James Weber Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

Dr. Weber is known for being late and so he seems to rush thru every appointment that I have ever had with him. I have never had a full 15 minute appointment yet! Not even my last one when he was delayed by surgery and I waited over 2 hours for him and then I was only with him for 6 minutes!!

I have complications from my surgery and therefore I have questions but most go unanswered! I hope my next appointment goes better!!

<b>I met Dr Weber the first time on 1/11/2004 at his seminar, and liked him pretty instantly. I'd already researched the different WLSs two years ago in Texas, had all of my prelim tests ... and then got rejected by my insurance ... and Weber put forth a lot of the same info I'd already found out (i.e.: he gave new people the same sort of info I'd already knew from doing extensive research myself--which is a good thing)--plus he told me a few things I didn't know (which you always hope for from a medical professional...when you're not one yourself). <br>
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I just had my first one-on-one appointment with him today (1/23/04), and my opinion of him continues to go up. He was very thorough going through my extensive list of medical issues (ailments, medicines, and most importantly for me ... allergies!), gave me a realistic outline of what his expectations were from me, and worked through his list of required tests with me methodically (plus he said he had no problem using some of the test results from my previous attempt at WLS 2 years ago. <i>BONUS POINTS!</i>)<br>
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I'm on the long-range plan. Aetna requires 6 months of a well-documented physician-assisted weight loss program (supervised by someone other than the surgeon ... because in Aetha's eyes they have a 'vested interest'), so I'll be meeting with him about once a month during the process while my PCP handles the documentation of my attempt to get healthy before the surgery. Estimated surgery date: end of July/first of August 2004 (barring health issues).<br><br><br><br>UPDATE on the insurance coverage--according to Pam at Dr. Weber's office, Aetna has relaxed their policy on the surgeon being the one to document the weight-loss attempt, so Dr. Weber is the one doing it for me. Truly, that makes more sense to me because he can reinforce the lifechanges he wants to see me make every month when we talk about what I've been doing so far.<br>
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Weber requires some very specific things of you (that I think are very wise requirements, which is part of why I like him):<br>
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1) exercise, exercise, exercise! Starting tomorrow, I have to do water aerobics twice in the next week....and then three times in the following week....four the next...and then keep going like that until I'm doing water aerobics for an hour a day--every day. I have problems walking (a back injury, complicated by weight), but he wants me walking some, too--increasing my distance every day! I'm tired just thinking about it :)<br>
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2) eight weeks of a 'straw diet' after surgery. In other words--you can have anything that you can put in a blender, add liquid and protein powder to, and blend until it gets to a completely liquid state that's thin enough that you could drink it through a straw. This means I can still have things like Lamb Shami Korma (my favorite Indian dish) or my homemade Chicken Stew--I just have to blend it into oblivion until it doesn't have any lumps in it AT ALL! It was the lack of flavor when I was on Medifast in '85 that caused me to quit after 5 weeks (who could live on nothing but cardboard-flavored, fake chocolate shakes for a year!!) ... so this was good news as far as I was concerned. If I can have taste variety, I'll be able to make it 8 weeks.<br>
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3) don't rush! This isn't emergency surgery. And the healthier you can get before surgery, and the more you can change your behaviors before surgery ... the better your chances of success after the surgery. This isn't a 'quick fix.' It's a total change in lifestyle ... with a little surgery to help you along the way.<br>
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More later! :)
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pre-surgery update:<br><br><br>I saw Dr. Weber for my pre-op appointment on November 18, and my surgery is scheduled for Monday, November 22nd. Since I began my profile back in January (and first wrote my thoughts about Dr. Weber), my already high opinion of him has continued to go up. I'd heard through the local WLS grapevine that some people found him and his staff somewhat problematic (for various reasons) ... but I'm not blowing smoke up anyone's dress when I say that--in my not so humble opinion--he's been an absolute joy to work with. He supervised my "6-month physician supervised weight loss program" (Aetna's requirement), so I had an appointment with him every month for quite a while. I impressed him with my organization skills (spreadsheets of every bite that had gone in my mouth, and of all the exercise I got, charted day-to-day), and he impressed me with his compassion (especially when my mother-in-law died, and when I was struggling with gastroparesis for months that kept me sick as a dog and barely able to leave my house, let alone exercise) ... and his toughness (because he wouldn't let my crazy life stand as an excuse for me not exercising or eating right). I really didn't mind that he had high expectations of me. I have very high expectations of myself, and it inspired me to work that much harder. Whereas, if he'd babied me, I would have probably slacked off. As it stands now, I've been exercising so much the last 10+ months that I crave it now :)<br><br>As far as his office staff goes, Summer is awesome. She went above and beyond the call of duty trying to help me get medical records from three different states on three different coasts (when we had to resubmit requests over and over and over again to the point that I was getting frustrated). I didn't have much interaction with Lisa, but she was great any time I did. And I've heard a few people say that Pam was hard to work with ... but I never saw it. She helped me get approved the first time out of the gate, and that makes her a champ in my book :)<br><br>I also negotiated with Dr. Weber for what I considered the best surgical options for me personally, even though this was something that others said he would not do. I think I impressed him with the amount of research I'd done on the details of each procedure, and my willingness to make a 'risk aware' decision when I asked him to transect my stomach, and to push my bypass length out to a more distal range (instead of his usual proximal). He agreed without a fight ... and I was ready for one! <br><br>However, don't let that make you think he's a push-over! :) He refused to negotiate me getting back in the pool for water aerobics before 17 days were up, and said "I'm putting a GI tube in your nose for 2 days post-op ... no negotiations!" I don't like either one, but I respect his reasons for making those decisions.<br><br>My surgery is Monday, and I feel very comfortable in his hands. I'll update again when I'm post-op.
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First impression was very bad. He is such a sticker for exercise and seemed to have no time to coddle me and make me feel okay about what was an incredibly life-changing decision for me. My initial informational was so distressing for me that I waited another year before finally making up my mind.

