Surgical Weight Loss at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital

My first impression of Dr. LePort was positive.I found him to be warm and very informative about the WLS.He is a busy man heading up a very thriving WLS practice as well as general surgery.He took the time to
explain everything and was adamant about
the aftercare followup.The group offers weekly support groups twice a week at different hospitals.The support group is run by a psychologist and is very well attended.My post-op visits have been mainly with Osma ,a PA and this is fine with me.I will see the doctor any time that I wish to.

i found him kind and caring.still have that feeling about him.he has a great office staff,all very helpfull.can't think of anything least about him.he cares very much about his job and his clients.patients can feel free to ask him any question.......he loves his job and cares about you.he's very interested on after care and drills the importants about it into you.his group hold 2 group meetings aweek ......very structure care but you have to be willing to use it.....he adressed the risks of surgery up front......seeein him and the groups.i would rate him very high.....both are great.what they gave me for pain i had a alergic reaction only bad thing......

this hospital is great. It has its own wing for wls patients, equipped with wider than average hospital beds, hospital gowns that accomodate our size without leaving our bottoms bared like normal gowns, showers/bathrooms that accomodate our size. This hospital is great for overweight/plus size/super size patients. You get the utmost respect and dignity.

I have not had much luck with his office. I have been waiting for them to send in my paperwork for two weeks now. Every time I call, I get the same thing...missing something. They don't call when they need verification or some other paperwork. I am very frustrated with the nurses. As for the surgeon, I really like Dr. Ali. He answered all my questions and was very open. He did not skirt around one issue.

My first impression of Dr. LePort was that it was obvious he is an extremely busy man. I had attended a support group and he was there answering questions so I had already had many questions answered. During our office visit he took the time to explain everything to me (risks included) and explained that this was a tool he could give me to use. This was in November and in January I had an approval and surgery date. I'm scheduled to start all my preop stuff and getting anxious and a little scared. I know from all the research that I have done that I wouldn't have anyone other than Dr. LePort. He did a friends surgery about 7 years ago and he did a relatives about 8 months ago. Both are doing well and look great.

Dr. LePort was great! Although he is a very busy man, at each step of the way he would take time to ask if I had any questions. Because I had researched the surgery and Dr. LePort so thoroughly I was very confident. His staff was great. I am not yet aware of an aftercare program. I have not be back for my first appt after surgery. I have another week or so. I luve out of the area and really hope I will be able to follow up with my PCP. He does have a wonderful support group ran by a psychologist weekly. However, I have not been to one. Again, inconvenient time in relation to where I live.

Dr. LePort was wonderful! I couldn't have asked for a better doctor. He took time with me; explained everything clearly; and his staff was a great help. I had my surgery; had some problems with pneumonia and a drug reaction afterwards, but they got me through it just fine. I have lost over 87 lbs., and I'm still losing. Friends can't believe it when I tell them that after Thanksgiving, I lost 5 lbs (and I ate quite a bit....grazed like a cow). I'm still losing, and I have about 15 lbs. to my goal weight. When I show my old driver's license to my co-workers, they can't believe I'm the same person! I can't believe I'm the same person. I have recommended Dr. LePort to everyone that I see, and I often wish I could go up to people in the malls that are grossly overweight and tell them about this wonderful surgery and this great doctor!

In my humble opinion if I may a rant a little :

I, loudly and clearly as possibly would tell anyone AVOID THIS DOCTOR'S PRACTICE. I say this because of the tactics and manipulations of his staff that will deny anything they say unless you have it in writing and even then, you’re still in for a battle, and they will try to extort you later for monies you never agreed to pay! And even send your account to a collection agency for money you don't owe! These people are not worth the hassle and grief, and all the smiling faces disappear immediately after you question them about a concern in billing or policy.

For me now the issue isn't even the actual subject of a disagreement anymore, but the way they have chosen to deal with what should have been a minor issue has become a far worse problem than the original dispute that they themselves have created. Instead of dealing with a typical professional medical office staff I feel like I'm dealing with The Soprano's with Dr. LePort's office staff.

This is not a sour grape story as I'm happy with the results I've had from wls, but wouldn't have gone near here if I knew I had to deal with one tenth of this garbage and out and out insulting behavior as I could have gotten the surgery done elsewhere without the horror story nightmare I'm going through with this Doctor's staff and office personnel. I have asked to hear from the Doctor himself but, so far have heard nothing.

I am now several months post op and while all the medical stuff is going fine, I am having good results from the surgery and I am very happy about the weight lost. But, after all I have been through with Dr.LePort's staff, and the office practices I would tell anyone who would listen: NEVER BE INVOLVED WITH HIM OR HIS OFFICE AND RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN FROM THEIR BUILDING.

I have had nothing but problems with the staff's incompetence from minor repeated false claims of calls they say they made to me, that never happened, to major billing foul ups, paper work foul ups, scheduling foul ups to now, out and out lies and deceptions about how much and what I was paying for, bordering on total fraud including claiming I agreed and signed forms that I never saw and agreements on paying further sums of moneys that were never mentioned or agreed to and now threats to ruin my credit by his staff by now stating they are sending my account to a collection agency.

