Lyudmila S. Pupkova Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I can't say enough about Dr. Pupkova. She is a real sweetheart. You won't find a surgeon with better credentials.
Dr. Pupkova responds to questions immediately, because she has real concern for her patients well being.
She will address your concerns as well as risks head-on.
She treats you as part of her team and to win it takes team work.
You won't go wrong by visiting Dr. Popkova.

After the new patient orientation we were able to set up an initial consult. I went to the first table, unaware that I was making an appointment with a specific member of the team. When I was told my appointment would be with Dr. Pupkova, I was psyched! The orientation includes a patient testimonal segment and Dr. Pupkova was given high praise. It seems one of these patients had a complication, called the office and was told to go to Morristown Memorial immediately. Although Dr. Pupkova was not his surgeon, she met him at the ER, diagnosed his problem and took care of it very quickly. He couldn't say enough good things about her, either as a doctor or as a person.

When I met with her I was struck by her kindness and compassion. She was very attentive and explained everything thoroughly. She was very down-to-earth and seemed to view us (she and I) as a team, taking this journey together rather assuming the "surgeon as God" position that I have experienced before with other surgeons. She seems emotionally invested as well, telling me that she would do everything in her power to ensure that I would get through this with flying colors.

At the end of the consult, she hugged me and said,"I will take care of you." I got the sense that this is not just a career for her but rather her passion. She is aware that she is a gifted surgeon and can change people's lives for the better and takes this very seriously.

She also is quick to smile, has a twinkle in her eye and some great boots!

The first time that I met Dr. Pupkova I was very impressed with her and I felt that was a very kind person. After my examination we talked and before I left she gave me a hug and wished me good luck like she had known me all of my life. I don't know any doctors that treat you as if you are part of the family and really care about you and your feelings not even ones that I've known for years, but she does. No, my impression of her never changed. Her office in Morristown is medium sized and she has two other parteners there, when I was there I felt comfortable. I would like people to know that she talks to you like a person not someone who she is going to operate on. She is straight forward about the things that you need to do to maintane your health after the surgery and what you are expected to do. She explained all of the risks of the surgery to me and asked if I had any questions or if there was anything that I didn't understand. Overall I think that she is a 10 plus, plus. Her surgical competence and bedsid manner are both great.

+She seemed very quiet, and yet intense.
+My impression didn't need to change about her, I was impressed by her mannerism and true concern.
+Her office staff is warm and caring.
+No dislikes
+That she is a warm and caring as well as a highly educated physician.
+After care is absolutely emphasized
+Yes and so does Morristown Memorial
+I had done a lot of research and not only did she cover the things I already Knew from my research but she reinforced them as well as going over things I overlooked.
+ on a scale of 1-10 she is a 100
+ both her surgical competence and bedside manner as well as her office mannerism are beyond words. I don't like office visits but I look forward to hers.

thank you for letting me share my thoughts about such a wonderful human being and physicisn.

WHEN YOU FIRST MEET THIS SWWET WOMAN, YOU SAY TO YOURSELF..YOU CANT UNDERSTAND HER BECAUSE OF HER LANGUAGE..BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE!!!! SHE IS WONDERFUL..VERY KIND,PATIENT..SHE EXPLAINS THE PROCEDURE STEP BY STEP!!! THE OFFICE STAFF IS GOOD.. CI-CI, RECEPTIONIST. CI CI HELPED ME SO MUCH WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY WHO TRIED TO DENY ME THE 2ND TIME..DR. PUPKOVA ALSO HELPED MY SISTER WHO HAD THE SURGERY 2 YRS AGO WITH DR. BERTHA..SHE HAD A HERNIA AND DR. P FIXED IT..MY SISTER SAID SHE HAS A WONDERFUL BEDSIDE MANOR AND THAT IS IMPORTANT!!

7/25/05 THRU 7/27/05 - DURING MY SURGERY ON THIS DATE.. HER BEDSIDE MANOR IS WONDERFUL...SHE COMES TO SEE YOU AND YOOU CAN SEE THAT SHE IS CONCERNED AND IT IS GENUINE, NOT JUST ANOTHER PAYCHECK FOR HER. I AM SO GLAD THAT I CHOOSE HER...GIVE HER A TRY AND SEE THAT SHE IS A EXCELLENT DOCTOR!!!

My first impression of Dr. Pupkova was very postive.




The staff has been professional, though it is clear they are extremely busy.

