Michael Melkonian Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I met Dr. Melkonian after a WLS seminar at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte and to be honest I did not know when I went there that he was going to be my surgeon or who was going to be my surgeon for than matter. After the seminar, I went up and spoke to Dr. and told him that my cardiologist said hi (apparently they went to school together) and after that..conversation ensued and I had a surgeon. I like him right off the bat, he is very straight forward and does not beat around the bush. The office staff has been great too. Only one oops so far and that was that my insurance packet got faxed to the wrong number, but when they got the correct number, Nita ended up faxing it like 5 times because something was wrong with the fax line and she was getting a message that it was not going through, when in fact it was... The insurance called and said alright already...stop faxing us we have 5 copies. Nita said good then have enough to give everyone in the office a copy. (Love her since of humor)

Aftercare is very important to Dr. M...he makes it VERY clear up front that WLS is a tool and without you using it correctly you will fail. He tells you all the risks of surgery and does not sugar coat anything.

I will answer the rest of the questions after my surgery.

I first had seen Dr. Melkonian at the Surgical Options Seminar and thought he sounded very knowledgable on the surgery.
At the intital appointment he was very friendly, courteous, and took the time to go over the surgery in detail and asked all my questions.He went over the risk, possible complications and that this was a tool and what my part of the surgery would be to make sure it was a success. He never made me feel like he was in a hurry, but took all the time needed. Nita his nurse was just as wonderful as I had heard she was. I will have have required sessions completed June 3, and when she received reports she will prepare paperwork to send into insurance for approval.I would rate him a 9 overall. I was very pleased with initial visit.

Dr M is the best. He explains everything you will go thru and exactly what he will be doing during the surgery. He is very interested in all your feelings and questions. After your surgery, he wants yo know all the things you've experienced. What side effects you've had etc.
My first impression was that he talks to fast, or rushed thru the visit. But it is just his way of speaking.
I recommend him for everyone.

When I first met Dr. Melkonian I was very impressed. He makes you feel welcome and free to ask any questions. As he talked I could see he was very professional and knew his stuff about the RNY surgery. The staff was all very nice. There was a young girl that checked me in and she was a sweetie, and his nurse, Nita was just so welcoming and warm. Dr. Melkonian expressed that I did well in writing questions down and being prepared. He likes that. I don't think he has the time or patience for people coming in unprepared. He also expressed how this surgery was a tool, but not a cure. That the aftercare was all up to you. In a overall rating 1-10, I give Dr. Melkonian a 10++. I think he has both the surgical competence and the bedside manner and would recommend him to others as well.

He was very professional and knowledgeable, he answered every question I had. He talked a great deal about the benefits and risk. I told him that I had attempted this in 2003 with another doctor but my insurance at the time turned me down several times,and that I had done a great deal of research and knew this was what I wanted to do. His practice requires a 2 week sugar-free fast,something that my other doctor didn't require,but it has been o.k. I've lost 15 pounds. Overall I would rate him excellent.

Dr. Melkonian is very pleasant. Gets straight to buisness, but on several occassion managed to make him laugh and slow down his pace. I am completely satisfied and will add more once surgery is complete.

I saw Dr. Michael Melkonian yesterday 2-15-05. He is a very nice looking man. He's very straight forward with all information he shares. He tells you exactly what is going to happen, shares pictures with you about the surgery and the details of risks/complications to the benefits.

He says 90% of all surgeries like this are successful and the 10% that aren't are due to patients not doing their part. So he expects alot from his patients.

He's very confidenant about his job and his ability. He has had very few problems with patients having complications or problems. He is not a touchy/feely person, but you can tell her does care a great deal about his patients.

Dr. Melkonian is a very nice surgeon. He explained everything to me in full detail, including risks and benefits. I would warn patients that he talks very fast and you should have a list of questions that you want answered. His office staff is wonderful. The front desk receptionist and all of the nurses treat each patient with kindness and respect. I would definately recommend Dr. Melkonian to any person who wishes to have weight loss surgery.

All I have to say is WOW! This Doctor has a remarkable way of sticking the straights to you. Dr. Melkonian goes over everything with you inside & out. And the moment I shook his hand I just knew this was the man that was going to be the one to change my life forever! I was impressed by the reviews off of the site to see him, and I will tell you what, All of the great reviews mentioned about Dr. Melkonian was no lie. He is wonderful! No baby pats or pity parties here, he tells you how it is, and the benefits of the surgery. And he was very strong & proud of his statistics, and I could tell he was planning on keeping it like that. Nita is such a sweetheart. She is soft spoken and so willing to do anything in her power to help you and will let you know to call her anytime a question pops up. She is so, so sweet. Always smiling with a look like you would get nowhere else! Makes you feel cared about while you are talking to her. However,
The little red haired girl at the front of the Matthews Office was snooty somewhat. She was the type to always try to correct everything you did. She was the kind that tried to call you out in front of people. I didn't like that a bit. But it did not discourage me at all. She is not the one I was there to see, I just smiled at her and took her on...:)
I was in his office for an hour. He will sit and talk with you until you are comfortable enough to say good bye. He will not end the consultation until all your questions are answered and I liked that too. When you make your appointment with him, they will send you a packet to fill out and a checklist to check off, as long as you have all the checklist complete they can send your information off to insurance. They were very pleased I had everything they needed. So that will definately help speed the process up. On average 1 to 10 he would be a 10 +. Good luck everyone who considers Dr. Melkonian. You would be making a very smart & wise choice!

My first impression of Dr. Melkonian was great. He was very professional and spoke in layperson's terms without a lot of medical jargon. He is very knowledgeable and I highly recommend him to anyone considering WLS.