Gary Anthone, MD, FACS Organization
My first impression of him is that he's very bright, totally knows what he's talking about, has a good sense of humor and is very attractive.
I do have to say that Dr. Anthone is a wonderful surgeon. At first when I met him I was thinking...\"god he seamed kind of weird and very short and to the point\". I felt almost like I was just another number. This was coming from the very first consult. But I now I really don't feel like that anymore. rnrnI love his staff. In fact one of his office staff has had the DS. rnrnAnd when I so nervous about getting the suchers (spelling?) out and the feeding tube- she came over and gave me the biggest hug, a box of kleenx and a bottle of water. She told me not to worry about it and that its ok to be nervous - its all new and scary. It really helped. Then when it was time to get all the stuff taken out Dr. Anthone made a bet with me. He said he would give me 10 to one odds. If I could feel exactly when he took them out then he would give me 10 dollars. And if I couldn't tell - then I would have to give him a dollar. Lets just say that I think I owe him a couple bucks! LOLrnrnEverytime I go in to just use the scale or for a check up and even when I call - they remember me. They talk to me like a friend would. I just really like that I feel very comfortable. I feel and know that I can literally walk in on any given day and use the scale just to see where I am at or call and ask so many little questions to the nurses and sometimes the receptionist! rnrnThe only thing that has ever freaked me out was actually kind of funny. When I was in the hospital only about 4 days post op - the air bed I was sleeping on broke. So I had to sleep in this recliner. Well on that day when he came in to check and see how I was doing I was sleeping in the recliner. I woke up feeling some one poking around my bandages and could not see anything because a nurse was holding my gown up in front of my head so he could see my tummy. I was FREAKED OUT! Now when I think about it I just laugh. But it was my first surgery. I have never even had stiches or a cavity or anything like that. So waking up feeling some one touching my sensitive, hurting tummy (around my bandages) and not being able to see who it was really scared the hell out of me for a couple of seconds. Until he realized what I was thinking and the nurse appoligized! LOLrnrnI would rate Dr. A and his staff and everything overall the highest that I could rank! I am very blessed to have found such a wonderful team.
My first impression of Dr. Anthone was that he is a very caring and compassionate man. He understands that it isn't easy for us to \"just\" lose weight on our own. He follows through with what he says and lets you know what the progress is every step of the way. His staff is wonderful and Christy is the best with empathizing with you. He goes above and beyond to help his patients. rnrnSince he wants to do the Pannis removal first, he keeps appealing with my insurance company stating that the removing isn't cosmetic but essential for my well-being. Well, we went through all 3 levels of the appeal process and denied on everyone of them. rnrnMay 2007 - Well, I am not happy with Anthone since I feel that we wasted time for the pannis removal approval when he could have been performing the Gastric surgery. My HR person told us that there were no changes in the insurance, but now my surgery isn't covered..I feel so depressed right now.rnrnI haven't seen Dr. Anthone is about a year now since my insurance company denied me 3 times. My insurance company has two (2) exclusions for obesity.
My new surgeon is Dr. Gary Anthone. With the first hand shake I new this man was the one who could help me. rn He took his time speaking to my DH and I answering every question we had. rn I feel safe to know he's is doing my surgery.rn Dr. Anthone went over and beyond to get me my surgery done even by doing it on a Sat. rn He is one of the top surgens with a great bedside manner. and I'm proud that we have such a great Dr. in our Small state of Nebr.
My first impression of Dr Anthone, was wow he is actually listening to me. That impression never really changed, his bedside manner is incredible. Dr. Anthone's office staff is very competent and efficient, they are the gurus for insurance approval. Dr. Anthone knows his business and will explain everything in detail about the procedure and the expectation for aftercare. On a scale of 1-10 Dr. Anthone is definately an 11, I work with physicians on a daily basis and he is on top of it all (and I have a high opinion of my PCP too). Both Dr. Anthone's surgical competence and his bediside manner are second to none. I would recommend Dr. Anthone to anybody considering WLS. Dr. Anthone is the exception to the rule....he is the best in all aspects, and I am a very critical patient with high expectations being a medical professional.
Here are my reflections on Dr. A:rn--Polite and thorough with informationrn--Staff is extremely helpful!!!rn--He has an excellent reputation.rn--Dr. A's presentation and consultation went over every possible scenario. His motto is that he wants his patients to be informed of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Only then can a patient make an educated decision.rn--So far, 10 out of 10rn.rn
Dr. Gary Anthone was the head of surgery at USC University Hospital for over 15 years before returning to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska in 2003. rnrnHe is highly skilled and worked with Dr. Hess in developing the Distal Gastric Bypass with Duodenal Switch (also known as the Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch). Dr. Anthone taught this surgery to hundreds while at USC.rnrnIn addition, Dr. Anthone has an awesome bedside manner. He has a kind heart truly cares about the plight of the morbidly obese and the suffering from associated co-morbidities. He also told me that this surgery helps the morbidly obese get \"on a level playing field\" with those who are naturally thin. rnrnDr. Anthone does stress the importance of follow up labs and taking your prescription prenatal and Calcium supplements. rnrnI fought my ins co for over 2 years and ended up flying 1500 miles to Omaha for surgery. Because there are much fewer surgeons trained in the \"more difficult to perform and learn\" DS procedure, most DS patients do need to travel for this procedure. I considered it a ONE TIME inconvenience in order LIVE the rest of my life like a normal person.rnrnKristy in the office is a real sweetheart.rnrnDr. Anthone gets 5 stars!