aprilnickole
Austin, TX
Dr. Patel was hillarious, blunt and knowledgable. I felt at ease with him and I knew that he really cared about me. We talked about my options and decided that RnY was the best for me. His support staff were amazing and always answered my questions with professionalism.
bre_nic20
Bishop, TX
The seminar was well attended and I know why. This seminar will take you from point A to point Z. Dr. Patel is very smart and is there to answer every question you have. His seminar takes care of the dietician and the psych eval. He goes over everything and then lets you know what he needs from you. Usually after 6 hours you are done and can pay your co-pay and go home. Patti, is FABULOUS, she helped me so much. They sent my letter to BCBS and about three days later I called them [BCBS] to see if they had everything the customer rep. put me on hold then verified the doctor and then...I was APPROVED. All I could do was say thank you. Dr. Patel's nurse Adana called me the next week and gave me my date November 28, 2007. I can't wait to start my new life. If you are unsure of what surgeon to use look into Dr. Patel he and his staff are wonderful. If you have any questions just let me know.
lainy-h
Corpus Christi, TX
My first impression of Dr Patel was that he was very friendly, knowledgable and was willing to take however long I needed for all of my questions to be answered. One of the things I like best was the fact that he never spoke down to me, but treated me with respect and dignity and seemed to appreciate the fact that I had researched WLS and knew what I was talking about. At first his office staff seemed kind of hard to get hold of, but now that I am actually his patient that doesn't seem to be an issue Aftercare seems to be very important to him and his staff and he includes lifetime aftercare with his surgery. I haven't had my surgery yet so will write more then.
MzMonroe
San Antonio, TX
I had a great first impression of Dr. Patel. The seminar I attended was very organized, I received alot of useful information, and was impressed with the staff as well. I had a consult with the doctor that same day which I thought was awesome, I was sure I was gonna have to make another appointment and pay another co-pay etc. But it was more like a one stop shop. The Doctor and the staff were professional and it seemed like they really understand and care about each patient and it not about getting paid. I have Aetna insurance and they ask for everything including the kitchen sink. I was very discouraged and felt overwhelmed to get all the documents and information the insurance needed. But I never gave up thanks to his staff who stayed in contact with me and helped keep me motivated.... [Click here for more] I have only recently submitted the items to the insurance. I pray that I am approved. I want this WLS and it will happen one way or another. If Aetna won't approve it then I will switch insurance at open enrollment and make sure Dr. Patel is a doctor in that network. He has an emphasis on aftercare, which is awesome. Having this surgery will allow me to get my life and health back, aftercare will allow me to maintain and never get back to this point again. The doctor was very thourough in explaining not only the benifits but the risks as well. I would rate this doctor a 10. He has an awesome reputation, has done hundreds of WLS, and is very dedicated to his practice. Thats what I can tell you so far I have been working with the office since 08/07 and I have yet to have the surgery, but i feel great about the surgeon I chose because I had heard horror stories. The only thing I didn't really like was that the consult after the seminar did seem a bit rushed, but I had all the information that I needed anyway. Well I hope this was helpful to anyone considering WLS with this surgeon.
Carolyn L.
Bishop, TX
My impression of Dr. Patel was that he is very kind, witty, and passionate about his work and sees the obese person not as failures or societal rejects but rather as people looking for help and not condemnation. You can tell he GENUINELY cares about his patients and will do everything in his power to make this process as painless and timely as possible. Dr. Patel provided a very in-depth presentation but the only complaint I had was the waiting area was too small and seating at a premium- one person would get up to do their screenings and evals and then someone else would take their seat. I was constantly shuffling my stuff around and there was a lot to hold because of the reading materials and forms. I couldn't fully concentrate on some of what he was saying because I had so.many tests to take (diet/nutrition/psych/personal info, etc.) which had to be completed before they called you in- I felt a bit overwhelmed and rushed. In the future, they might consider mailing this out and having the patients complete them at home where they can concentrate in a quieter atmosphere and then bring them back completed. I am super grateful they opened a clinic in Corpus though because it will make it easier for me to go to my follow-ups. So, an update... Dr. P's practice is growing by leaps and bounds which means he is able to help more people achieve their dreams of losing weight and getting healthy. BUT... I do have a complaint and it's about his staff. It is difficult to get a hold of any of them and getting them to call you back is ridiculous! I finally was able to get a hold of someone, a sweet gal named Patty, who has been super helpful and friendly and on top of the game. I can't imagine how difficult her job is, but she took the time to answer some questions I had, check I had what my insurance needed in my file, and provided a sense of assurance I wasn't getting before. Bravo Patty!! Tell Dr. P to give you a raise! He needs more people like her on his staff!