To the beginning, my insurance was all pre approved, and we all knew the numbers long before my surgery. I was very precise when I asked what the up front money they requested went for and covered and was told I would have no further payment owed to their office. I also read and know what forms I signed and agreed to. That amount I then paid was to be the full and total payment due "their office" for the surgery. All other Doctors and Hospital and co-pays have already been paid by me and my insurance company.
We are talking his office/medical group only here. And the "new" charges related to the day of surgery only that I already paid in full in advance what they requested as all their offices/medical group full charges.


Well all that's changed, and now the office is demanding more money claiming (falsely I might add) I agreed to it in writing, which I know for a fact I didn't do. After being told repeatedly and rudely on the phone I signed a form allowing the amount in question they finally have acknowledged I didn't sign the form in question as they were claiming and no such form was EVER signed by me because they didn't even have or use the form at the time of my surgery nor, was I ever asked to sign it because they adopted the form at a later date so it would never have applied to me or been offered to me to sign.

Frankly falsely accusing a patient of lying itself is beyond the pale, but to not even offer any remorse for it when you find out you were wrong is bizarre.

Now in an ethical business that would end it and they would charge off the difference of a couple a hundred dollars by their own error if for no other reason then they pretty much spent a good deal of time calling me a liar and the problem was caused by caused by their errors as it was beyond what they agreed to require as full payment for the services rendered.

If I run a business and agreed to the terms of an agreement and later found I under estimated the money or price for services I want to charge, it comes from me the service provider/contractor in error, not the other party several months later long after the fact. But, no, Dr.Leport's office staff is still making a demand for payment and sending it to collections if I don't send them more money then both parties originally agreed I would pay. They are also stating even if "they" made an error in what they told me, it still is going to a collection agency.

As someone who worked in collections and with my own legal background I am totally shocked by these peoples reprehensible comments, actions, behavior and attitudes. As I informed them that it was illegal to send this demand for payment to a collection agency because of their error or wish to renegotiate for more money from me, they said for me "to take them to court then" but they were going to do it anyway and it will be on my credit report in the mean time so it would be better for me to agree to just pay it.

Anyone who would even consider operating under those blackmail style tactics and behaving in this fashion is to be avoided at all cost. I have quickly learned behind those smiling faces are some really rude, vicious and deceptive people in Dr. Leport's office staff.

I'm an out-of-state patient so I appreciate how the staff has all the pre-op tests, etc., arranged locally for you after you arrive for surgery. Dr. LePort and Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center are considered 'In-Network' for both my primary & secondary coverage. My primary insurance authorization letter from First Health was received today (10/6/01) for surgery with Dr. LePort. Linda and Jo on the office staff have been very helpful.
Post Op Note: My experience with Dr. LePort and the staff at Smart Dimensions was wonderful. Everything went smoothly. I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. LePort to anyone who is seriously looking at this procedure.

I LOCATED DR. LEPORT'S OFFICE ON THE ASBS WEBSITE, AFTER CALLING A LOCAL SURGEON
OWENS WHO DIDN'T ACCEPT BLUE CROSS MEDI-CAL.
MY ORIGINAL DR. WAS KELLY FRANCIS WHO WENT OUT ON MATERNITY LEAVE SO,I JUST MET DR. LEPORT IN PERSON ON 1/2/02. BUT MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF DR. LEPORT WAS THAT HE HAS A PLEASANT BED SIDE MANNER AND SEEMED TO BE COMPETENT.
BUT THE OFFICE STAFF LAURA,DEDE, AN ELLEN WHO I BUGGED CONSTANTLY WERE VERY HELPFUL AND PATIENT WITH ME.
THE RISKS AND AFTERCARE ARE DISCUSSED AT ALMOST EVERY APPOINTMENT AND THE STAFF HIGHLY SUGGESTS THAT YOU ATTEND SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. THEY ALSO OFFER A BOOK TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH AND SUGGESTS CERTAIN WEBSITES.
I RATE DR LE PORT SO FAR AT A 10.. ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T HAD MY SURGERY YET. I ACTUALLY WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE MY SURGERY
TODAY 1/3/02 AT 5 A.M.,BUT THE ANTHESIOLOGIST DIDN'T FEEL MY LUNGS WERE CLEAR ENOUGH FOR THEM TO SUCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE SURGERY . SO MY SX WAS CANCELLED UNTIL I GO TO A PULMONOLOGIST AND GET MY LUNGS CLEAR.. CRY OUT LOUD!!
I'VE BEEN COMTEMPLATING,RESEARCHING, AND BEEN APPROVED FOR THIS SX TWICE SINCE 1998..AND I CRIED LIKE A BABY TODAY BECAUSE
I WAS READY TO" DO THIS".. PLUS I'M A SINGLE MOM SO I HAVE TO ALMOST SCHEDULE A BATHROOM BREAK.. BUT MY MOTHER WHO WAS PRESENT SAID
"I AM EVEN MORE CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITIES NOW!!" AND I AM TOO LOGICALL IF I CAN'T BREATH IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO BE PUT TO SLEEP FOR 5 PLUS HOURS.. BUT I WAS READY... SO NOW I WAIT FOR REFERRALS AND PRAY TO RESCHEDULE AND TRY TO STAY POSITIVE.. BUT SO FAR EVERY I KNOW THAT'S HAD LAP IS THRILLED WITH THE RESULTS AFTER ABOUT THE 1ST 6 MONTHS....



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