Michael Melkonian Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I first thought Dr. Melkonian was mean because he didnt tell me what I wanted to hear, and he was very straight foward and a bit too honest.rnrnAfter I got over the initial shock of the first doctors visit, I came to realize that he was right and decided tthat i needed to make some changes, and I also started notcing some behaviors that I had that I never noticed before.rnrnThe office staff is very nice, friendly and helpful.rnrnFuture patients should know that Dr. Melkonian is a great surgeon but he is very straightfoward and he isnt going to hold your hand though the procesess. You have to do the leg work and help yourself.rnrnHe encourages you to sget into a support group, see the nutritionist, and get counsling if needed.rnrnMy doctor went into great detail about the risks involved and he also went over all the other types of surgery.rnrnI would give him a 10rnrnIs surdical competence is great but his bedside manner stinks.

I haven't meet Dr. Melkonian yet. I have a freind that was a patient of Dr. Melkonian a couple years back. He has told me many great things about Dr. Melkonian. I am going to meet him for the first time Dec 5th at my pre-op appointment.

Dr. Melkonian was a absolute joy. Very informative, patient and answered all questions and erased my concerns. Highly recommended!!!

Dr. Melkonian did a great job. He took good care of me. He came in after the surgery everyday to check on me. He answered all of my questions, even the crazy ones. rnrnI am glad that I chose him to do the surgery. I have already told others about him and a few of them have already called his office to set up an appointment.

It takes a few months to get to actually see Dr. Melkonian but when I met him, I found him to be very warm and caring. My family felt very comfortable with him post op as he answered their questions. His nurse practitioner, Patty is awesome. Carrie was very good when i could finally reach her but my experience with others in the front office was not as good. I am not sure if it was a backlog from the holidays but some of them were downright rude. Would i chose him again, for sure!!!

I met Dr Melkonian at a seminar at Presbyterian Hospital. He was very friendly and informative. He seems to have a very caring demeanor. I have not seen him since, I am scheduled to meet him next week. However, I have been talking with his staff constantly. Carrie & Michelle are wonderful to deal with.

Dr. Melkonian was a very kind and informative person. He stopped by daily in the hospital to provide info and updates. I was blessed in finding him, and I have come through the surgery with no problems. I feel good and am on my way to a more healthy life, thanks to him. I did have some issues with one person on his staff, she would be extremely short tempered when caontacted for questions. They need to remember that this is a drastic change for us, and there will always be questions. Overall my experience was great.

I had my pre-op visit with Dr. Melkonian last week. The only negative thing I have to say about this office is that you have to go completely through the process to actually see Dr. Melkonian. You see the Nurse Pract. on the first visit. It was like waiting to see the Wizard of Oz. When I asked him about it, he said that it's because so many people just want to find out about it or change their minds early on and this deters some of that. I do have to say it was definitely worth the wait. rnrnDr. Melkonian was very warm and friendly. He took a lot of time to talk with me and answer any questions that I had. I feel so much more comfortable after talking with him. My surgery is scheduled for 12/20/07 and I don't think that I could be in better hands. I would rate him as an A+. You just have to be patient to actually get to him.

Dr. Borhanian...Even thought my original appointment was for something other than gastric bypass surgery, we did briefly talk about it. I really liked him. He has a great bedside manor. He did briefly discuss the bypass surgery. The staff was friendly and especially his nurse, she was very friendly. Unfortunately, he is not on my list of surgeons for my insurance carrier.rnrnDr Melkonian...I hope to be meeting him within the next several weeks. I've already seen my PCP, so this is the next step.rnrnUpdate: I actually met with the Dr Melkonian's nurse last September 2006. I finally get to meet the surgeon today 11/15/07.

Dr. Melkonian is a very friendly and fun guy. He's very clear in details about the surgery and statistics, yet reassuring. I was very well informed, but the few questions that I asked, he quickly answered. rnrnMy surgery took less than 90 minutes, maybe even less than an hour, as I woke up in recovery 75 minutes post-op.rnrnHe was great post-op the next morning. My surgery, he said, was uneventful. I was up and walking around the same day with little difficulty. He said he only ever sent 2 patients home the next day, as he seemed surprised how well I was doing. I took that decision off of him by letting him know that I did not mind being there one more day.rnrnHi office staff seems nice, but not very informed on what is going on with their patients. Poor communication? Too many patients? I really don't know what the problem was, but it is important for you to be proactive and consistent when dealing with the staff.rnrnThere was a structured aftercare program, as the Bariatric Center at Presby has a coordination of services for bariatric patients. While in the hospital, I met with a socal worker from the bariatric center, the doctor, and the nutritionist.rnrnOverall, I rate Dr. Melkonian as EXCELLENT. He is competent and knowledgeable with a friendly bedside manner.