Hi, I'm new to this forum and have made up my mind about doing the surgery. I've heard about a dr. pomp from 2 friends, but don't see his name on this forum anywhere. anyone out there has used him and would you please share your experience?

thanks loads for your support & good luck to all!:rolleyes2:

I had the same question as you about 6 months ago and also didn't get many responses -- maybe there were two or three, but I can't remember for sure. I think that someone told me that Dr. Pomp's name did not come up as frequently as some other physician's for lapband, because he also does other types of gastric surgery. This was expressed as a positive thing, since it presumably made him less biased for this particular procedure, in contrast to other physicians who were a bit more factory-like in doing this same procedure virtually exclusively. I don't have my own opinion on whether or not this is valid -- just reporting what someone else told me.

I was referred to Dr. Pomp by my general physician. I did some independent web-based research, and he seemed to be very qualified. I don't recall his specific title at NY Hospital, but he is very senior -- he has also published several papers on weight loss surgery, which I think is a good thing because it shows his level of interest and knowledge.

I did in fact visit him, found him to be extremely nice, helpful and knowledgeable. I think due primarily to what my insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) requires, I need to see a nutritionist/dietician in his program monthly for six consecutive months before the procedure can take place. I went two or three times and then got overconfident because I was losing so much weight on my own, so I skipped the next several months. After gaining the weight back, I just re-started seeing the nutrionist/dietician again, which means that I have to wait another 6 months before the procedure. All of this is a long way of saying that I have only actually seen Dr. Pomp for the initial visit but have not yet had the procedure or a lot of additional interaction.

I will say that his staff is great. I like the dietician/nutritionist (Liz Goldenberg). A good thing about the 6 monthly visits, is that there is a lot of discussion about the procedure itself, and she is very helpful about prodding me about getting the necessary medical clearances as well as getting me to practice the new techniques that I will be required to follow when the procedure takes place, like small bites, chewing well, limiting liquid intake immediately before, during and immediately after meals -- also discussing strategies for avoiding temptation, controlling portion sizes, etc -- i.e. behavioral stuff. An additional plus is that they just moved to new space across from NY Hopsital. Although this maybe shouldn't be an important consideration, the brand new space is a real pleasure as compared to the relatively decrepit old space inside the hospital.

I hope this is helpful. If your insurance requirements aren't the same as mine, you might end up moving through the process faster than me, in which case I hope to hear from you how your experience with Dr. Pomp goes.

Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question! I am so very grateful. You see, 2 friends from my community recommended this doctor, but when I was searching online and on this site, there was hardly any mention of his name and I got a bit worried.

Actually I have oxford freedom insurance which is easier. I have an apt with a psychiatrist now wednesday the 19th and my pcp is writing my letter of necessity as well as my three month diet history. That's all that my insurance requires. I'm meeting with dr. pomp 12/8 and my only worry is that he should schedule me shortly after! I've been on a diet half my life and once I decided I'm going for the surgery, I want it now!!

my husband did speak with someone at a referral agency and they did tell him that dr. pomp is top and if I can get to him with my coverage I should look noplace else.

I spoke with lots of people who've been through this and am reading online too, so I pretty much know what I'm in for - I'm not fooling myself into thinking that it's easy -but I want to do it and I'll give it my best.

THanks again, it really means a lot to me to hear that the staff and office is nice and that people out there are using this doctor, and who knows? maybe I'll meet you in the recovery room!!:thumbup:

Good luck with your apts and precertification. I'll be glad to keep you posted if I get there first!!

All the best,

A positive attitude will help us get through this! :thumbup:

Have you had your procedure yet? How did it go?

Hi, hope you're doing fine. I actually had my surgery on Jan 20, and have recovered fully. I lost a couple of pounds but gained some of it back once I was able to eat normally again. I'm having my first fill not on 2/23 and can't wait to begin to feel restriction. I actually had a very positive experience with dr. pomp ad his staff. are you getting any closer to surgery yet??

Hi.

I'm new here and having Lap Band surgery with Dr. Pomp on 2/24...one day after your fill :tt2:.

I'm really nervous about the whole thing but know Dr. Pomp is a more than a well-respected surgeon. He was promoted to Chief of Laparoscopy and Bariatric Surgery in April of 2008 and he (and his staff) have been nothing but helpful.

Good luck on the fill. I will be interested to hear how it goes!

Ruth