Isaac Samuel Bariatric Surgeon M.D.
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Dr. Samuel and the team of medical professionals at UIHC were very thorough, caring, and always willing to answer my questions and provide information. My revision surgery was technically very long and difficult, but Dr. Samuel had the skill to do it laproscopically and my outcome has been excellent. He is very concerned about follow up following the surgery.
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He was an excellent surgeon and I had every confidence that he and his staff cared about me as a person. They supported me 100% and were available any time I had a question or worry. They were very focused on presurgery and after surgery care to be sure I would make it through the surgery adn the follow up was just as focused. If I lived closer to Iowa City I feel I could have benifitted more from their follow up programs. If I had to do this all over I would not hesitate to have perform the bypass He was super.
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Dr Samuel is a very nice man. The whole Bariatric Surgery team at the University of Iowa are awesome. They are on top of things there and they take this surgery very seriously. There wasn't anything I didn't like about any of the team. Aftercare is very important to the whole team. I would have to rate Dr Samuel a 10 and if I had to rate one higher than the other I would have to say his surgical confidence is much better than his bedside manner. The only reason why I even say that is because he is definitely a straight to the point type person. He is not one whom stays around and chit chats. He will stick around long enough to tell you what he needs to tell you and answer any questions, then he is gone.
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As of today I have had 2 appointments and my first impression of Dr. Samuel was a very sweet and concerned man. the whole team has been great so far. He has a very good bedside manner and is willing to spend time with you to go over any questions you have. rnrnSo far I the only thing I have found is that the nutritionist has a dry sense of humor and is very serious but other than that I find them all very caring and very interested in me and they all act as if I'm their only patient when they are with me. They have been upfront about the risks of the surgery but have also given specifics around any serious problems that have occured in the last four years, making me feel very comfortable.
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My first impression of Dr. Samuel was that he is efficient, business like, kind. We met him in a group (the three of us were presurgical candidates) and he told us of the medical part of the gastric bypass program.rn Over time I felt my impression of him was thorough but succinct. rn The office staff was great. The bariatric team we met of the dietitian, nurse, physician's assistant, resident, physician, and nurse's aides were terrific. There was a great sense of unity and an extremely supportive and encouraging effort among the staff for the patient. rn What I least liked about Dr. Samuel is that in follow up visits he often wouldn't even sit down to talk to me, but stand just inside the doorway to talk briefly. I felt he could have had some postop questions to ask me but he just asked me if I had any questions and asked me very few and very brief questions.rn Future patients should know that he is an experienced surgeon (over 500 gastric bypasses) and has a much better than average low incidence of complications. They beat the national average by a lot. Go to their web site to see.rn There is a lot of emphasis on aftercare. I had a 10 day checkup, a one month checkup and will have a 3 month, 6 month, one year and yearly after that checkups along with lab work, bone density testing yearly, etc. There is also a monthly support group let by the bariatric team's nurse that is well attended and well worth it. They all welcome any questions we have per phone or email and are prompt and very helpful in responding.rn Dr. Samuel told us the risks of surgery, and his complications rates of various possible complications, and how to reduce your risk of complications.rn I would rate him as an excellent surgeon, though, as are many surgeons, a little lacking in the personal touch (bedside manner).rn Surgical competence trumps bedside manner in my book but both are great.
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Dr. Samuel and his staff are really marvelous. They are honest and realistic which I think is the most important thing with this kind of surgery. They stress that the surgery is ONLY A TOOL and not a miracle cure. Without diligent adherence to their program, your weight loss will be less effective. I don't always follow their plan, and have learned the hard way that their plan is best. Their response has been tremendously fast when I have called with questions. Amy, the nutritionist is such a kind person and so very supportive. I just can't say enough about them.
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My surgery was done on April 23rd at the University of Iowa Hospital. I actually was lucky to be operated on by all three of their Bariatric Surgeons. Kudos to Dr. Samuels, Dr. Maher, and Dr. Dourtey! These gentlemen saved my life, not once, but twice due to complications. They were just great. The whole experience was great, Well, you know what I mean.