Anthony Dibenedetto Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

My first impresion of Dr. D is that he was nice and understanding, but very straight forward and did not pull any punches, he tells you the way it is, not just what you want to hear. Never have changed my opinion and I really respect him as a surgeon. Very professional and very helpful, when you have any questions. He could scare you with how truthful he was but I still went through with the surgery because of how professional he is. He is very strict and wants you to follow-up and definitely wants you to attend the support meetings. Yes, Teresa DiBenedetto gave all patients a copy with a test included. At every appt and every meeting (informational) and at the final meeting before the surgery he makes sure that you understand without a doubt what the complications are. I think he is an excellent surgeon and that he does what ever is nessesary to make sure his patients understand what they are in for. He was great on all parts.

Dr. D is a wonderful surgeon and I trusted him fully. He visited me once or twice a day in the hospital.rnThe office staff are great. His wife, an RN, is one of the GBS coordinators and she is just the nicest person! Overall, this is has been a very comfortable experience for me and I would suggest him to others.rn

I first met Dr. DiBenedetto in 2003, and I was supposed to be his first patient for gastric bypass. My health insurance wouldn't credential him for the surgery until he performed it 25 times, so I had to wait. Before has had completed the 25 procedures, I had the chance to change my insurance, and that company approved me immediately. I had to wait for over two years to have the operation, but Dr. D. never dismissed me or forgot about me.
Dr. DiBenedetto is the best there is. He is professional and outstanding at what he does. I trust him completely. He is very "no-nonsense," and he always excercises on the side of caution and safety. He has a sense of humor and is very caring.
I had GPS in June of 2005. It went very well and I lost weight consistently, in the beginning. I stopped losing weight at 80 pounds, which had me very frustrated. My stomach started protruding two months ago (I look pregnant!), and I went to see Dr. DiBenedetto. The first thing he said to me was, "I told you that I would be your doctor for life, and I'm not going anywhere." It turns out that I have a hernia, and I am having surgery in June. He is waiting that long because he had blood tests done, and I was very anemic, so he wouldn't operate. There is more iron in my blood now, but he wants to wait until my blood count is up; as I said, he excercises on the side of safety and caution.
I have such respect for Dr. DiBenedetto. It is rare to find a competent doctor who really cares about each of us as distinct human beings. I don't have anything negative to say, and I highly recommend him.

I met Dr. Dibenedetto and his staff at a informational meeting, and fell in love with him. He was very knowlegable and right to the point. I called his office the day after the meeting and set up an appiontment. I only had to wait about 2 weeks. I went for my first visit in early March of 06. After a physical and question, and also alot of paperwork I was told of what needed to be done first, and that I would be a good canadate for the surgery. Well now I have all the fun of meeting the nutritionist, a sleep study, blood work, and a phych avail. I could not believe how quickly I was able to get all the appointments. I have to go back on April 17th and they told me to get as much done as posible. It is not March 22 and I complete all of the testing on Monday the 20th. I am so excited.

From all I hear about Dr. D I was initially very nervous about seeing him but I love him and I am so glad that I chose him and didn't listen to the people that told me not to go to him.He and his staff are so suppotive I had had a minor setback(In my opinion) but they so really made me feel so much better. He is very serious about doing this surgery on anyone