In the end I went with Dr. Weber because at the time he was the best surgeon in the area that I had heard of. I decided I didn't care about hsi bed-side manner - what I cared about was how well he used the knife. That is also why I decided to have it done open - because I didn't want to worry about someone who might not have a lot of experience doing that newer kind of procedure and frankly I want to know my surgeon "got in there and looked around" just in case there was something wrong. In my case, he had a heckuva time getting my bypass to work but in the end he pulled it off and it has worked fine.

I also had my gallbladder removed at the same time. Doc also said that my liver was not looking good when he was looking around, but that he expected that would clear up after the surgery.

After surgery he had me 6 weeks pureed only, the move on to soft foods like cottage cheese then at my own pace after that I could transition into solid foods.

He insisted I not use my CPAP machine for fear of what it might do to my pouch. I had pretty bad sleep apnea so he was probably right to have me avoid it. The breathing problems were one of the first things to go as I guess the fatty tissue in my throat is one of the first areas of fat that we tend to lose.

His emphasis on aftercare is good, but I didn't follow through past six months. I know I should, espcially since we all complain about physicians having terrible long-term follow-up care. In this case, it is totally my fault, but what can I say I've got no good excuse.

I would rate Dr. Weber an excellent surgeon. He had a bad run a few months after me that was kind of scary, but he is an excellent surgeon and I highly recommend him. Just make sure you insist on being transected.

My first impression of Dr. Weber was wonderful. I could tell he was a no nonsense kind of person who gets the job done but cares about his patients. His office staff is wonderful and they treat you with such respect. The best thing I ever did was attend his seminar. I bought a notebook and just wrote the whole time. Lots of info so you can make an informed decision. He has a great bedside manner and his surgical competence is just wonderful.

