Palo Alto Medical Foundation Hospital

June 2005: Dr. Foster is honest and serious when she says to lose some weight. I lost 13.5 lbs. in 5 weeks and was rewarded with a surgeery date. I am elated. My insurance coverage went through, I know in part, due to her competent staff's work with the company. I appreciate all they are doing for me.

good but to far away

I first met Dr. Feng at a support group meeting and immediately it was very clear that he truly cared about how his patients were doing both pre-op and post-op. He struck me as being very compassionate, kind and caring, but also extremely knowledgeable.

I met him the very next day for my evaluation and he went over all of my surgical options in detail and left plenty of time for me to ask questions. He was very thorough in his information and very patient with all of my questions. I knew immediately that I wanted him to do the surgery for me.

The day of surgery, my cell phone rang at 6:45 am and it was Dr. Feng calling to tell me he was on his way in and to ask how I was doing. When he got into the hospital, he stopped by to see me and explained what was going to be happening. I felt very comforted by the fact that he was so present with me on the day of surgery. Post-op he immidately spoke to my family and after recovery, came to see me to explain how my surgery went. He checked on my two times that day. The next morning, he came in to see how I was doing and allowed me to go home.

After I got home, I ended up having to page him at 3:30 am because I was having pain. He was so patient and kind (even at that time of day) and got me through the night. The next day, he called me three times to see how I was feeling. That really make me feel like he truly cared about how I was doing. His bedside manner is impectable.

Since surgery, I attend his support groups once a month. I can't say enough good stuff about him as a surgeon/doctor. He is just top notch.

The 1st time I met Dr. Foster I found her to be very friendly and sensitive. She spent over an hour with me explaining benefits and risks of WLS, answering questions, etc.
My impression has never changed. She is fairly strict about compliance, but she only wants the best outcomes for you.
The office staff are friendly and helpful, although they are very busy.
Dr. Foster is pretty strict about trying to achieve about 10% weight loss before surgery because it puts you in a healthier state (liver and heart) pre-op. As much as this may seem like an un-necessary chore, the ultimate goal is to have the surgery and a healthy recovery.
After care and extended follow-up are needed and Dr. Foster is very much into long-term follow-up and research of WLS. For the 1st year you are seen at 7 days post-op, then 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, then annual. And of course, you would see her if there are any problems or concerns. Also, periodic lab work is done too.
Dr. Foster is great and I would give her a 10 out of 10 rating.

Dr Legha was very professional and personable. He was kind and very informative. The program is through Kaiser and they have excellent care. Monthly support group meetings both before and after surgery are extremely helpful.

Wow, Okay where do I start? Dr Feng is an AMAZING human being! A very competent Doctor, kind man, and there is an extremely compassionate energy to him! When I went to my consultation he was upbeat and positive about the procedures that he did, but got across the complications and risks involving sugery very well. He explained how complications could arise and the impact that it could make on someone's life. He chose the Vertical Gastrectomy as my best choice (being self pay), and I agreed.... at the time LOL! I went along slowly converting my thinking back to the Duodenal switch, but then when I talked with him again I remembered WHY the VG was the sugrery for me! He has so much knowledge of the surgeries and I am glad I didn't get the DS! I am even more impressed with him now than I was when I left his office after my consultation. I am 6 days Post op and feel very good! His practice strongly emphasizes support groups, which they have available in about every major region in Northern California. And also the surgery includes two years of follow up visits! I would definitely rate Doctor Feng 9.9999 out of 10 because, to me, there is nothing lacking in his practice as a doctor! Both his bedside manner and surgical competence are pretty equal, if I had to say which is better, I would say surgical competence. butonly because I was pretty drugged up most of the time after surgery hehe. Oh and to contradict the person below, the papers that you sign before surgery states that you MAY be assisted with training doctors. So it's not something they pop on you! I was assisted with Dr Toller and he had great bedside manner also! This is how we get great doctors, by being trained by great doctors like Dr Feng!

Thanks Dr Feng! You're doing a great job!

- Jess

My experience with Dr. John Feng has been very positive. At the introductory meeting he was very clear about the risks and potential benefits, and answered all my questions. The office also has pre and post op manuals that have proved a great help. He has continued to be thorough throughout the pre and post op period. His office staff has been very professional and responsive -- more so than any other doctor's office I have dealt with.

If I had anything negative to say it would be: 1. he suggested a possible weight loss goal at the initia interview that I chose to take with a grain of salt, since results can be so variable (the suggested loss is well within the range of average outcomes, however) and 2. he was assisted by the fellow working with the practice, which I did not know until after the operation. The fellow is gaining experience but I would have preferred two very experienced doctors, which was one of the reasons I chose this practice.

The LapSF Associates approach to aftercare is one of the primary reasons I went with them. They sponsor a number of monthly support groups throughout Northern California and they encourage attendance, and I have follow up visits over the next 18 months (5, I think). They have a website for secure communications, and the dr.s are very responsive to email inquiries. I am completing a daily log of food and exercise at this site, per the doctor's recommendations.

Dr. Feng's surgical qualifications are very strong, as are those of his two partners. Their track record of outcomes is outstanding. The operation went very well and I am healing well.

Dr. Feng is friendly, intelligent, and a clear communicator.

I recommend him highly.

I met Dr. Legha just a week before my scheduled surgery. He seemed very competent and willingly answered all of my questions. He wasn't warm and fuzzy, but he is a surgeon and they are not known for their personalities. He spoke with my family after the surgery and visited me twice in the hospital, taking all the time I needed to clarify things like medications and diet. I felt that he was a good Dr. I am very happy that my procedure was so successful and I know that Dr. Legha was the largest part of that. I would recommend him to anyone.

My first impression of Dr.Foster was that she was knowledgable.She sat down and talked to My finacee and me about everything to do with the process.She asked us if we had any questions,but they were all answered by her already.I liked that she looked you straight in the eye and I knew she was as serious as I was.She informed me of the aftercare and what was expected of me.She talked to me about the risks.She took every precaution,to check everything about me.I would rate her exceptional.Her bedside manner was outstanding.Her office people are fantastic!!.I didn't have any problems what so ever before,during or after surgery..I am 8 days post op today!

Dr. Feng did my mom's surgery and since she was pleased with him I figured I'd give him a call. Dr. Feng was WONDERFUL to speak to and explained everything to me in terms I could understand. His administration team so far has been A ++.