Mark Vierra Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My first impression of Dr. Vierra was that he must care about people a lot to want to specialize in WLS. He was always very informative with any questions that I had going through the process. There were times when I was very hard on myself because I ate something that I wasn't supposed to eat and he would tell me that it is okay and not to be so hard on myself.rnThe Office staff has always been very nice and pleasant whenever I called. Janell even came in on the weekend to work on my file for the insurance company, I can't thank her enough. I know that if I have a problem that all I have to do is pick up the phone and call and they will help.rnEverything has been extremely detailed out in the paperwork and in the binder that was gien to me at the hospital. I will be seeing him for the next 5 years for the aftercare.rnThe risks of the surgery is one of the main things that Dr. Vierra goes over in his talks that he gives at the hospital. He lets you know that this is a lifestyle change not only for the person having the WLS but also for the persons family. He outlines all of the risks and doesn't pull any punches about what can happen to you if you don't follow the program. rnIf you are considering WLS, do research on your own, attend support meetings, ask around. I appreciate a doctor that is very straightforward, honest and caring. I would have done this years ago if I could have, but I am glad that I have done it now.

When people warned me that Dr. Vierra had a \"no-nonsense\" approach I was apprehensive in readying for my initial consult. Yes he is \"no-nonsense\" but I needed it, and the \"no-nonsense\" approach was in the kindest way possible. I found Dr. Vierra to be unceasingly patient with my endless questions, answering in terms easily understood, not so medically technical that I was lost. He was very forthright about the risks, etc. associated with the surgery. The night of my surgery I had, what was thought to be, a complication. The hospital nurse immediately called Dr. Vierra and before several minutes I found myself being, literally, whisked off to a catscan. I was drifting in and out of sleep, once when I awoke, about 3/4 of the way through the catscan, I awoke to Dr. Vierra sitting by me holding my hand. It turned out to be almost nothing, but he stayed holding my hand and reassuring me........you can't buy or beg the kind of assurance that brought, to both me and my family, who were waiting outside for the result. \"Nurse Christine\" is the best, and the office staff are supportive and helpful as well. If you are a possible patient, you couldn't do any better than Dr. Vierra and his staff.....but I will tell you, I followed everything he told me to do TO THE LETTER. I was not about to go through all this to change my life and not be prepared to change everything that I knew I need to do (I researched the surgery for a year before even calling for an appointment. Further, I \"interviewed\" over 100 patients of several different docs before hoping Dr. Vierra would accept me as a patient.), and follow the expert directions, advise and admonitions of Dr. Vierra.rnHe possessess the skill and manner that let's you know you have the best. Yes he is no nonsense, but when you are dealing TRULY with trying to save your life that is what we need....in obesity it was too easy for me to let things go regarding my health, diet and exercise, with excuse after excuse. In interviewing patients I heard MANY horror stories about other docs. NONE about Dr. V.....Everything he tells you that you must do, is for your benefit; before, during and after the surgery. Follow his directions and advice. My surgery was exactly 3 years ago. It has truly changed my life. Thank you Dr. Vierra for giving me the tools, preparation and assistance I needed to succeed. You are one of the true blessings given me in my life.

First impression and I still feel that he is very supportive and knowlegeable about the surgery and his patients. Very thorough about the surgery and its risks and failures. What I needed from him and what I am asking him about in my appointment tomorrow with him is how do I stop gaining weight. I am terrified that I cannot seem to stop the weight from coming back! His bedside manner and competence are outstanding!!

Dr. Vierra is fabulous! I am a nurse at a hospital that has the Center of Excellence designation which he is responsible for so it was an easy choice to pick him and I already know lots of people who have had great success with him.rnrnHis office staff, after only 3 visits, greet me by name. They are all very efficient and into the program. The wait has always been short.rnrnHe has a very structured before and after care program. You can't even make an appointment with him until you have attended his lecture and picked up a packet of information there.rnrnTruthfully, his surgical competence very slightly outweighs his bedside manner. But he never leaves you with unanswered questions and/or misunderstandings. And he seems very attuned to what you are feeling and needing.

