Peter Crookes Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

I first had a surgery date for March 28, 2003 with Dr. Gary Anthone. Things was'nt really going my way. March 28 went by and then months went by. I did a lot of calling and checking on my status for surgery. Finally everything was done with the tests and insurance and all. I finally got a call from Michelle and she is as sweet as pie. She called me in the month of August and gave me my final surgery day for November 17, 2003. I will now be under Dr. Crookes care. When I first met Dr. Crookes it was the day of my surgery and all I can say about him is that he was great. I was really nervous and scared but Dr. Crookes and his team was so warm and made me feel like I had no worries and everything will be okay. And it was. After surgery Dr.Crookes and his team came to my room every morning to check on me and made sure everything was ok. They really made my days at the hospital comfortable. Overall Dr. Crookes is a wonderful person and a wonderful surgeon, I couldnt of ask for anyone else other than Dr. Crookes. He is a really good man.

Consultaion Completed:11/18/03

Dr.Crookes and his staff show to me to be skilled individuals.My personal impression.I was treated with respect,and had all my questions answered promptly.

I have seen Dr Gary Anthone who is leaving California Sept/03. So I talked to Dr Katkhouda who does surgery lap and I'm not a candidate, but really really liked him and would have gone with him!
I will be using Dr Crookes.
Just had consult with Dr Crookes and liked him, now just have to wait for insurance to approve.

I first met Dr. Crookes about an hour before surgery. I had beeen scheduled w/ Dr. Antoine but since he was leaving, I was switched to Dr. Crookes. Even injust the short time we talked Dr. Crookes made me feel very reassured. Hes a wonderful kind man w/ a reassuring touch. He was genuinely concerned w/ how you are feeling both physically and emotionally. A wonderful man and physician. Ohhhh and very neat w/ his stiching abilities...Looking good
Thank-you ever so much Dr. Crookes


Of course i did come home w/ little information on what to eat or how to contact him if im not feeling well. Guess we all over looked it in my rush to get home.

Dr. Peter Crookes is probably the finest doctor in the country. I was totally impressed with his compassion, professionalism, knowledge, and forth-coming manner. He fully understands the kind of trust it takes to allow him to literally put a patient's life on the line on the basis of a few moments of conversation and a handshake. In fact, he never forgets that. Our first encounter was a lengthy one. He and Maria spent over an hour discussing the surgery with me. He explained the procedure fully and made sure I understood all of the ramifications. He was particularly careful about explaining to me why I had the weight problem I did and that it wasn't my fault. On the morning of surgery, he made sure to meet with me and be sure I was fully prepared before he opened me up. He was consistently wonderful. <P><br>
Maria, of Dr. Crookes' staff is amazing. Maria is the kindest, most amazing woman I know. Her dedication and compassion are beyond compare. Her assistance with my pre-and post op care were invaluable. <p><br>
If you are seeking a surgeon who goes the extra mile, you are sure to find it in Dr. Crookes. I have been able to email him with post op questions for 7 months and he is quick to respond to any and all of my requests. Truly, he is an angel and I am glad I was lucky enough to be his patient.

I met with Dr. Crookes in Dec. 2002. I liked hom from the moment we first started talking, he very easy to talk to and very direct with his answers. I also met Maria whom I also like very much she has been very informative and has always repsonded anytime I have emailed her with any questions. I'm glad Dr. Crookes will be my surgeon.

I just met Dr. Crookes on April 2. He is marvelous!!!!! I am super comfortable with him and love his frank and direct manner. I have not had much interaction with his staff, but the interaction I have had has been ok. I am thoroughly impressed with Veronica and Maria. They have done their best to accomodate me. I know that their workload is amazing and appreciate the help that they have been able to give me this far. I look forward to continuing to work with them all and will update you on my progress as I go along.

If I could give any advise . . . BE PATIENT! I truly did not understand how busy they were until I attended the seminar(which was FABULOUS!!!). Believe me, I wish I could call them everyday but I realize that I can't.

Dr. Crookes is a very nice man. He is direct and to the point. He treats you like another human being and not like a slug. I just happened to be in the hospital cafeteria today and observed something about him and others around him. He had a smile the whole time while getting his coffee. As he was wandering around looking for a place to sit, people kept coming up and talking to him. They seemed to be genuinely pleased to see him and talk to him. When I left he was sitting at a table with 3 women just chatting away. Maria, his office scheduler, is extremely overworked. She does answer her emails more often than her messages, so if you want to talk to her, email her at [email protected]. All other email names you may have are wrong and she won't answer them. Veronica is his office person and you just couldn't get much ruder than her. I don't care how overworked you are, you don't work in patient care if you have a daily attitude. All in all, I am very pleased that Dr. Crookes is my physician.

When I first met Dr. Crookes I felt that he was a doctor who truly respects his patients and has the patience to explain anything that is not completely understood.

Maria has kept me pretty well informed, set up all of my pre-op appointments, and sent the information to my insurance for approval. She does her job well and has saved me a lot of time and trouble. The receptionist Veronica however has treated me with disrespect and outright rudeness when I have tried calling the office for specific and valid reasons on more than one occasion.

The thing that I liked least about his office was that getting an appointment with him took several months, and they only perform a few procedures a month for people with my particular insurance.

Dr. Crookes addressed the risks of the surgery very well. In fact, before you can even begin the pre-approval process, his office requires you to go to a seminar, which discusses many aspects of the surgery.

Overall, I would rate Dr. Crookes very high. He is one of the few doctors I have been to (including other bariatric surgeons)
who treated me as a capable, intelligent human being, rather than a lazy, weak-willed person who should just be able to lose weight.

August 6, 2002

My first impression of Dr. Peter Crookes was a great one. Although I thought he would be cold and callous as most doctors are with obese patients. He was great though. He gave me hope. I left feeling confident and well informed about the procedure at hand. We set up pre-op for July 9,10, and 11. I've completed this process and am no waiting for the next phase. It is now August and I still have not heard anything. I am very impatient and call every week to leave messages to the coordinating specialist. No luck yet. I am a little frustrated with the waiting but I guess everyone has to endure it.


SEPTEMBER 26, 2002

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS HE IS NOT ONLY A FANTASTIC SURGEON BUT AN EXCELLENT PERSON. HE ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT YOU AS A PERSON AND GIVES IT TO YOU STRAIGHT WITHOUT THE RUDE OR INSENSITIVE REMARKS. HE TALKED ME THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDURE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT WAS DONE. HE EXPLAINED THE BENEFITS AS WELL AS THE RISKS THOROUGHLY. HE CAME AND CHECKED ON ME TWICE A DAY WHILE IN ICU AND ONCE A DAY WHEN I WAS TRANSFERRED OF ICU. OTHER DR.S ALSO CHECKED ON ME REPEATEDLY. I THINK IF YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING SURGERY YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER DR. PETER CROOKES. I HAVE HAD MANY SURGERIES (OF DIFFERENT NATURES) AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THIS MAN MAKES YOU FEEL WONDERFUL AND INSPIRED. HE IS A KIND HEARTED SINCERE MAN AND MY FAMILY LOVES HIM! AND IT HELPS THAT HE HAS A CUTE AND FUNNY IRISH ACCENT. OVERALL HE IS A GREAT GUY. IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT. HE ALSO DID A GREAT JOB ON MY INCISION. MOST DOCTORS WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO MAKE IT LOOK NICE, WELL AS NICE AS IT CAN GET, BUT HE DID. I HAVE A VERY THIN LINE DOWN MY STOMACH. NOTHING MORE! AS YOU CAN TELL I AM EXCITED AND THRILLED WITH HIM! HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE TOO!!!