When I first met Dr. weber I was already in the Hospital because of some leg problems that I suffer from. Dr. Weber came to me as a consult from my Dr. and was very kind to me. He gave me hope that I have not had in a long time. I went to the seminar that he offered and then he gave me also surprised me that he accepted my type of insurance. And to top it off The staff and nursing were very kind and helpful to me. I went to all the appointments he asked me to go to and I also began to change my diet as well as my excersize and regular daily activity. I currently have gone from 280lbs down to 267lbs. Just from following his suggestions.
I am now scheduled for surgery for the 16th of August 2004. I know that Dr. Weber is very busy and I think if there be anything I would be worried about is I know I am going to have to book my appointments well in advance in order to see him. I know that he is a very popular man and I think it is because he is so good at what he does.

I adore Dr Weber. I read a lot of patients stories and how he is tough, you must be excercising and watching what you eat before sugery or he won't touch you. That is what I wanted so I went to his seminar decided that he was just great. Had my consult with and he is very honest, understanding and takes time to explains things. He does not rush you in and out. I feel very confident in my decision to choose him and I am VERY happy with my choice.

Dr. Weber has a very good bedside manner. He came and visited me a few times and even walked with me. He grabbed my hand and said let's go again! And then he said come on let's go a little faster. He is so encouraging. My entire family loved him. He was just what I wanted in a surgeon. I DO NOT have a single complaint about Dr. Weber.

I did ALOT of research and interviewed several surgeons. Dr. Weber had the most experience and nominal complications. I checked with the medical board also. I went to his seminar and talked with his post-op patients. I also attended a "Weber" support group.
He is very athletic himself and can sometimes be an "exercise" fanatic, but his record of successful patients makes his point a reality.
His office staff is mixed. Two very nice ladies and two extreme bit***s. As long as you dont have any billing questions or nutritional questions, you'll be fine.
Future patients should know that he doesnt accept excuses. He expects you to be committed to this decision, fully.
His aftercare is phenominal, the first 12 weeks post-op is included in his surgical fees.
He'll tell you right up front, at the mandatory seminar, what the risks are, and what complications he has had.
He is extremely competent and has a great history of success.

Dr. Weber is very honest and open person. He's a bottom line kinda guy. He called me at home one morning after I contacted him via email through ObesityHelp.com. It was amazing and I knew within 5 minutes of talking to him that he was the surgeon for me! He's been very firm and direct about what he expects from me, what I should expect from teh surgery, and what I need to do. He's made the "I don't know how do get that done" road, very very clear for me.

His office staff is super nice and supportive. I have felt from the beginning that everyone is there to help me through all this and never never had a bad experience with them. Whenever I have been frustrated with getting appointments at Madigan and have called them for help, they have calmed me down and helped.

Dr. Weber's reputation is right on the mark! He's one of the best in my region, if not the country, for a reason. I highly recommend him to anyone considering surgery in this region. I have complete confidence in him and his staff going into my surgery.

Dr. Weber is wonderful!! He is hard on you - regarding exercise but that is the key to our individual success. There really isn't much aftercare through his office - but they give you several groups that meet in the area. I found that the Kent group that meets once a month on Sundays is wonderful and it's for anyone who's had any kind of bariatric surgery. I think his compentency is most important - but I believe his personal caring for his patients is the perfect mix of everything.

I first met Dr Weber at his free Seminar which is mandatory for all future patients. It was very informative. I can understand why he requires all his furture patients to attend. He was very caring and understanding of what morbidly obese people go through. He is board certified by the National Barriatic Assoc. He has been doing this surgery for over 17 years. He has preformed over 2200 of them to date. His death rate is 0.27%. I loved Dr Weber as he is very strict about exercise. The first day of surgery....2 hrs. after you are put in your room from recovery you WALK!!! No exceptions. He makes sure you exercise even before your surgery...if you don't no surgery. He has a wonderful caring staff and a terrific after care program. He likes to see his patients every year to see how they are doing. He was very honest about the risks of the surgery....he was also very honest about the risks if you don't have the surgery as well. I have complete confidence in him and am so glad to have found him...I feel like we are a great team.