before you interrupt him with a question about something he was going to say anyway. Just write down your questions and hold on to them until the end, he WILL get to them. Ask him to slow down a little or go back to anything you don't understand, he's good about that. My surgery went really smoothly, because he's a skilled doctor AND because I worked my butt off to lose the pre-op weight and shrink my liver with a very strict diet. This was no picnic and I still have a long way to go. But I'm very glad I chose Dr Chebli.
Love Love LOVE my sergeon! He is a little "to the point" but that's what I needed to shake me into the reality that this is serious business. He is very good at what he does and if there is a problem he is on top of it to get it fixed asap! He takes every precaution to ensure a safe succesfull surgery. He is very involved with his patients post op and he will get on your butt if your not behaving. His staff are all amazing sweet ladies that remember your name when you come in and make you feel welcome. I would recomend him to anyone who needs that little motivator in your head.
After reading through all 112 reviews of Dr. Chebli here on OH and finding very little in the way of negative comments, coupled with his being a multiple-year recipient of the Top Docs award, I decided to schedule an initial consult for the VSG (I almost got a LapBand from a different surgeon, but that's another story... check my blog if you're interested).
If I had to choose three words to describe Dr. Chebli, they would be direct, thorough and meticulous. I don't know about you, but those are qualities I would absolutely want in a surgeon!
There is no question whatsoever that Dr. Chebli is a Type A personality from the east coast. If you're a native west coaster, take that into consideration going in. It seems to me that people out here tend to be not as direct, so meeting someone who is when you're not used to it (I'm from Boston, so he made me feel right at home) can be surprising and may take you back a bit.
As another reviewer said, let him get through all the information he wants to make sure you have first and then ask your questions -- you'll probably find that by the time he's finished he's already answered 95% (or more) of what you were going to ask.
At your initial consult, he'll give you a binder that will walk you through everything you need to know and do in the weeks leading up to surgery... this will be your Bible both before and after surgery as it also lists all the post-op resources available in both the Seattle and Eastside areas (he works out of both Northwest and Evergreen hospitals). If you have any questions as you're following up on everything, don't hesitate to call his office... his staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.
During my pre-op appointment, not only did Dr. Chebli go through all the information I expected, he also described the operation in great detail, even explaining the most up-to-date techniques being used and why. While some of it went over my head (I could have stopped him and asked for clarification, but wanted to see what I could gather from context clues), I understood the majority and was impressed at his depth of knowledge and the attention he pays to what the leading VSG surgeons are doing to mitigate the risk of complications.
As I write this, I'm 10 days post-op and have had no problems whatsoever. Everything has been textbook without so much as a single run-in with nausea or vomiting. I even managed to make it through those first few days without worrying about getting my required amount of protein and fluids in -- a common concern to all post-ops -- thanks to his detailed discharge instructions. He truly leaves no stone unturned and while acknowledging that all surgeries carry risk, he makes you feel as though there will be no surprises that are within his grasp to control, that you'll know exactly what you need to do, when you need to do it.
It's also worth mentioning that I have heard from several nurses in the Seattle area here on the forums who've worked with Dr. Chebli and the one thing they all said about him was that he's an outstanding patient advocate. I definitely got that vibe while I was in the hospital... it became quite clear that the staff intended to make sure his instructions were followed to a T. It's hard to describe, but it's like when you go to a restaurant with someone who used to work there and still knows everyone... there's a certain degree of feeling like you're getting the white glove treatment. I don't know if it's that the hospital staff was so attentive out of respect, intimidation or a mixture of both, but it definitely translates into a great experience for Dr. Chebli's patients!
In summary, Dr. Chebli gets my highest recommendation... I can see why he wins the Top Docs award for bariatric surgery year after year. Don't hesitate to send me a private message if you want more information.
I initially went to Dr. Chebli because I am self-pay and want a doctor who provides BLIS complication insurance and is experienced at VSG.
