Hello!  

I am using Dr. Amjad Ali from the Hamot Bariatric Center in Erie PA!  Has anyone else used him?  He seems very thorough and concerned, just wondering.

Thanks!
Pam

I did not use Dr. Ali, but I did use Dr. Arreola from the same practice. I very strongly urge you to look into St. Vincent's newer bariatric program and not go with Hamot. Hamot's after care and follow up is terrible, their office staff is rude and inefficient, and their nutritionist is not up to date on the needs of post-operative patients.

Hi Jackie!  Thank you for being honest and letting me know what you think.  I have heard both positive and negative comments about Hamot Bariatric.  It's hard to figure out what to do.  I'm a couple months from getting the surgery and I hate the idea of going through the whole process again, yet perhaps I'd have a better outcome elsewhere.  I don't know. 

You will have a better outcome anywhere else, believe me. I don't know what insurance you have, but perhaps they would be willing to transfer what you've done so far to St. Vincent's. It's worth checking into.

I totally agree with Jackie. I didn't go with Dr. Ali for my original gastric bypass (my husband was active duty and we were stationed in GA). When we moved to Erie after my husband was retired, I got my follow up care through Dr. Ali. His office staff is TERRIBLE! I have Tricare Prime (super easy insurance, pretty much approves everything) and the front desk lady was so incredibly rude when she couldn't figure out how to get approval for my gallbladder removal. It was insane! Never have I EVER had to deal with su*****ompetent medical/insurance professionals!
I wasn't a huge fan of Dr. Ali either. I have had issues with my Vit D and I know from my research and from my original dr that my Vit D should be above 80 for maximum calcium absorption. Well, when Dr. Ali went through my labs and my Vit D was something like 50, he said it was fine! And when I brought it up to him that no, it needs to be above 80, he asked me, "Who told you that?! It's just fine the way it is. Most of my patients are between 30-50." I just felt like he was a little condescending and overbooked.
Anyways, I didn't realize that St. Vincent's had a new program. If I were you, I'd DEFINITELY give that a try before going to Hamot. I had my gallbladder removed at Hamot by Dr. Ali and that was just a mess (the nurses were bad, they were trying to give me vitamins that didn't meet ASMBS standards.... seriously, just a mess) We've since moved out of Erie, but if we were still there, I would absolutely be switching doctors!

My physician recomended that I check out Hamot as well. Will probably try to set up an appointment and head down there once I'm done with this killer deadline.

Hi Bryan,

I haven't had bad experiences there, however, I have nothing to compare them with.  I do feel that I'm alone in this struggle.  I live 2 hours away from Erie, but that was the closest bariatric center and my physician urged me to go there as well. 

Good luck on your journey!

I live about halfway (two to two and a half hours) from Erie and Pittsburgh.  My mother choose Erie and I had my surgery done in Pittsburgh.  I am hoping to eventually start a 'brick and mortar' support group in Elk County in the near future.  Not sure of your location, but perhaps it might work for you!

Warm Regards,
DeAnna

Hello, Pam:

I believe my mother had Dr. Ali from Hamot. She had her lap band surgery this past February 2012. I had mine in December 2011 at Magees in Pittsburgh with Dr. Ramanathan. Dr. Ramanathan and his entire staff were amazing. My mother was pleased with Dr. Ali and has not mentioned anything about rude staff members. I just double checked with her and she said that 'they (his staff) are wonderful.'

Since I was with my mother at Hamot during her stay (after I had my surgery at Pittsburgh), I will share the following observations. When comparing facilities, I was not as impressed with Hamot as I am with Magees. Magees seemed ultra-modern comparatively speaking. As a matter of fact, my sister was with me during my surgery and Magees had a comfortable chair that folded out to a bed. This amenity saved us having to pay for a hotel room since she was able to stay right in my room with me. More importantly (to me) Hamot (at least where my mother was) seemed very old and dated . . . like it was trying to emerge from the early 1980s, but hasn't made it.

Additionally, my post-op visits at Magees focuses HEAVILY on food and exercise journals. I have learned so much from my practitioner. Magee focuses heavily on the fact that the Lap Band is a tool and has to be viewed as such. If our habits do not change, we might continue to lose weight for a few years, but--from what I have been told and even seen--sooner or later, the weight will come back.

My mother has never kept a journal and--I guess this must not be an issue for Hamot patients. From my experience, I definitely am concerned that there is not a greater emphasis placed on journaling (studies show that tracking and monitoring our food intake is one of the markers for successful weight loss and maintenance).

Finally, because Magees is associated with the University of Pittsburgh (however, it is also my understanding that Hamot is also now part of UPMC), they seem to be on the cutting edge of weight loss advances. For instance, it is my understanding that Magees has one of the only bariatric surgery centers for teens. Dr. Ramanathan also performed a ‘plication’ with my Lap Band surgery, which means that in addition to the band, he rolled my stomach and sutured it. This additional procedure helps to decrease the chances of band slippage and appears to offer a bit greater weight loss success than the band alone.

BUT--as we all know--any program is only as good as your determination and efforts make it . . . for instance, while at an appointment with my mother, I learned that we should avoid drinking our calories at all costs. I was not told this at Magees, but I implemented it in my lifestyle. Also, my mother was allowed to introduce protein back into her diet much sooner than I was . . . might have had something to do with the plication. I am not sure. The point is to make the decision that works best for you, your location, etc. Then, put forth your greatest effort . . . do your own investigation to find out what the latest research says about what works for people who lose weight and keep it off. The most important thing I have learned is to: listen to my body! And I do suggest that you keep a food journal even if not instructed to do so. I am certain that this one factor had an amazing effect on my journey and believe it will continue to do so. So far I have lost approximately 70 pounds and feel like ten million dollars!!

Hope this helps!

Warm Regards,
DeAnna