Now that I have been through surgery I can add that I am very pleased with my decision to have Dr. Pupkova perform my surgery. She is warm, compassionate, and has a comforting bedside manner. On the day of my release she was held up elsewhere. Dr. Abkin came in to release me, he too was very kind. Later in the day Dr Pupkova called me to apologize for being held up and to see how I was doing.

Well very interesting about my surgeon choice really. I started out with Dr. Mehta in New Brunswick - had a consultation and really liked him. His office started my insurance paperwork and I took care of all of the necessary pre-stuff they want you to do before you get approval. Consultation was 4/14 - and I heard back from the office on 4/19 saying I needed a further 6 month supervised diet. That threw me back a bit since I had already had one in my records. It just so happened that I was at an appointment with my PCP for a letter of consent when I had received this call so we worked on starting this necessary diet. Well to make sure my PCP was getting the notes correct for the insurance, his office called my provider to verify what they were looking for with this diet. Turns out I never needed one - so that really threw me for a loop. So that night I set out researching another surgeon. This time I started by finding one IN NETWORK with my insurance so it didnt cost me big bucks out of pocket. I came across Dr. Pupkova and really loved what people had to say about her. I called her office Wednesday morning (4/20) and scheduled a consultation for Friday 4/22. On Thursday 4/21, Dr. Mehtas office called me to say I was approved. Now these guys had told me TWO days before that my insurance was requiring a 6 month supervised diet - and two days later I am approved and have a surgery date. Definatly was a little confused - excited of course - but confused. I decided to still go and meet Dr. Pupkova - just to get really a second feel for another surgeon and be sure that I was 100% confident with my initial decision. Well - let me tell ya - Dr. Pupkova is amazing. This consultation was totally different than the one I had with Dr. Mehta. She is such a caring and intelligent person!!! From the moment I met her I knew SHE was the surgeon for me. I had explained my situation - with the other approval and all - and I dont care if I have to wait now - I want her!!! I have to call tomorrow (4/25) to speak with the scheduling person at her office. Originally Dr. Mehta gave me 5/16 - so I am hoping for something around that time. Lets see how that goes......I still have to cancel with Dr. Mehta - and feel totally odd doing so!!! (5/14) I called Dr. Mehtas office about 2 weeks ago and told them I decided to have the surgery somewhere else...of course they asked why and I was totally honest - I said not only where the programs they offer so much more detailed and thorough but even down to blood tests. Mehta only wanted 1 thing tested in my blood - some Hglori ting or something like that. Dr. Pupkova had a list a mile long of all of my vitamin levels and such - just so much more to check. That point alone made me feel so much more comfortable with the new guys. Not to mention they work hand in hand with this nutritionists office - so its almost like only going to one place. I am sooo happy with my decision - and now only have Sunday to get through and then my surgery is Monday at 10:30!

She is kind and caring. I felt comfortable with her competence and skill. She is not talkative, but she carefully answers all questions. The office staff are busy and it can be difficult to get through. They are courteous while on the phone, and do pass on messages. Aftercare is very important and they schedule all appt for the next three months before you have surgery. The office also has support groups each month which are very helpful.

I met with Dr Pupkova on 4/7/05 She examined me and asked why i wanted this surgery and which one did i prefer to have. She explained the procedure and emphasized after care and change of lifestyle forever. She went over my medical questionarre w/me page by page. Overall i give her a 8 out of 10. Our first meeting was a little rushed b/c of the amount of folks waiting to see her, but I still felt that she went over the vital info

She was very informative and seemed to want everything right before the surgery would take place. She did not seem like the type that would operate just for the sake of operating to make money.

Her charactter did not change and she appeared warm and caring.

Her office staff were great. Theyr worked hard for me to prepare for the surgery and they didn't seem like they would take any crap from anyone who would try to get in my way.

Nothing came off as negative with Pupkova. I feel sorry for how busy I expect her to be within the next 5 years.

Know that she is very knowledgeable about her field and appears very competent.

She highly stresses the importance of aftercare.

She has a very supportive aftercare network. She presents you with many options of where to get help. I have called the office already post op to get help with the information that I was given and they were very prompt.

She made me aware of the risks and complications of the surgery. I think that was easy on her part, just tell the truth. Risks are low and complications can be made even lower if the patient does what they are suppose to do on their part.

During the preperation of the surgery Pupkova has been great. I will see how I am 6 months post op before I give a full rating.

You most definitively need both, surgical competence and bed side manner. You could have great surgical competence, but if your bedside manner is crappy you are not going to make your patient feel confident and safe at all.