Vicki B.
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Ronald Spier
"I have met Dr. Spier at two consecutive support group meetings and we (my husband and I) had our consult with him on Apr. 6. On all occasions Dr. Spier has been very informative. Any time I ask a question, he responds with, "I'm glad you asked." Then he explains in detail in language I can understand. First impressions are that he is a little short with people and even a bit gruff. However, he really has a great sense of humor, and after the two support group meetings and the consult, I feel very comfortable with him and also think that he is a very accomplished surgeon. It makes me wonder why he is in little Springfield, Oh, and not with some big medical center. But I'm sooo happy he isn't. It helps with the caring attitude of his office and staff. Everyone has made us feel at home. And aftercare?? Let me tell you how impressed I am with that. He won't do surgery unless you agree to come to see him every 3 months for 4 years. Also, he comes to every support group meeting and spends an hour and a half of his time talking to us and answering questions. So far I would rate him very highly. We live in Findlay, Oh and could go to Bowling Green to have wls or Toledo to have the same surgery Dr. Spier does. Both of those are much closer to our home. We are both so impressed with Dr. Spier that we are happy to make that 2 hour drive. He sure doesn't sugarcoat the risks of surgery, but to me that's a plus not a negative. I want to know what I'm looking at before going in. It's 5/8/01 and my opinion of Dr. Spier's insurance person is not nearly as high. She seems to be not only unsympathetic, but surprisingly unknowledgeable. I am still fighting my insurance company for approval. Dr. Spier's office staff knows that I cannot have this surgery until next summer if I cannot be scheduled sometime in June. And still they have not been helpful at all about the kinds of information I should send the insurance company. The insurance company has asked for more information and the surgeon's office couldn't even tell me what they had already sent for sure because they did not keep a copy of it. So I had to go back to my PCP and my OB GYN to get office notes again. I resubmitted them to my insurance company with the same info they already had, but said they still needed. I asked Dr. Spier's insurance person if I should send a detailed letter concerning my last ten years of dieting and health issues and she responded that normally that would be the next step after resubmitting these office notes. Well JEESH why would I wait for a NEXT TIME???? So I sent my letter along this time. Anyway, I am very frustrated, time is flying by, and I have learned more about insurance issues from this website and OSSG and from my surgeon's office. Again, very frustrating...just my own personal impressions, of course. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic, but I thought the surgeon's office would know all about how to get insurance approval quickly. Maybe I should be more upset with my insurance company??? 6/23/01 Well, I had my preop testing and physical with Dr. Spier. I'm feeling very confident about him as a surgeon. He is so straight forward in his thinking and he talks to me in language I can understand. He's also ornery and has a great dry sense of humor. That's probably my favorite thing about him. He did my hubby's surgery on 5/21/01 so we go into see him together. My hubby is just as ornery, so the office visits are always lots of fun. My testing was on 6/18 and haven't heard anything, so I'm assuming everything was ok. My surgery is scheduled for 6/28 so I'll update you after. So far, can't recommend Dr. Spier enough."
About Me
Findlay, OH
Location
37.1
BMI
RNY
Surgery
06/28/2001
Surgery Date
Jan 07, 2001
Member Since
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