Aileen Takahashi Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I'm a 9-year+ graduate of bariatric surgery performed by Dr. Takahashi. I was referred to Dr. Takahashi by my primary care physician after battling my weight all of my adult life. Best referral ever! After 9 months of testing, consultations, and other preparations, Dr. Takahashi performed my gastric by-pass surgery (RNY). She has been with me every step of the way. She is easy to talk to, extremely knowledgeable and an excellent surgeon. The surgery is only the first step to a new lifestyle which admittedly, is a daily challenge. The surgery was a Godsend for me and I am so thankful that Dr. Takahashi was/has been there for me. I highly recommend this fine doctor.

My first impression of Dr. T was that she was very knowledgable about WLS, as well as all the different procedures there are. She was very informative of what I needed, (gall bladder removal, hiatel hernia repair, as well as the RNY procedure) She was concerned about my weak esophagus and that the sleeve procedure was not a wise decision, (that was my 1st priority procedure).

My surgery took place in early Feb. this year. It was very hard for the nurses and dr. to wake me up after anesthesia. They were yelling at me to wake up. I felt Dr. T was angry that I wouldn't wake up, (it wasn't my fault, too much anesthesia was given to me). Also, again she'd chastised me for not drinking my fluids fast enough while in the hospital. (I stayed 3 days). All in all, I felt that she was cold and unfeeling.
I feel that if I do have problems with my diet, I don't dare go to her for fear she'll blast me for not carrying out the strict rules on dieting. I know, it's very bad for being so sensitive. I am very sensitive as you can tell!

She was very thorough on after care and complications which I have not had. I give her surgical ability a 5*, but her bedside manner a 2*. Her staff rates 5*

All in all, I'm so glad I've had this surgery. It is so much easier to go thru than I could have ever imagined!

If you are looking for a Dr. that is sensitive and wants to hold your hand, then Dr. Takahashi is not the Dr. for you. But if you're looking for a Dr. that is competent, knowledgable, thorough and skilled at what they do then she's your Dr.

The requirements for getting to a surgery date are many. You MUST lose 10% of your initial weight, weigh in every other week, attend several support group meetings and if you're a smoker you must quit (they'll test for nicotine before scheduling surgery...whether you smoke or not).

My only complaint about the practice (not Dr. Takahashi) is that the time between appts. can be much longer than what they tell you initially. I was told at my initial consult that my surgery date would likely be 4 to 6 months later but in reality, it's about twice that time because the Dr.'s and N.P.'s are so booked up. It is possible to get on a cancellation list which I've done on more than one occasion and I did end up being seen pretty quickly.

You also need to stay on top of the office staff when it comes to follow up and if you need to contact the office you should keep calling back if you're placed on hold for longer than a couple of minutes

Overall, I would give the practice 3 stars and Dr. Takahashi gets 5.

My original Doctor was Dr. Mun. The first time I met him was in orientation. He explained the 3 types of weight loss surgery. I was very impressed by his knowledge and that he covered everything. I felt that I was doing the right thing and that my life was safe in his hands. I was happy to know that he was my Doctor. I just recently found out that he is no longer going to be my doctor and feel kind sad. The info above is for Dr. Mun who recently relocated.

I believe that he did leave his patients in great hands. The first time I met Dr. Takahashi, I taught that I was going to feel intimidated by her due to comments of other people saying that she is very strict. Of course being strict it is good specially when it is your life which she has in her hands during surgery. I had also heard that she was one of the best Dr's. Well when I met her I was chatting up a storm that I think she must of taught that I was a weirdo LOL but anyways. I see that she is great Dr. I feel safe in her hands.

The first time I met Dr. Takahashi was on March 15, 2010. I was open to anything and had read a couple surgeon testimonials on this site. Most of the reviews were good but a few described her as cold and having no compassion. From the moment she walked into the room, I knew that she was a great surgeon. Contrary to what I had read, she was genuinely sweet, straight-forward and wasn't condescending at all. I am very blunt myself, and I felt like I was dealing with someone who had a similar personality to mine; we just clicked. She had an honest smile and I felt that I could trust her instantly, which is rare for me. I liked the way she explained every surgery type to me and told me that I had plenty of options. Also, I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to appearance and her office was modern and very clean! Most of the office staff were friendly except for the first woman who took my weight and vitals, but she could have just been having a bad day, we've all been there! This is probably trivial information, but the coffee was wonderful too; they have one of those Keurig "One Cup" makers that I've been dying to have and every cup comes out so fresh and tasty. :) Dr. Takahashi was unknowingly helpful in my decision on what type of surgery I want. At first, I was pretty much set on LAP-Band but with all of the information she explained to me and the materials that her office staff provided me with, I am almost 100% decided on having an Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. I look forward to my growing relationship with Dr. Aileen and hopefully, to my surgery day!