I went to Dr Dibenedetto due to his outstanding reputation as a surgeon for many years in this community. In Western NY he is considered by many to be among the surgical elite. He has been peforming this surgery since 2004. I met him at the information meeting he held. He was informative, concise and to the point. All of the risks and hardships of this surgery, including the risk of death, were clearly explained to me. I find him to be quite compassionate to those who suffer from obesity. His office staff has always been professional and courteous. No complaints here. Dr D. is a nice guy BUT... he is also a very tough and stern taskmaster. He is a very no-nonsense kind of guy.
He makes it clear from the beginning, you WILL do what he says or you will find another surgeon. You WILL attend a minimum of 3 support group meetings before surgery is even scheduled.
You WILL lose a minimum of 20 pounds before surgery. (He required 50 pounds from me, I lost 81 pounds presurgically). You WILL be on a Slim-Fast diet during the 2 weeks immediately prior to surgery to shrink the liver, thus minimizing the dangers & risks and making his work that much easier. His no nonsense attitude should NOT be mistaken as curt or mean. This is a very serious and dangerous procedure. There is a TERMINAL RISK on that operating table. Part of the reason Dr. D has never lost a bariatric patient is because he is so serious about his work and the ONLY patients that make it to his operating table are patients who take this procedure JUST AS SERIOUSLY AS HE DOES ! The weight loss shows your dedication to this process, and I know I would have had a far harder surgical and post surgical experience had I not lost all of that weight prior to my surgery. He has cancelled several surgery dates and said goodbye to several patients who did not comply with his rules. Every rule is designed for the wellbeing of the patient. He is a straight shooter, he plays no games, but if you do your part he will do his. Followup is excellent. I had a minor bacterial infection when my tube was removed two weeks after surgery. He was right on top of that situation. He even spoke with me on New Years Eve at 11:30 PM on the phone.
He really & truly means it when he says "I am ALWAYS available when you need me." Aftercare program is good and he has an excellent support group in place. Overall I would recommend Dr. Dibenedetto to anyone seeking this surgery. His surgical competence and credentials are unquestionable. As for his bedside manner, I consider Dr. D to be the Sgt. Joe Friday of surgeons - "Just the facts maam" If there are legitimate concerns or questions he takes as much time as you need to discuss them with you. But he will not waste a lot of time with idle chitchat as he has a lot of patients to see and is a very busy man. This is not "curt". Out of absolute neccesity, Dr. D. very simply delegates his time wisely. On a personal level he strikes me as a nice guy, with a bit of a dry humored, tongue in cheek wit that I appreciate. My overall experience with this surgeon has been excellent.

He seemed passionate about his work and the reasons why he does this surgery. He realizes obesity is a disease and very difficulty to over come on your own.
I liked his staff they seemed nice and knowledgable. I feel his after care program is strict and I like that... as he follows you through out. I love him and he has a great rapport with his patients!

Update: I am 16 months post-op, and just want to let everyone who is considering Dr. DB to know that his journey with you will not end after surgery. I have had some minor issues typical from the surgery, and he and his office staff have been wonderful and very accomodating to me. Dr. D takes a lot of pride in his work, and has been so supportive of all his patients. Even the smallest concern is addressed immediately and personally. I would highly recommend him for this surgery, and have sent others to him.

I have known Dr. DiBenedetto for 10 years. He has cared for both myself and my parents.
Before I even knew that he was starting a Bariatric Program, I began to look into WLS at one of the _____Centers. I was very excited when I found out from one of my patients (I am a nurse) that Dr. DiBenedetto was going to be doing the surgery. This meant that I could go to a Doctor whom I know and trust and who knows me. I have the added bonus of knowing him from both sides of the bedrail. I work at a hospital that he serves as well as I have had surgery by him. I have seen him at work and he has my complete respect and trust. Yes, as others have mentioned, he can be curt sometimes, but that is because he cares about his patients and wants the best outcome for them. He doesn't sugar coat anything and why would you want him to, this is serious stuff....He tells you everything that could go wrong including, you could die. He is a competent surgeon and a nice person in my opinion.

He does have an aftercare program, but since I am preop, I have not been to it yet.
I have heard good things though.

His office staff is WONDERFUL. My situation has been anything but troublefree when it comes to getting insurance approval. They have worked with me thru one denial after an appeal and are working with me now with a new insurance company.

my first impression was wonderful. he is very caring about you as a person and your goals.

his office staff is very nice and helpful.

they are very concerned about after care. they stess the issue of the care you are going to get after the procedure.

they do have a structured aftercare program.

they went over all the risks about the surgery. you have to go to the pre-surgery class.

I would rate him a 9. (only because i have only seen him twice)

both great.