Richard Fermelia Bariatric Surgeon MD, FACS

My first impression of Dr. Fermelia was that he was a very serious person. As I got to know him, he warmed up and seemed more approachable.
His office staff is amazing. Everyone there is very friendly and helpful.
Dr. Fermelia and his staff are very available for aftercare questions and problems. They are prompt in answering questions or concerns I have had.
He is very upfront about possible complications and the outcome of the surgery.
I had a major, but rare, complication. He was fantastic in tending to me quickly and was able to keep my surgery laproscopic even though a second surgery was necessary.
I think the question for a surgeon isn't how many surgeries he/she's done, it's how do they handle complications and emergencies.
Also, my mom was with me for this surgery. They took great care of her my whole stay in the hospital. They treated her with courtesy and consideration.

Dr Fermelia is brilliant. He is down to earth and straight forward with the facts and risks. My 1st impression was good, he was confident. Office staff for Lifestyle Management is excellent, everyone is warm, friendly and so kind! Dr Fermelia has you sign a contract for your aftercare, he seems very concerned about all of his patients. The aftercare program is structured, lots of appts. for blood work etc. to keep you healthy! I would give him the highest rating! His surgical competence is phenomenal, bedside manner is great.

He does general surgery as well as weight loss, so was late for the appointment and apologized. He was clear and to the point and emphasized the importance of patient compliance with aftercare by having me sign a contract. His staff was very friendly. Leigh, I believe she is the office manager, was outstanding. She even worked on my letter of medical necessity at home when she was recovering from surgery helself. The NP and nutrition ladies were young and appeared somewhat less informed about lap band than gastric bypass. All in all I am very happy to be having this surgery done so close to home by kind, caring people.

Dr. Fermelia and his partners Dr. Parnell and Dr. Pullos all work together on all their bariatric surgeries so if you have question and one doctor is not available, there is always backup. The staff at the Weight Loss clinic at United Medical center are very caring and friendly. The doctors and very knowledgeable and focused on aftercare and are willing to commit themselves to you for the rest of their lives and ask that you do the same. They require follow up care at least once a year for the rest of your life after the first year. In the first year, you must follow up every month. They have monthly seminars and travel to other towns to reach a greater population of people to educate the public about obesity and it's treatments. I have every confidence in them and that I have chosen the right surgeon to help me save my life. I haven't been in the operating room yet, but I will update more on the Dr performance after surgery, but I have no doubt it will go smoothly.
Surgery did go smoothly, Dr. Fermelia has good surgical skills. but is lacking in bedside manor. His attitude toward me changed completely after surgery, but that is all I will say for liability reasons. I heard he had a bad day, who knows, but this was just my personal experience.

Pullos,Take (Cheyenne, WY) will be the lead surgeon should I have to have the "open" procedure.
Both seem to be very knowledgable of the process & risks factors and 200% believers in the surgery to address obesity for long term success. The staff is extremely supportive from the very start... you feel you have gain family members! I would like to have more meetings with the Doctors prior to surgery, but I am still 6 weeks out. That Dr. Fermilia is a Lap Specialist. and Dr. Pullos has been in practice over 20 years. They both have done between 10-15 "open" gastric by-passes since April'04 without difficulty.
They emphasize aftercare in order for patients to be successful,in fact it is not an option. They have an elaborate pre & post program set up for patients that guides us in hand with their structured staff support. There are binders that are given to the patients at the support classes that outlines our entire process including risk. Then the doctors and nurses individually reviews any further concerns we have regarding risks in order to prepare us. This is also why the support groups are mandatory. I am waiting for my surgery stay before I give an overall rating.