South Bay Kaiser Hospital

My first "meet" with Dr Mun was at an informational session at BIDH. I thought he was honest, dedicated, competent and that surely I was hearing wrong when I heard the hospital loses money on the laprascopic vs open procedures because the laproscopic costs the hospital more. (In Surgery rooms time is money) I still hope that what I heard was wrong. That the safest, least invasive and individually appropriate method is the one used. Since I had figured I would be "open" due to earlier surguries I didn't worry about this. It just sort of stayed there, like a bad taste in my mouth.
What other importand decisions are based on the $$?

Our second meet was first in group session then we individually met with the doctor.
My impresion was that he was very rushed, had no time for "making nice" and that though I had the need to mention my sister who had lost her life after this no way was he concerned or questioning as to the differences/possible differences between her and I. Perhaps he was confident he had no need to look at this but I feel some recognition of this fact was reassurance that would have eased my and my famity's mind.

I never met his secretary Pat but she was warm, compassionate,clear and consise in our phone matters and scheduling.

I believe Dr Mun is very competent and strives for excellence around the surgical aspect. I believed the last thing he wanted was any complications and he was around often to personally asess that aspect.
Bring a hubby or favorite tedy bear for the other things.

Despite all the negative sounding comments I would rate him overall as a 10. I have a hubby and a teddy. Just wouldhave had them with me more.

My surgeon will be Dr. Edward Mun at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital.I have heard him speak, but probably will not get to meet him until about December,2002(4 months from this writing) I chose him because he is the bariatric surgeon for my HMO. The hospital is first rate, I hope that he will be too. On further investigation I have learned that as of 9/02, he has done 450 surgeries and had one mortality due to distal(old) stomach peritonitis.He is not warm and fuzzy. He requires a weight loss of at least 10 pounds prior to surgery-so that the liver will become better delineated and less likely to be damaged in surgery.He does open and lap. The hospital is nationally ranked as top tier in the country,however, a mouse scurried across the lecture room during his presentation-so they could afford to spend a little more on sanitation. Will update more as I learn more. September 26, 200I met Dr. Mun. He is thorough and all business. I made him smile once-almost. But he took my concerns seriously and is tailoring my surgery to my medical needs.I will have a drain because I bleed freely. I will have open because I have had 5 previous Abdominal surgeries. He bypasses 75 centimeters of the intestine if your BMI is under 50. He clearly stated that the benefits outweighed the risks for me.He demands a weight loss-I have already lost 8 pounds. I feel like we are in this together-he is a perfectionist-and wants the same of me. If I passed him on the street, I bet he would not know me-but it is the operating room that matters! He is profiled in this Month's Reader's Digest(October, 2002). The professional support staff is terrific.

I had seen him on the Discovery channel and didn't know what to expect.....he turned out to be a really nice guy and is very concerned abut one's expectations of the surgery and wants to make sure that you are going to hold up your end of the bargain post-op and make some lifestyle changes as well.

My first impression of Dr. Mun was one of a softspoken, intelligent surgeon. He listened to my questions and answered thoroughly, not rushing anything. He explained all the benefits and risks of this surgery. Also stressed the importance of follow-up care, which is every 3 months after staples are removed, but more often if needed.

I would have to rate his surgical competence with an A. As far as bedside manner, that's not really important to me. Dr. Mun is reserved, quiet, but knows what he's doing.

Dr. Mun's office assistant Pat is wonderful. A very patient, understanding woman who goes out of her way to get things done and answer any questions. Top notch.

Everyone in the nutritional clinic, where all appointments are kept, are also a great bunch of people. Very professional and helpful. Anytime I've had to call and leave a message, they've always returned the call in short time.

I think Dr. Mun is a "godsent". His personality I am not crazy about, but the results that I have achieved are outstanding. He gets an A+ in my book for great care. His staff is the best, and I truly think they are the most considerate, kind, and conscientious people I have ever known.

Ed Mun is a very committed and careing surgeon. This was my first surgery ever in my life and while i was very scared, i didnt feel that i had any options. he put me completly at ease because just sitting and talking with him you get the impression that "This Guy Knows His Stuff".

The entire staff is knowledgable, professional, personable, careing, and most of all committed to total patient success.

I found Dr. Mun intense, caring, thorough, likable and very busy but reachable if there is a need. Over a year later, I feel the same. I saw him this week for my one year check up and he remembered my husband and asked about him. His staff is the BEST. You can reach any one of them whenever you have a question or problem. They are so conscientious, I truly like them all. There was nothing I didn't like about Dr. Mun or the staff. They all emphasize aftercare and prepare you beforehand for your aftercare. The BIDMC program is very structured throughout which takes any guesswork out of the process. If you do what they tell you, you WILL get the results you desire. All the risks of the surgery were explained by Dr. Mun and his staff, both verbally and in writing. He and his staff are excellent!! I was and am completely satisfied with Dr. Mun's ability and personal presence. You will receive top-notch care from the whole BIDMC staff. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself and I glad I used Dr. Mun and his program.

Dr. Mun is is a straight to the point guy. My contact with him was limited to pre op meeting, then on the operating table, and one post op visit. His assistant Pat is outstanding and very helpful.

Imediately after surgery I had complications that landed me in ICU for several days. Dr. Munn and his staff made constant check ins and were very helpful to my wife.

If there were an actual rating scale, I would rate Dr. Mun quite high. I liked his directness.

I really have nothing negative to say about my surgical ordeal. I was warned about risks and they were explained expicitly to me. Unfortunately I was one of the statistics they warn you about. I felt the situation was handled quite well.

Any criticisms I have about my journey lie elsewhere.

MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF DR. MUN WAS GOOD. HE IS VERY INFORMATIVE, AND ANSWERS EVERY QUESTION. THE OFFICE STAFF IS EXCELLENT. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALWAYS BUSY, THEY ARE ALWAYS HELPFUL AND EFFICIENT. ALL THE STAFF ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE, AND IM VERY PLEASED.THE PROGRAM THEY HAVE IS VERY STRUCTURED, AND WELL ORGANZIED.

Office staff is fabulous! They get appointments done very quickly, had all appts. done in 1 month. Have an excellent aftercare program. They are very informative about risks/benefits of surgery. Everyone on his staff is extremely caring. When I met with Dr. Mun my first impression was that he is very professional. He got right to the point and made sure that I understood everything. The one thing that I think could be improved with him is his bedside manner, he didn't seem to friendly in that respect but I rather have a good and knowledgeable surgeon than a cheery one, lol.