First Impression was good..I already knew of him because he did my best friends surgery. When I did meet him face to face...he seemed to young...but once he starts talking that goes away (he still looks young, but knows EXACTLY what he's talking about.) His office is very busy...But I think that's par for the course when you are going to see any surgeon who is highly regarded in his or her field. His staff was fine. But beware, phone calls are either not returned, returned at odd hours, or returned several days after you leave the message. It can be frustrating, especially if your question or concern is important...but be persistant and keep calling. I know he is very busy and his staff is very busy so I just try to be understanding. He is very responsive to my questions and concerns. I even spent 5 minutes w/ him at one of the monthly meetings and asked some questions. He didn't seem bothered at all, he answered them and even offered more information Overall...I'm pleased so far!
I mt with Dr. Abkin, and he was really nice. He made me feel totally comfortable. I am very picky and everything about him set me 100% at ease. The staff there is really nice, as opposed to other doctor's offices. Maria, the woman who deals with insurance seems to be on top of her game. But if you leave a message dont expect her to call you back, you gotta keep on top of that. But as far as she says, she goes out of her way to make sure you get your aproval before surgery. The mandatory seminar that they make you go to is VERY informative, people ask questions that i would have never even thought to ask.
I felt comfortable with Dr. Abkin and his staff right away. This is the second surgeon I have met in 2 years and Im glad I chickened out the first time otherwise I would have never met him. I feel confident that he is the best choice for me. My surgery date is just 2 weeks away and I cannot wait until it is over. The office staff was great. I needed to get my surgery date moved up a month due to insurance reasons and they couldn't have been more helpful. Cheers to Dr. Abkin and his staff!!
young, nice smile, warm
i think as a patient you have to let the surgeon know what you expect from him
staff was nice, but they are busy
no complaints about the surgeon, i even called him at 10:30pm because i had a fever on the first day home and he called back within 20 minutes.
Friendly, personable and cares
after care is essential, they will come looking for you
5 Stars
both of course and he has it
My first impression of Dr. Abkin was that he was a really nice and caring doctor. He took his time in answering questions, and he was very down to earth. Very impressed.
DR. ABKIN IS THE BEST IN NJ. HE TAKES HIS TIME AND LISTENS TO ALL YOUR NEEDS AND FEARS! HE IS WELL WORTH ALL THE PROBLEMS YOU MAY HAVE WITH SOME OF HIS OFFICE STAFF. JUST BE PERSISTANT AND YOU WILL DO JUST FINE.
WHEN I SAW HIM FOR MY FIRST POST OP APPOINTMENT AFTER SURGERY, I WANTED TO SAY TO HIM "I LOVE YOU AND THANKS FOR SAVING MY LIFE." THANKS DR. ABKIN!!
UPDATE:
I HAVE CHANGED SURGEONS TO DR. ABKIN in Floram Park, NJ, due to my insurance. AND AN ERROR MADE BY DR CAPELLA'S OFFICE. Dr Capella is not in my network. Also the office staff is not very efficient. They confused my paperwork with another patients and told me when I called to check on my approval, they said to me that I no longer wanted the surgery and that I called on two occasions and told them to cancel it. NOT TRUE at all. When I attempted to resolve the confusion they were so rude and hung up the phone. So I immediately, told them that I would use another Surgeon. It is so sad that the office staff sometimes leaves a bad impression with you. I thought that if they mixed up the paperwork, what else would they mix up.
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My First impression of Dr Capella was that he was a very patient person considering the time of evening that the WLS info meeting was held in his office. I went prepared with several very detailed medical questions, ex: digestive acids, and malabsorbtion, the percentage or chance of any bloodclots, wound infections and leaks, what actually happens during the new digestive process. He answered them with some detail, considering the large group that we had. I was really concerned with the chance of staples bursting or leakages. Future patients should know that this is very serious and be very sure what they are entering into. The office staff is very busy. The receptionist is very friendly. I had an opportunity to view some before and after pics in the waiting room. One of the most important things about this surgical team was the low rate of complication. That tells me alot. I will however continue to pray all the way through this process. Only Jesus can guarantee my Life and safety.
I was originally scheduled to have surgery with Dr. Bertha, but Dr. Abkin had a cancellation and I was lucky enough to slide right in. Not having met Dr. Abkin until the Friday before my surgery, I was nervous. However, I was immediately put at ease by his calm demeanor and very honest and frank answers. My husband and I were both happy Dr. Abkin was going to do the surgery. Overtime Dr. Abkin has gained my admiration, and I thank God there are surgeons like him out there to help those in need of this surgery. His office staff is very pleasant, but probably overworked due to the volume of interest the office has received regarding the surgery. Getting the first appointment to meet with the surgeons is very difficult. Aftercare is extremely important to Dr. Abkin, and I look forward to these appointments. Overall I would give Dr. Abkin an A+.