Venice Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center
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Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy 3/17/10
With a procedure as life changing as this, I spent three years learning all I could about my options, my surgeon, and myself before moving forward with surgery.
I attended an informational seminar in 2007, which was hosted by Dr. Joseph Chebli on the Northwest Hospital Campus (Seattle, WA). My first impression was that he seemed very confident, and over the course of the next few years there was one line from that seminar that stuck with me. During the talk he discussed things like how to pick a surgeon and when referring to the fact that a doctor might have done many weight loss surgeries, but are not up on the more current methods and training he said(paraphrasing), "just because we CAN, does not mean we SHOULD".
I left there really feeling that he had the patients best interest at heart, no matter who did the procedure.
Within a few weeks I visited his office and was very sure that I wanted to have a Lap-band installed. His demeanor at first was VERY professional, and not really personalized. But I understood he consults with many patients and all of the beginning "leg work" is just very straightforward. YOU the patient, have to take home the binder and decide if this the path you want to take. He is not there to make this decision for you. He did let me know statistics for success were low with the Lap-band, especially with my BMI being so high. Long story short, I lost the required 5%+ and tricked myself into thinking that I could lose the rest of the weight on my own, and cancelled the surgery.
Fast forward two years, and all the studies I had been keeping up on showed that Dr. Chebli was correct. The Lap-band was not getting the results I would have expected. I went back with him and discussed the Lap RNY, a procedure that I really did NOT want - but after gaining back the 5% and then some, I knew I could not do this on my own. We did discuss the Sleeve, but my insurance did not cover it and I could not afford the procedure on my own. Again my visit with him was very quick and he was just straightforward and professional. During these few years I consulted with him, Dr. Chebli had also consistently ended up on Seattle Magazine's TOP DOCTOR list for his excellence in bariatric surgery. This was another reinforcement that gave me assurance in his ability.
After scheduling a surgery date for the Lap RNY procedure, I cancelled again. My fiance' abruptly passed away and I had to sort out how I was going to move forward with just myself and my three year old son, alone. Then three months later, I unexpectedly lost one of my brothers.
Fast forward three more months to Feb 2010, add an additional whopping 60lbs to my short frame, and I found myself just walking into Dr. Chebli's office unannounced. Samantha let me go in and stand on the scale. Speaking with her was truly a moment in which I will never forget. I think I will always consider her one of the people who helped "save" me, so to speak. From that point on, she personally helped to make sure all my records, insurance approvals, and tests were in place so that I could restart the surgery process. In a miraculous change, my insurance company had begun covering the Sleeve procedure. This is a medical procedure we are talking about, but I surely took that as another sign that this was the "right" time to embark on this journey.
On March 17th, 2010 when Dr. Chebli came in to see me before surgery, I knew instantly that he was MY surgeon and was going to make sure everything went smoothly. I truly saw the switch from just a consulting physician to my personal surgeon. I followed all his rules for success and made a huge commitment to have him perform this procedure and in return, I know first hand that he is invested in my long term success. From the excellent aftercare in the hospital, to the follow up visits, and at home call back when I had questions, I cannot be any more pleased with my decision in choosing Dr. Chebli for my VSG procedure.
First Impression is the Dr. Chebli is a very direct and honest Dr. He really was understanding of where I am at in the process and what I needed to know. I am very excited to move on in this journey.
So now that my surgery is said and done, I can honestly say that Dr. Chebli is the BEST!! He even came to the hospital at 9:30pm on a Sat the day after my surgery when I was having some lung issues and stayed until he knew I was okay. Very impressed. He is very specific with directions for your aftercare.
Both his Surgical skills and bedside minor were tops!
He came highly recommended by a good friend. He seems to be very confident in his abilities and his staff is on the ball. I visited with them in the fall of 2007 and had a phone call from Margaret Dec. 2008. Turns out I had just started a new insurance, and she called and found out it was a covered benefit under my plan...rn Now that I have had my surgery, with no complecations to date, I am even more happy with my decision to choose Dr. Chebli and his staff. He has a wonderfull bedside manner, and is very good at what he does.
Dr Chebli's first impression was.. iffy. He came off as arrogant and a little too confident. He's from the east coast, and it shows. So at the initial seminar, I wasn't so sure about him. But thru the process of pre-op/surgery/post-op, I found he's also very gentle, a good listener, funny, and so understanding. So don't let that first impression turn you off. He's confident because he knows what he's doing, not because he's a jerk.