Switched to Dr. Takahashi who I'm much happier with. Going into surgery is hard enough without being hesitant about your doctor. I'm confident about Dr. Takahashi's skills from stellar recommendations from other doctors.rnrnExpect her to be very matter of fact. The only thing that bothered me is she sometimes is condescending. But, it's obvious she's had too many people not listen to her recommendations in the past and now she reinforces the same messages over and over and over as well as give many explanations spelled out (visit after visit), regardless if you got it or not the first time.rnrnIt's interesting, but it seems like her personality warmed up a lot after the surgery, but I've relaxed too and maybe it just seems that way.rnrnI'm very happy with Dr. Takahashi and highly recommend her. rnrnSome of the office staff isn't reliable with follow up, but Anna's excellent. Both nurse practitioners are great. It helps to go into surgery knowing that so many risks are reduced due to such an incredible battery of pre-tests that are required. rnrn----------------rnrnI didn't have as good of an experience with the first doctor to whom I was assigned. Dr. Baghai as others have posted here, so much so, that I switched to another doctor. My first impression was that she was knowledgeable, but that she didn't want to listen to any of my questions. She talked over me and kept saying that \"she had already told me that\" which wasn't true--she just hadn't really listened to my question so she didn't understand how what I was asking was different than the things she had already explained. (Hope you could follow that!) She was very condescending each of the three times I met and spoke with her. She got especially irritated when I asked her some questions that were suggested we ask our surgeon in the book her boss suggests that all of his patients get--Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies. Plus, she didn't know the answers to questions either, which rose a red flag--she should know her own record, the number of gastric bypass surgeries she had done, her personal complication rate, etc. Didn't know, didn't know. Gave the \"I've done so many I can't keep track answer.\" She did explain the risks. I don't know about her competence--I couldn't get to the point I, personally, felt comfortable about that. In my dealings with her, her bedside manner was very poor and aggressive in a weird way. I understand she's not with the Assoc. of South Bay Surgeons anymore. This was just my experience, I'm glad to see that others had a better engagement with her than I did.

Dr. Takahashi was very straight forward and to the point on my first visit. I felt the same about the first NP that I visited. By the following visits I realized that they are not going to make time for you if you are not serious about losing weight and that is alright by me. Once they see you're serious, they loosen up. My second visit with Dr. Takahashi, I was considering cancelling the surgery due to some personal problems. She took the time to listen to me, answered all my questions and I left feeling positive. I will be having my surgery soon and I feel God has lead me to some very capable hands.rnrn9/6/09 - Dr Takahashi ROCKS!!! She is so awesome! God put me in the best hand possible. I was originally suppose to get the RNY, but when she went in she discovered there was scarring and adhesion from a previous surgery from 10 years ago. When I woke up she let me know that the Sleeve would be in my best interest with my intestines being compromised from the previous procedure. She and the staff at Torrance Memorial Med Ctr took VERY good care of me!

~My first impression of Dr. T was very positive. She is straight forward, exact in her words, and in her requirements for surgery. rn~Over the two or three months pre-op course, I have not seen or talked to my surgeon. But I have been seen by a very capable staff on a consistent basis. They have supported the pre-op preparation. Now I am ready to see Dr. T again for the pre-op consult.rnI recently went for the pre-op consult and it was reassuring in that my relationship with Dr. T. is developing. She was warm and personal without losing her professional demeanor. She is sending in the request for authorization following this visit. Next time I see her, it will be to check-in in the two weeks prior to surgery. rn~Met with Dr. T this week for the last consult before surgery. She was very attentive to my questions and warm in her regard for my husband and I. She still retained her professional cool, but for the first time, I felt like she recognized me on a more personal level. Made me feel more confident going forward with the surgery. Next time I see her it will be in the OR.rnSurgery went off perfectly, a technically perfect outcome. Following surgery Dr. Takahashi was very attentive to extreme nausea that followed. She worked very hard to find ways to quell it. She has continued to work toward a better resolution in the weeks that have followed. rn

I LOVE HER! SHE WAS GREAT! I AM VERY SATISFIED AND WOULDNT CHANGE ANYTHING!

My first impression of Dr. Takahashi was that she was cold. Let me say that it has certainly changed. She is very to-the-point. Her time is valuable and if you are not serious about losing weight, then she does not have time to waste babysitting you. I appreciated that she was no-nonsense eventually. She kept her word on every aspect of my surgery and I followed her orders. She didn’t sugar coat anything and I really respected that. These days people expect everyone to handle them with kid-gloves and when they don’t, they whine. I'm a grown woman and expected to be treated as such. rnrnrn~*~ Her office staff: ~*~rnrnHer staff was just like any other doctor's office -- you need to be responsible for your own information. You need to make sure it’s right and that they have your information. I learned this with my other docs and this one is no different. They mean well but things DO slip through the cracks.rn rn~*~ What did you like least about her? ~*~rnI think everyone wants a little personal touch with their care provider - even their surgeons. Dr. T is not the touchy-feely type so if you need this in a surgeon, you should look elsewhere. She certainly knows what she's doing and talking about but let’s just say she's not going to give you a hug. :)rnrn~*~ What should future patients know about her? ~*~rnMake sure you keep track of your tests/dates. They may say they have them and they don’t or vice versa.rnrn~*~How much does she emphasize aftercare? ~*~rnVery much so. I had labs within days of being released and saw her 7 days after surgery for a follow up. Then again at 2 wks, 1 mo, 3mo, 6mo and 1yr. Then yearly after that. rnrnrn~*~ How did she address the risks of surgery? ~*~rnShe was very clear about the risks of surgery. There are numerous packets of information on the risks that you receive. There's even a \"test\" on the information in the test that you have to answer, sign and review with the staff before they can sign you off for your surgery. rn rn~*~ How would you rate her overall? ~*~rnI would give her a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. I would give her staff a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. rnrn~*~ Which is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great? ~*~rnBoth are great but if I had to choose one, of course it would be surgical competence. I'd rather have a cold competent surgeon than a nice incompetent one ANYDAY!rn