Community Medical Center - RWJBarnabas Health Hospital

At the age of 38, I tipped the scales at 300 pounds. I tried so many programs, and while I had some success, I always found myself gaining the weight back, and simultaneously losing a little more of my own self esteem each time. I made the decision to have gastric bypass surgery, and heard about the Bariatric Sugery folks at Monmouth Medical in a newspaper article...

Two years after surgery, there is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful to Dr. Steven Binenbaum for saving my life. While his bedside manner may not be the best, he is absolutely a brilliant and gifted surgeon. This is not to suggest that he is rude in any way, he is just not terribly warm and fuzzy. He performed two complicated surgeries on me in the course of 6 months - ventral hernia repair, and then gastric bypass - both done laproscopically. Having had several surgeries in the past related to cancer, the surgeries Dr. Binenbaum performed on me were complicated by all of the scar tissue. He worked hard, and masterfully. He was very informative to my family, letting them know what was happening during the surgical process. I remembering my mother commenting to me that it was clear Dr. Binenbaum knew what he was doing, and really cared about me as a patient.

In the course of 18 months, I lost 130 pounds, and went from a size 24 to a 4. I finally feel like the woman I was meant to be in this world - the woman who was hidden beneath all of that extra weight. As a successful professional in my field, I have always had confidence in my work...now coupled with confidence in my appearance, the sky is the limit for me.

I am so fortunate to have found Dr. Binenbaum - he truly is a gifted surgeon and I would recommend him to anyone considering bariatric surgery. As I previously stated, in my book, he saved my life.

Stefamymom
In May 2010, after going to my family doctor, I decided to take a stand and do something about my weight. Sure, I have taken a stand before but we all know how that works. Went to Weight Watcher’s and picked a meeting that was held on Saturday morning so that I could go to dinner with my friends that evening. After all, I had a week to take off the weight I may have gained at dinner and, hopefully, another pound or two if I worked at it hard enough.
Then I thought I was on the road to finally being thin when, through friends and acquaintances, I contacted a diet doctor. I lost 65 pounds by taking a water pill, appetite suppressant, and medication that would not leave me depressed and a sleep aide. Believed I had found what I had been looking for since high school. But, that was not to be. I had a heart attack in February 2008 and had double by-pass surgery. As soon as I was feeling better, I called the doctor and told him I could come back to start the program again. Needless, to say I was informed that I couldn’t take the medication due to the heart attack.
Over the next 2 years I gained back the 65 pounds plus some. Both my cardiologist and family doctor were concerned about my weight and the effect it would have on my heart. When I brought up the subject of weight loss surgery he informed me that he would approve of lap band surgery as long as the cardiologist was on board with it. I had an appointment with the cardiologist that same week and when he told me to “go for it”, I was ecstatic. The next morning I called the Monmouth Medical Bariatric Surgery Center and made an appointment with Dr. Steven Binenbaum. Went for the initial visit in May 2010 and proceed with all the required tests. On October 19, 2010, Dr. Binenbaum performed the lap band surgery. As of August 22, 2011 I have lost 73 pounds.
The staff, Dr. Binenbaum, Deb Larusso (Program Director), Sam Habiby (Nutritionist), and Dr. David Goldberg (Psychologist) are caring , supportive and knowledgeable. The practice is so well rounded and have a monthly support group meetings at the hospital that have enabled me to meet new bariatric friends and learn how to use my surgery as a “tool”. I would highly recommend Dr. Binenbaum and his staff to anyone considering bariatric surgery.
Thanks to this group of dedicated professionals, following a healthy eating plan by Dr. Binenbaum’s staff and exercising I did a 5K Run/Walk on August 6, 2011. My goal was to finish in less than one hour, my official time was 51:54 and I wasn’t last!!!!!

When I was searching for a doctor to do my Lap-Band Surgery, I was 330 pounds and I visited 2 hospital seminars which was an auditorium full of Fat people looking for away to finally get the weight off. Like the rest of the people in those seminars, I was nervous, hoping that I was making the right decisions and listening carefully to the doctors explaining the procedure and expressing why we should use them. It was horrible; we really could not ask any questions because there were too many people in the room. They were explaining all the possible complications telling us about the effects on blood pressure and diabetes. And then they told us what their mortality rate was. I ran out of that seminar saying this is not for me. The Doctors were talking to us like they were going to install a new transmission in an old car. It was cold and impersonal.

