Hi All!

I am NOT post-op but I'm hoping I can get advice from someone who may have had a similar experience.

I can't believe I'm even writing this. I had heard great things about Dr. Arif Ahmad and Long Island Laparoscopic but after my various interactions with the office, medical staff and the group meeting, I'm seriously considering looking elsewhere. My initial consultation went wonderfully, I felt comfortable and excited for the next step. Then...the other shoe dropped. I scheduled my first battery of tests (blood work, pulmonary, ultrasound, nutrition and psych evaluation) and off the bat something was wrong. I'd speak to one receptionist/scheduler who would tell me my insurance won't allow me to do everything on the same day so she schedules the tests on various days - then I got a call from someone else who asked why I did it this way and when I said someone in the office had told me to do it that way she said "oh, don't listen to her...she doesn't know anything". I scheduled everything for 10:45am (I had planned other things later in the day), I got a call 3 days prior and was asked to come in at 12:15pm as they had a scheduling issue (I rescheduled the rest of my day). I then show up at 12:15pm and was told everyone had been waiting on me! They rush me into the room for blood work, then into another room for the ultrasound then a 3rd room for a pulmonary test. I'm then told due to a scheduling error (again) I have an hour and a half until my next appointment. The nutritionist, bless her, was a fresh faced college grad who clearly had never struggled with food or weight and spent 20 minutes telling me about sugar free Jell-O. I was then rushed into a meeting with the psychologist (who is not a psychologist but a licensed master social worker - not the same). She spent, at max, 30 minutes with me (10 of which were telling me it's her birthday and then she was fielding calls from her mother) asking if I've ever been suicidal, what diets have I tried and have I decided who is going to drive me home from surgery. I was disheartened and confused -- I have friends who had the surgery with other doctors and who had wonderful pre surgical experiences, that's what I was hoping for. But, I thought "hey, you've already spent the $250 program fee and you have the group meeting tomorrow...it could turn around!".

I just left the "support group" and I'm completely disappointed. The "meeting" started with a 30 minute sales pitch from a Bariatric Advantage salesman. We were then "discussed" surgery...by discussed I mean we sat around in a circle, introduced ourselves and talked about how we can't drink after surgery. WHAT? I didn't come here for AA, I came to ask questions and be informed. The "group meeting" was again run by stick thin dietitians, not people who have gone through surgery and could give first hand experiences.

Bottom line...I don't feel comfortable. I don't think this is a competent group of people and I don't want to put my life and future into the hands of a bunch of halfwits. I run a business and had been conducting my meetings/schedules (I perform wedding ceremonies) based on the idea that I'd be having surgery in the middle of July, now I have no idea if that's possible and I could have potentially lost hundreds of dollars from clients.

Has anyone switched surgeons? Is anyone familiar with Dr. Arif Ahmad? I'm thinking of using Dr. Brathwaite at Winthrop - any tips?

I had friends who used Dr. Ahmad and really like him. I looked into him and was turned off by his office staff. I used Dr. Buchin in Huntington. I absolutely loved him and his staff. Everything through his office was covered by my insurance - I just had some co-pays. As far as blood work, cardio clearance, psych clearance, and other clearance, they are not done in his office. I was given an list of recommended specialist to do all my clearances. I loved every doctor that his office recommended. I am six months post op and down 75 pounds.

Never heard of him. I used Dr. Edward Cussatti in West Islip. I had lap band surgery with him. Never had any problems with his office. He is very supportive. I was so scared to go back after not going for 3 years due to my feeling like a failure, but he was very nice when I went back. Now I've spoken with him about converting to a sleeve gastrectomy and he was very supportive with that too. So I plan to do that surgery with him.