His office staff has been really helpful and friendly, even when putting up with the red tape my job and insurance company put them thru. I do wish he had someone on staff that had had surgery themselves, but I don't think he does. They're not skinny minnies tho, and I never felt like they were judging me at all.
Dr Chebli makes sure you're aware of all the risks and chances of surgery. In that no-nonsense way of his, he makes it very clear that there's some problems you can have and that it's not all roses having this surgery. He gives you all the odds and numbers very plainly. I appreciated that straight forward approach. I wanted to know what I was getting myself into, even tho it scared the heck out of me.
Most importantly, Dr Chebli takes a much longer and more cautious approach to everything. It's aggravating at first, seeing others who didn't have to jump thru all the hoops that Dr Chebli requires. His methodical ways turned out to be potentially life saving for me tho. From an off handed remark I made about a family member, his instincts led him to run a special test on me that wouldn't normally be used. This revealed a genetic blood disorder (Factor V Leiden) I didn't know I had, and that could have been deadly. Thanks to Dr Chebli's instincts and methodical ways, my surgery and recovery were complication free.
Dr Chebli has been rated "Best In Seattle" 3 years in a row for a reason. I would trust my life to him again any day, as well as the lives of all those I love. Yes, he requires a LOT more pre-op testing, and his schedule to return to solid food post-op is very long (8 weeks). But it's worth it. This guy is awesome!
Dr. Chebli is great. I felt very comfortable at our first meeting. I had done a little research on him before my initial appointment. We talked about an hour and he provided me with a notebook with information on the different surgeries, what I will need to do prior and after surgery and his website gives more information.
He is very caring and honest. His staff is very nice and helpful. At this point I can't say anything bad about him.
My first impression of Dr. Chebli was really good, I had already read and heard about him. My impression of Dr.Chebli is that he wants his patients to be well informed. When I first went to see him, I had made up my mind that I wanted to be 'Banded', and when I left, we were putting in our paperwork to my insurance company for the Sleeve. I thought I had done a lot of research, but the first time I heard about the Sleeve was in Dr. Chebli's office. I am SO glad he talked to me about it. As it is, I ended up having the Sleeve surgery and man has it worked! I knew that if I listened to what doc told me and followed through on my side that I would reach my goals. By the way, I had surgery Jan. 27th, and I have lost 161 lbs in 6 months. I would say doc knows what he is talking about.rnI love the office staff, they know me by name and are always very supportive. Lisa is really a nice gal and always has time to talk. rnTo be objective, I have been trying to think of something I dislike about Dr. Chebli's office, and I suppose the worst thing is his office wont validate. :)rnFuture patients should be ready to work with the doc and his staff, there is no magic pill, you have to want this, and want a partner to help you through this. Doc wont sugar coat anything, and he will tell you that you have to work at it, but IT WORKS! I have gone from a size 53 waist to a 34, again in 6 months. rnThere is no 'aftercare', it is life care with Dr.Chebli's office. They made that very clear to me...they were not going anywhere just because I have surgery and lose weight, they will be involved in my life for..well, the rest of my life. I don't feel like another customer, I feel like they care for life. rnHey, I educated myself, and Dr. Chebli told me everything I needed to know about the risks of surgery, I never felt stressed out by them in the least, after all, I was already slowly dieing. rnNot only do I rate doc Chebli very highly, I went back to him 5 months later to do my hernia surgery..if thats not trust, tell me what is. rnTo me, its a no brainer..surgical competence is the most important thing to me.
My first impression of Dr Chebli was, he must know his business because he is very confident about what he does... After my initial vist I knew that I wanted him to be my surgeon. I had been doing research for several years and he made me feel comfortable. If you are looking for a surgeon that is very impressive he is the one. He has been there to consult me with even the simpliest questions when I need him. His bedside manner is great and his competence is excellent.
I am so blessed I had Dr. Chebli perform my surgery! He is beyond amazing, very confident, extremely caring, and listens to everything you have to say. I have also been very pleased with his office staff, Lisa absolutely hands down knows her stuff, and you feel like you are part of the family on a first name basis.
Dr. Chebli's after care is impeccable, you honestly feel that he cares for each and everyone of his patients. My husband said after meeting him the day of my surgery, that he was very confident in him and it helped ease his nerves.
Words cannot express how much of a positive experience I have had with him. He is truely an angel and anyone who is lucky enough to have him as their surgeon is very blessed.