Then as a last resort, someone recommended Dr. Frank Borao. I went to their office where there were about 6 or 8 people. They started to tell us what to expect and what the process would be in order to get the surgery. They were very compassionate and I feel they truly understood how hard it was for us to face what we were going through. Then Dr. Borao told us his mortality rate, it was zero! A big sigh or relieve came over me and I began the process and had my lap-band surgery in April of 2004. I am currently 247 pounds; I didn’t loose as much weight as I hope to. But that is my own fault. It has been seven years now and I still very happy with my entire experience. Whenever I need to call Dr. Borao’s office I know that I will be taken great care of and all my questions and concerns would be answered. I have personally sent people to Dr. Borao and they all have had similar or better results.

I would like to wish anyone reading this review the best of luck and hope that your experience will be as good as mine, and if you choose Dr. Borao I am confident that it will be!!!

Nino Russo
Lincroft, NJ

I had gastric bypass done by Dr. B. on 1.5.10 ..i started out at about 278 and im down to 160. I feel fantastic and have had no issues physically or with food. I eat anything I want in moderation at this point (im a 1 1/2 out) .... I feel he is a great surgeon..im my opinion I could care less about anyone's bedside manner thats going to open me up and perform surgery on me as long as he knows what he is doing and he made me feel confident that he knows his profession very well...he covered everything he was going to do and made sure i understood what was going to happen..He was also ontop of me to quit smoking and made me aware of how important that was...I unfortunately didnt listent to him as i should have and ended up having breathing problems after surgery which was totally my fault but im happy to say that I never went back to smoking after surgery either.... He also kept me in the hospital for an extra day due to a fever which cleared up and i was out of there and went home to recover. I followed up with him twice i think after the surgery and i havent been to see him since only because my pcp takes care of my lab work and am happy to say I have never had any discomfort of any kind. I have never even thrown up once since surgery and I attribute that to his skills and me following the plan they gave. I would send anyone to Dr. B. if they wanted gastric bypass...he gave me a the tool to live a healthier life.

Hi Christine:

Wow, I am very sorry about your experience with Dr. Binenbaum. I can only go by what my experience has been. I did have RNY with him in April 2010. The first meeting with him my husband and I thought he was very to the point, very confident and maybe not as warm and fuzzy as other doctors can be. I trusted him to do the surgery and everything went fine. Developed a fever so was in Monmouth Med. for almost a week. He came in everyday, sometimes with Dr. Borao. He was very reassuring that all was fine and that eased my anxiety. I have had a VERY rough year since then, and have been very involved with Dr. Binenbaum. I developed a stricture shortly after surgery that requied 5 endoscopies...he hooked me up wih the best gastro, Dr. Belitsis. Anyway, last summer was vey rough..eating and drinking were issues, and I obviously dehydrate very fast so I was hospitalized 4 or 5 times..again he was always on top of why this was happening. Saw him for the usual follow-ups, and then my gallbladder went this past Feb....he took it out, all was fine again. I wasn't eating or geting enough fluids in after that so on my post-up visit a week later, he gave me another day or two to see what happened or it was off to the hospital again. He actually gave me his cell phone number to call him and let me know if things were better. Unfortunately they were not so another 3 days in Monmouth. Still having pain the 2 months following that surgery, so working with Dr. Belitsis, they decided that my appendix had to come out! He took that out the begining of this month, all went well. I am still having pain that he or the gastro cannot find the reason for, but it is certainly not from what he has done. My follow up from that surgery he literally sat down in the chair next to me and we had a great conversation on what I should do next..he had no problem if I wanted my records from him, My thoughts are that my issues are not surgery related, more gastro related. Do you wait in that office?...yes..all the time, but I find I wait in any doctors office anymore. He also wants to check on me in 3 months instead of the year, which I feel is cautious and I appreciate it. So all in all, I have gotten to know Dr. Binenbaum very well in the last year. I understand him and I am very comfortable with him. I also think he is an excellent surgeon, or he would not have operated on me 3 times!! I am sorry you felt differently and I hope you are doing well.

