El Camino Hospital Hospital
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First consultation scheduled on 4/11/01. Getting the appt. was very easy. I just called and they gave it to me. Anne Timberlake then emailed me with a questionnaire and I filled it out. She also sent me a packet of information that was very useful and informative. I recieved the packet the day after I called. You must attend a group meeting before you have the surgery. I will go to the April meeting because I'm busy on the date they are having it in March. 4/11- Met Dr. Wetter, nice and informative. See profile for more info. My opinion of Dr. Wetter just gets better and better, he is highly respected by his patients and I haven't heard one word against him from all the people I've met in his support groups. He even attended the support group meeting on his own time one month to answer questions for us. That is dedication. 10/17-- Dr. Wetter is perfect. He's a master surgeon and follow up program is great. You can pick him with confidence. Dr. Wetter will be my choice for my own daughter when she is ready for this surgery--and I am a way-over-protective mother!
Dr. Pamela Foster is GREAT! I really enjoyed our visit. She is very pleasant and informative.She loves what she is doing to help people and seems to care a great deal about you personally.
Her staff is very efficient and caring. I had a good experience with my first visit to Dr. Foster and her staff.
I haven't actually met the man yet, but I have heard and read great things. Today I emailed Anne Timberlake his Surgical Coordinator, and she does the initial screening at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center. So I get to wait about 5 days for her to call or e-mail me back about being a candidate for surgery. Keep your fingers crossed.
9-20-01--Well I met Dr.Wetter in August at my intial consult and all I can say is I think he is great. My first impression was that he definately knows his stuff. He came in the room all smiles asked how long we had been married (my hubbie was with me) and make some joke about the "seven year itch". He asked about my diet and medical history, my eating habits, sleep issues, and basically my life in general. He explained the whole proceedure to me, what to expect, complications that may arise, how much weight I could expect to lose. He stessed that it is basically up to the patient to make this work and that you must follow all of his instructions and not try to "doctor" yourself. His office staff was great I like everyone I came in contact with. I can't say that there is really anything I don't like about him. He stressed that after care is a must and that joining a support group is extrememly helpful and infact there is one at the hospital he does his surgery at and it is one of his requirements that you attend at least one of these meetings prior to your surgery. As for rating him I give a big 10 in my book. I think he is extremely knowledgable and has a great bedside manner, and both are extremely important to me. The only thing negative I can say is that I was kept waiting for a long time in the waiting room and sometimes he talks to you like you have no clue, but I think that is because he want to make sure you understand everything.
I would recommend Dr. Foster to anyone who is considering this surgery. She was easy to talk to, very informative and made me feel at ease. She took the time to answer my questions, and I never felt rushed. The whole meeting was very pleasant. Trina, her assistant, and Lorna, the patient coordinator, were just as friendly and nice as Dr. Foster. Trina took my blood pressure and took a "before" photo (ugh!, not my favorite part), but I tried to smile through it. Dr. Foster told me that an aftercare program was being implemented again at Stanford and she encouraged me to attend. She provided detailed information about the surgery, eating plans, etc. I don't have any reservations about her skills and expertise. She is a very caring and professional person. I believe that Dr. Foster has both surgical competence and a wonderful bedside manner . . . both of which are very important to me.
1. He was a very serious man
2. As I went through the process, with ease, I realized how wonderful he was....
3. Very helpful and encouraging, especially Anne Timberlake and Terry.
4. Nothing
5. It works!
6. Alot
7. Yes
8. Advised me of all I needed to know.
9. 10
10. Both great! !
I think Dr. Foster is great. She spent about an hour with me and my husband, going over my medical history,explaining things, and answering questions. She was very direct but friendly. I feel very comfortable with her. The only thing I don't care for is that I have to loose 10% of my weight before the surgery,in order to be in the best possible shape. The more I think about it though, it's a good idea. Michelle, her nurse is nice, but is very busy. As far as surgical competence vs. bedside manner, I prefer both of them to be great. After this week, I have to tell you, Dr. Foster is fantastic. My surgery was postponed because of an elevated white count. She came in to the clinic today just for me. I was so impressed. She also called me at home and at work when the problem came up, she didn't have her nurse do it. I feel very important.
It took 6 weeks to get an appointment with Dr. Wetter, but it was well worth it. I have heard great things about Dr. Wetter and knew that he was the surgeon I wanted. I immediately felt at ease with Dr. Wetter and was very impressed with his background and experience. I talked with him for about 45 minutes and he answered all my questions. He went into great detail about the surgery and was very upfront about the potential risks of the surgery as well as the amount of weight I was likely to lose. My husband came with me and the doctor made sure to include him in the conversation. Besides being a very skilled surgeon, he has a very extensive after care program including follow-up visits, support group meetings, access to a nutritionist, etc. The staff seems very friendly as well. My only complaint is with the time it took for the doctor's office to write the request for approval letter. Terry said it would take 2-3 weeks, but took 6 weeks instead. However, it was around the Christmas Holiday season and that could have slowed down the process. I am currently waiting for approval from my insurance company, I hope to have it soon. Dr. Wetter is the best!
I had Lap RNY on June 26, 2000 and have lost 161 pounds. Dr Wetter is a wonderful surgeon. He is warm and caring and has a great sense of humor.He also shows genuine interest in patients children. My kids adore him. My surgery went fine and my recovery was great.
Dr Wetter gets my vote for Doctor of the year! :)
I met Dr. Wetter for the first time on August 8, 2001 for a consultation concerning GBS. He explained to me quite clearly how the surgery was performed and what the risks and benefits were. He seems like a nice person and I felt at ease talking with him. Peior to my visit with him, I had checked out his credentials and felt he had the training and experience to perform this surgery competently. He performs RNY laparoscopically and this was an important consideration for me. Dr. Wetter's staff was also very relaxed and pleasant. His surgical coordinator, Terry, is the whirlwind of activity that many WLS reports described her to be. She is straigtforward, caring and has a good sense of humor. Dr. Wetter performs GBS as part of the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Obesity Surgery Program in San Mateo, California. While I was in Dr. Wetter's office, he arranged for me to talk with a patient also in his office who was about 10 days post-op. I really appreciated that he did this because just being face-to-face talking with someone who had so recently been through the surgery and being able to ask questions was extremely beneficial for me. I am coming to Dr. Wetter from out-of-state and so have little opportunity to attend the WLS support groups in that area. Prior to meeting with Dr. Wetter, I had talked with Anne Timberlake at M-P and received an informative booklet describing the GBS program. Anne is very helpful and very busy, but she answered my email questions within a few days of posting. I feel quite confident about the team I hope to be working with for this surgery. Surgical competence is, for me, the most important consideration when selecting a surgeon; however, a good bedside manner is an invaluable add-on to that competency. Based on my impressions to date, I believe that Dr. Wetter has both.