I feel that working Dr. Vierra has been an easy and rewarding experience. I did go through the comments that have been made about others experience with him and I beleive that his office has changed. I had to attend his lecture first in November, was able to get an appointment with him in December. Since then I have had no problems getting in to see him. Its allways less than a week's time before I am seen. rnrnThe staff there has been great. I have been fighting with Tricare to get this approved and they have been going through everything with me to try and get me approved. They have scheduled apointments, called and gotten me sooner appointments and called Tricare numerous times. It has been awsome working with this group of people!

I work in the OR with Dr Vierra so I have an unfair advantage in getting to know him. Dr vierra is an excellent surgeon with a caring attitude, he sees his patients as people with real life issues concerns and feelings. He does not see patients as just another fat person looking for an easy way out..he cares and that is the best thing I could say about him.

9/18/03rnIt has been almost a year since my first appointment with Dr.Vierra. It has mostly been a pleasant journey. Overall, I would say that he is a very competent surgeon, and highly respected in laparoscopic procedures. I like the guy, and have done very well with him. My surgery went well, my weight loss has been good, and life goes on. His staff have been very supportive.

Dr. Vierra was awesome! He did a great job and I am healing nicely. His office staff has always been very helpful and informative. A couple of them have even had the surgery, so they can speak first hand on the do's and don'ts. On a scale of 1-10 I would give Dr. Vierra an 11! I had a really positive experience. Not only is he very informative but he's always been very patients and caring. He even takes the time to answer the "silly" questions too. ;)

Dr. Vierra is very smart, capable and quite funny in a dry way. He is also very strict about what he requires from his potential surgical candidates. I appreciated his conservative approach and trusted him completely. My impression of him over time only got better. His office staff is friendly, but occasionally difficult to reach by phone when you want to. They do, however, return calls very quickly. There was nothing I didn't like about Dr. Vierra. Future patients should know that he expects his patients to be well-studied and well-educated about their surgeries and what will be expected of them for the rest of their lives. Dr. Vierra is extremely bright and an extremely talented surgeon, having established and perfected the LAP RNY protocol at Stanford University's Medical Center - one of the best anywhere in the world! I would recommend him to anyone, even people who would need to travel from out of state to have their surgeries with him. He strongly emphasises aftercare and requires a commitment of lifelong aftercare with him (or another approved surgeon if you relocate.) Other than office visits at particular times and tso post-op support groups (the basic one is for nutritional info, the advanced one is more for emotional and practical issues.) He was very up front about the risks of surgery and the steps he takes (and makes his patients take) to minimize those risks. He was more than willing to provide me with details of the two (yes - TWO out of thousands) patients who had fatal complications post-op, and he also explained to me in detail why these patients were not successful and how he had changed his pre-op requirements to eliminate those risks. Overall, I rate Dr. Vierra an A+, 100%. His surgical competence is impeccable, and I found his bedside manner to be highly enjoyable and encouraging. He is witty and kind and honest, and he is also a little abrupt (though he may not be abrupt with patients who seem to need more emotinally from him - I didn't need that.) Dr. Vierra was, without a doubt, the perfect surgeon for me!

My first impression of Dr. Vierra came when I listened to his lecture. He came across as VERY concerned and caring for people dealing with Obesity. When I had his first consult with him, my opinion didn't change but I realized that I had to prove that I was willing to make the changes before he would really approve me for the surgery. He requires you to lose weight before you meet with him again. His office staff is the most caring and amazing group of people I have ever dealt with in the medical profession. Chris, his assistant is amazingly caring and willing to answer your questions and Janelle, his billing specialist is absolutely wonderful and willing to do whatever it takes to get things moving forward with insurance. (She even offered to help me with an insurance issue I was having with my Primary care!!!) Overall, I have NOTHING negative to say about either Dr. Vierra or his staff.