In my opinion, this man is horrible. He has NO bedside manner AT ALL. I had the Realize band put in on 5/4/2010. Had my first fill in July. Right off the bat he couldn't find the port to fill the band. Took a few tries, NOT fun but I dealt with it. I followed the program to the letter. Liquids, purees, soft foods. Wasn't getting restriction though and I kept telling him that. Two more fills - both with equal difficulty in finding the port and still no restriction. Dr. Binnenbaum kept insisting I must not be doing something right which is why I was not losing or feeling restriction and that it was basically my fault. He said I must not be eating the right things or I was not exercising. I told him I was doing all the things I was supposed to be.(Seriously - why would I lie? I'm 40 not 14 and it benefits no one to lie!!) The other Dr in the practice, Dr. Borao (whose reputation was the reason I went there but didn't he take my insurance) had trouble finding the port as well so he suggested a fluoroscopy. Low and behold there was a hole in the tubing. So, I had a revision in December. After the revision I have been in constant pain. I have called and complained and called and complained and gotten nowhere. Finally I called and said I wanted it out. I even asked about removing the band and doing the sleeve.

In my final meeting with Dr. Binnenbaum, they gave me the last appointment of the day and then left me waiting in an exam room for an hour. Probably until all the other patients had gone so no one would hear what was going to happen. Dr. Binnenbaum basically told me it was MY fault I had lost no weight and that he didn't know what I expected him to do about it. He said I "don't want to exercise" and I "obviously don't want to follow the program". He also said he would never do the sleeve on me because it would always be "some excuse with you" so why would he bother. I thought that was a wonderful way to speak to a patient. He never acknowledged that the first 6 months I had the band it was not working correctly - that wasn't his fault apparently. Everything that did not "work" was my fault. He also went as far as to tell me the next time I "bash" him or "threaten to sue" him on Obesity Help there would be "trouble". So apparently he looks at what his patients write about him then uses that against them. Again, real professional. This meeting escalated into a screaming match where he just continued to reiterate that it was my "fault" that band had not worked and nothing would work for me because I didn't want to follow the "rules". I finally got up and told him I wanted my records and would find another surgeon. He was fine with that.

Dr. Borao is the ONLY reason to go to this practice. Dr. Binnenbaum has NO bedside manner, is arrogant and totally lacks compassion. He is obviously in this line of work for the money and does not care about the patients. The way he treated me was not only unprofessional and childish but just plain rude. I am sure he will read this review as well, and I really don't care. Surgery does not always work the same for everyone. If the SURGEON can't admit that and admit that sometimes things don't go "by the book" than he should not be dealing with people. At least not people who are awake!!


8/1/2011 - Just an update. After the "revision" of the port in December it hurt constantly as I stated. I found out in July the port had flipped - which should NOT have happened if he had done the revision correctly. It then became infected and had to be drained and now, 3 days after it was drained and I was put on antibiotics for the infection, I can SEE the port as it is popping out of the incision. NICE WORK DR. BINNENBAUM!! I am filing a complaint with the medical board as well.


An another update - my band and port became so infected in late August of 2011 that the port was sticking OUT of my skin. I had to have emergency surgery to have to entire thing removed. Because it was so infected when they removed it I ended up with a blood infection. Five days in the hospital, six months of "wound care" afterward - which entailed stuffing the hole in my abdomen with wet gauze until it filled in and antibiotics for a month. I still have issues with food getting "stuck" even thought the band has been removed. This man did such a horrible job in my opinion and although my surgery was in 2010 I am STILL suffering from what I believe was his lack of compassion. It felt to me like he didn't want to be bothered with a "problem" but would have rather had me go away to protect his reputation.

Dr. Borao is absolutely the most caring and compassionate surgeon. He was wonderful from my first consult through out surgery and post and continues to be fantastic 6 years after my surgery.

Before I even met him I already knew I'd like him because I had heard nothing but good things about him, not just as a surgeon but as a person. I was not disappointed, he was a very sweet and caring man. His office staff is phenominal.

My first impression of Dr. Borao was.. \"what a nice man!\" That is the honest truth. All of the staff in that office is exceptionally nice and they take care of you well!

I had my wls in Sept of '05. I fould Dr. Borao to be extremely intelligent, very professional & a person who inspires confidence. My surgery went very well with little to no pain & a quick recuperation. I believe that this was completely due to the skill & knowledge of my Dr. Now after 2 years I am again a patient of Dr. Borao's . After going to my local hospital with severe abdominal pains & vomiting, they could not find anything wrong with me. They then decided to send me back to MMC & put me in Dr. Borao's care. Luckily for me, he came to my rescue. After looking at all my test results, he knew immeditatlely what was wrong & told me how he was going to fix it. This Dr. inspires trust & confidence & it is well deserved. Without him to care I would not be here today. Thank you Dr. Borao,