When I first met Dr. Chebli, he immediately made me feel comfortable. He spent a lot of time answering my questions and didn't seem put off by the fact that I'm in the medical field and wanted very specific details. I felt that he really listened to me and treated me as an individual - he also respected the fact that I had done a lot of research and made me feel that we were working together toward my WLS goals. He was very direct about the risks of surgery and his experience, which I appreciated. The website and the folder of information were very complete and answered a lot of questions. The office staff were very nice, although sometimes a little hard to get in contact with (but it was around the holidays).
Dr. Chebli's pre-op diet is very strict (4 weeks prior to surgery you cannot eat more than 30 grams of TOTAL carbs per day - if you cheat even once they will reschedule the surgery. Yikes!) He also requires you to lose at least 5% of your initial body weight prior to surgery. His post-op diet is very strict also, but I think that it's for the best for rapid weight loss and complete healing. The aftercare program is quite good, emphasizing support groups, exercise, and frequent follow-up.
I will update this after I actually have my surgery in about a month, but so far, I would have to give Dr. Chebli an A - any less and I would have picked another surgeon.
My experience with Dr. Chebli has been absolutely wonderful. After researching many surgeons I found him and am so pleased that I did. He is brilliant, thorough, caring, and clear patient advocate. I cannot say enough good things about him.
First impression of Dr Chebli?? I LOVED HIM!! He is down to earth and treated me like a person and not a number. He gave me information in a freindly yet proffessional manner. Plus it doesn't hurt that he loves Alaska so much :)
The staff has been friendly and whenever I called or had a question they were there to help me and get any information I needed. Samantha is very effecient. My first visit was in July 2010 she had my paperwork submitted and final and surgery date completed in only 3 months time!! Now I am ready for surgery October 20, 2010! They gave me a list of things I Had to do to prepare and get ready and I had them done in about 2 months. They made it so smooth for me and I am in Alaska they are in Seattle, my different docotrs here would send them the procedures I had completed. Luckly I had been seeing a licensed nutritionist since April so this was documented to help show I had at least 6 month medical approval that I was seeking help in othere ways. This is not counting all the other diets and medical help I was able to provide from the past.
Dr Chebli has a wonderful web site and it is direct and easy to follow. He gives you insight on what you will be going through and the before and after care. What impressed me the most is that he has been chosen for the last 4 to 5 years as Washington States pick of TOP 100 doctors. This is a poll taken from other proffessional physicians that would choose him to perform surgery on one of their loved ones. Now that tells me a lot and gave me great comfort. One of the main reasons I picked him too. When i met him I could see why. he made me feel at ease and just helped me understand how important my health is for not just me but my loved ones as well. He gave me a binder that I took home and followed all the things I needed to do to get to my surgery date. He has alot of information in this binder but the website gives you even more. The website and the bionder gives you before and after care and propgrams. They are open to any questions whether you feel like they are trival or not.
Dr Chebli has worked on several paitents from Alaska and other states as well so he and his staff are very efficiant I believe because of working with paitents out of state. He gave me all the risks of the surgery and the restricions I will have. My thought on that is, I have been restricted from so many things in life that eating restrictions is far less of a problem for me than what I have had to go through with clothes, seating, walking, exercising, and just overall living life to the fullest.
One of the things the staff did too was they even helped me pick a hotel for us to stay at. I am going to tell the Hotel when I go so they realize Dr Chebli's office tell their out of state patients about their hotel. It is the Nexxus Hotel walking distance to the hospital.
If I were to rate Dr. Chebli and his staff I would rate them off the chart!!
The question of which is better surgical competence or bedside manner? I would have to say Dr Chebli shows that he has both so far. I will know more whan I have my surgery in a few days. But I am confident I am going to be able to say he does have both!
Do I have any negative comments? Well, the only thing negative on my part is that I do not live closer. I have been to other doctors here in my state that do this surgery and I can honestly say I wouldn't even compare them to Dr Chebli.
Thank you for letting me share :)
Rebecca White
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