HAdams
Corpus Christi, TX
My first impression of Dr Patel was great. He is very knowledgeable and aproachable. He takes obesity seriously as a disease. I have had lots of trouble with his office staff. I call, email and call again. The staff does not call back!! I feel like I have to beg them to help me through the process. I am a nurse, so I understand more than most non-medical people do. I have gotten really frustrated and angry. This surgery is very serious and I expected Dr patel's staff to be much more helpful. I have a surgery date and I have confidence in Dr Patel's abililty as a sugeon.
NancynSATX
TX
My surgeon was Nilesh Patel. I found him online, via his webpage. I left an email for him and within 24 hours HE personally phoned me back to answer my questions. I was amazed that the doctor actually took time to contact me himself. He is a wonderful doctor, is direct, understanding, and willing to work with you individually. After I got to know him, I learned he has a good sense of humor. His seminar is outstanding, as I have been to two other local seminars. Dr. Patel himself gives the presentation and then meets with every patient one on one and does not rush. He really listens and better yet remembers! Since I was a cash payment patient, my surgery date was set immediately following my visit... Met him on Thursday, did blood on Friday, and had my surgery on Tuesday! And I would do it all over again! Dr. Patel has a great staff and they all carry cell phones and will call you back immediately if you need them. His structure care is a 2 week post op, a 6 week post op and then I see him at 3 months out. He has a wonderful binder full of very important information that I still refer to now. I highly recommend Dr. Patel to anyone in his survice area. Life is good, and I thank Dr. Patel.
Strawberry41463
TX
My first impression was wonderful of Dr. Patel I haven't had time for it to change yet. His office staff have been wonderful to me and very polite and professional I so far would rate him on a scale of 1-10 about a 9 or 10. I feel that both surgical competence AND bedside manner are very very important!
Luisa
Dr. Patel was one of the friendliest men I've ever met. He's young, good personality and seems honestly interested in me. The staff was fantastic and everyone was trying to help me. I have a little difficulty walking due to two bad knees so I use my cane and they were all helping me to get around and get comfortable. He told me all about the program, what my insurance would cover, and before I left, told me I was accepted for surgery. He gave me a book that we all call our Bible because it tells us step by step what to expect, who to call if we have questions or an emergency, everything. My main concern was my age. I'm 69 and knew that I was nearing the age that they don't want to do surgery. He accepted me right away and was thrilled over my recovery after surgery, but so am I!! In my book, he's excellent. In competence, bedside manner, just totally. I think I love this man. LOL.
Babyblue28
San Antonio, TX
I was impressed when I went to the orientation to hear about gastric bypass. The doctor came in. He was real down to earth. He spoke with knowledge & sympathy. He was very personal & I believed he was the best. My first impression slightly changed. He now seems to have more patients than he can handle. His front office staff & clinical staff are so unhelpful. I got the runaround from all of them everytime I called. I liked his MA. She was helpful & informative. No one else seemed to care about the patients. I do not like the fact that 20 people have their appointments scheduled at the same time. We end up waiting for an hour & a half just to have our 10 minute follow up. I think his clinic is too small for all the people who are there for their appointment. When the doctor spoke of.the risks of surgery, he didn't make a big deal out of them, but he was sure to discuss them & make sure you understand them. I think Dr. Patel is an excellent doctor who could use better structure in his clinic & a more caring staff. I've worked front office in different clinics & I have never seen anyone more dis-interested in the patients as his staff. They didn't bother to give me any direction when they gave me my lab orders. They didn't tell me where to go. I ran all over town trying to find a lab, to find out that I needed to be fasting. That would have been crucial info from the front office staff when I told them I was headed to find a lab. Instead, they were more interested in what the others were doing after work. I think Dr. Patel is very knowledgeable.
