Banner Estrella Medical Center Hospital

Dr. Podkameni was great the first time I met him.
The Staff a Banner Gateway are the best. I had went to another weight loss center and decided to go with Banner Gateway so glad I did. They seem to always be on top of things. Iileen sent in my paperwork to insurance and it was approved in 2 days.
They did all the work for me as far as insurance goes.
Dr Podkameni wants all his patients to go to the support meetings 2X a month. He goes over all the risks to the surgeries and decides which one is best for each patient. I would give him a 10 for his overall.
He came in to see me before surgery to go over everything with me, one last time before I went in to surgery too make sure I was ready. This is my personal impression and If anything changes I will update. But for now I love the whole experiance I had with Banner Gateway.

I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery March 30, 2010 by Dr. Podkameni. I have to say that Dr. P is a guy that actually cares about his patients. So many times I have seen Dr's that you can tell the only thing they care about is their bmw payments. Not Dr P though, he spent a ton of time with me. I had to have a little extra time to recoup but he was there for me. I dont think i would of been as well taken care of with other surgeons. I dont regret my decision in picking Dr. P one bit, and will praise his name when ever possible. Dr P is a cool cat, and a great surgeon.

Dr. P is a terrific surgen. I had some unplanned complications and he was great about explaining the issues and making me feel comfortable with the issues at hand. He was great about explaining what needed to be done and why. When the second surgery was over he was great about explaining what was done. 6 months after my RNY I ended up having hernia repair surgery which he also did. I would recommend him anyday.

I met Dr. P. when I went to the informational session at Banner Gateway Medical Center last month. I was impressed with the way he handled the audience and their questions. He was very patient and gave great explanations. As a nurse, I have had a lot of experience with surgeons and he did not have the arrogance that I often see associated with them.rnrnI had my first office with Dr. P. on Feb. 11. He asked pertinent questions, reviewed my medical history and patiently answered my questions. He asked me what type of surgery I thought I needed and he concurred that the Roux en Y was the one. He spent a lot of time reviewing the surgery, aftercare and risks. rnrnI will meet with him, as well as the anesthesiologist, two weeks prior to surgery. At that time, I will go on a clear liquid diet, no caffiene or sugar,with 4 protein shakes a day. rnrnThe Bariatric Center offers a pre and post-op diet package that includes all the required supplements that will be needed for purchase. I am seriously considering getting that to reduce the stress of thinking about getting it together.rnrnHis office is at the Banner Gateway Bariatric Center. Due to recent budget cuts, they have two staff members, a RN and dietician, who handle everything from office visits to working with the insurance companies to get authorization. I must say while I was greatly prepared when I went in, my authorization process went very smoothly. I saw him on Nov. 11 and was approved on Nov. 18. rnrnNow I am just waiting to get my surgery date from the hospital surgery scheduler. Yeah!

Dr. Chen did the information session I attended and I was impressed by his demeanor. He seemed very calm and knowledgeable. When I met him in his office he was patient and answered all my questions. I didn't feel rushed and he acted as if my questions were appreciated and welll thought out. The office staff seems very nice, but I get the feeling they don't communicate amongst themselves very well. I have been going through all the pre-op tests and am waiting for all the paperwork to be completed so that I can get a surgery date. I've had everything completed, including insurance authorization, but keep getting told everything is still not at the office, so I have to keep waiting! There is a good structure in place for pre and post care; it's just the lack of communication from the office staff that gives me some concern. I don't know enough yet about Dr. Chen to give an opinion, but I felt comfortable about the way he presented the information during the info session and when we had our first appointment. I think both surgical competence and bedside manner are very important to me. I definitely want a great surgeon, but because I'm sensitve, I need to have good bedside manner or I feel like something is wrong.

I will be seeing him for the first time on December 19th. I had to deal with his office staff all day yesterday and the were very nicernand informative. I was a emotional mess since I had just been approved for my surgery and find out 5 minutes later that my Dr. can not do it because he is leaving Banner- my insurance.rnHis office stresses after care as being the reason for the sucess of weight loss.rnI finally met Dr. Podkameni and was very impressed wth him. He is very knowledgablernand took his time with my husband and I. He explained how my safety is important to him.rnHis office staff is great. He is the Medical Director of Bnner Gateway Briatric Cnter. Theyrnhave on site Nurses, Dietiian, Pyschologst...rnand offer support groups on each every month.rnThey also have a exercise therapist who I mt on Monday Jan 14th. rnI had attended another info seminar last yearrnby a different Doctor which was not a informative as his was. I haven't had te surery yet, but so far I would give him and his tam a 10.rnrn

I had my surgery two weeks ago with Dr Podkameni. I read alot about the surgery and had a few questions for him which he answered just as I hoped. Aftercare is very important with him and I found that he is very easy to talk with. The Office Nurse Debbie is very well informed and personal. Eileen is also a big help with scheduling. It seems they are a new group that is growing and settling into their new hospital. I have found it a good experience. I do recommend Dr Podkameni to others.