Emma Patterson Bariatric Surgeon MD, FRCSC, FACS

I've only been to the information session, but my initial impression is positive compared to other bariatric programs I've seen. Time will continue to develop my perception.

My first impression of Dr Patterson was that she was all business. She gave me so much crap on my first visit I basically had to sell myself before she told me she would do it. I dont know if its because i am young or what but she finally said yes. I was kind of taken aback by the first visit but my second visit went really well she really opens up to you and wants things to go well for you. the office staff are really good the are all very proffesional. I really like how they know your first name after just one visit. theres nothing that i dislike the most i have not had surgery yet or known the Dr long enough.Future patients should be aware that it takes a year before you get an appointment but the wait is worth it because you know that you are in good health before surgery its a long tough road but truely worth it once the ball gets rolling. Dr. Patterson has a very structured after care program she even wants to see you for 20 years once a year. She really cares about how well you do. she is very confident in her abilities which is a plus and she makes sure to explain the risk of the surgery that you decide to have. As of right now i would rate Dr Patterson a 9.5

<i>Please note that the following is my opinion and represents my personal experience with Dr. Patterson. Your choice of surgeon should not be based on my comments.</i>
In my opinion Dr. Patterson is just the most amazing person. She really took an interest in my story. I found her to be very upfront about the risks of surgery. She answered all my questions and addressed my concerns. Dr. Patterson has strict pre-op and post-op requirements for her patients. From my experience she follows up with her patients every three weeks for the first three months and then once every six months and then once a year for the following 20 years. My life has been changed and I thank Dr. Patterson for that.

I attended Dr. Patterson's info meeting April 26th, and was so very impressed! She seems very straightforward and yet has a great heart for what those of us who are morbidly obese have to go through on a daily basis. I was very impressed with her team and how everything is so organized. There are people to help you every step of the way.
** 8/08/03 ** Finally met with Dr. face to face. She is a very warm and caring person - as well as being very straigth forward. She was very easy to talk to and answered my few questions... and didn't laugh because I didn't have many! :)

I have not had a consult with Dr. Patterson yet but I did go to her information session. She seems to really know her stuff. I did speak to her after the talk for a few minutes. She was very personable and friendly. I asked if she did a family plan since my husband will also be having surgery after mine. She laughed and said no. I have spoken to two of her office staff a couple of times and they have both been friendly and imforative. The application process to be a paitent of Dr. P's was very fast too. Less than a week pasted when I got a call to say I could continue on with the pre-op testing. They also talked to my insurance to see if they would cover surgery if it is approved. I hope to have a counsult in the next 2 months or less if possible. I dont have anything negative to say about her. I will have to wait and see.
July 27th, 03
I met Dr. Paterson on friday. She was everything I had hoped for. Very profesional and knowledgeable. Her office staff was also friendly and helpfull. She has a very set pre-surgery program for you to follow and an after care one too. She answered all of my questions even the tuff ones. The only negitive I can say is the visit was long. 3 hours by the time I left from my appt time. So far so good.

I have chosen Dr. Patterson from others testimonials and her experience. I have a information meeting set in October, and her staff (Lisa) were extremely helpful. I will hopefully have my appt. with Dr. Patterson soon after the meeting.

Dr. Patterson is an amazing doctor. When I went to see her in May of 2002, I honestly did not think that she would operate on me. We had looked into many other programs and all told me that my bmi (75+) was too high and if I wanted surgery with them I would have to get it down to 60 or lower. So I went into this appointment with much trepidation and caution. However, upon meeting her, I learned that she is a very strong, determined physician. She told me about my options and agreed that the Lap Band was appropriate for me at the time that I was contemplating surgery. I liked that she made jump through all sorts of tests so that she knew all that there was to know about me medically before she operated on me. My impression of her is one of a very caring, supportive doctor. She demands a lot of us, but in the end it is for our own good. These are changes for the better. I think that her staff are wonderful. I think that patients should know that there are waiting lists for a reason that there could be long waits to get in to see her. This surgery is getting more popular by the day and that brings a lot of people to her information meetings. There are a lot of things that you need to do before you get to see her, but it is so worth it in the long run. She has a great aftercare program, very supportive. I knew all of the potential risks, including the fact that I could have died doing this, but also that many more people go on to be majorly successful if they use their tools to the best of their abilities. I would give Dr. Patterson a very high rating. I think that she is very good at what she does. I am happy with my experience with her and her office.

She is direct and too the point.


Confident and able to keep me alive.

Her office staff are wonderful. The "LISA" keep you informed and take a personal interest in working with you to get all of the information needed to successfully file your claim. They are really a joy to work with.

Take a deep breath and relax. The process of getting appointment and approval is a time consuming one. If you are one that likes to control the path it can be a bit frustrating. Dr. Patterson is capable and successful in helping obese people. Though her methods may seem time consuming they work. The Pysch evaluation is terrible the psychologist should be reviewed. The process yields limited results, though the intention is good.

Bedside manner is wonderful. Dr. Patterson, clearly desribes the surgery and gives you honest expectations. She arrived at 5:30 the next morning to check on me and made sure all of my needs were met. Excellent experience overall for a big guy that was terrified to have surgery.

I wanted to mention, in addition to agreeing with other posters' positive comments about Dr. Patterson, that I'm very glad she requires so much pre-operative screening and testing. I was sure I didn't have sleep apnea, but the required sleep study showed that I do have a mild case of it, so they're going to monitor my oxygen extra carefully during and after surgery. I feel that I'm going to be very safe during my surgery since she's been so careful to get everything assessed. I also feel that the appointments with the psychologist and the nutritionist did a lot to prepare me mentally for the surgery. I was surprised - but pleased - that she'll want me to come in to see her every year for 20 years!

Dr. Patterson is a petite professional no-nonsense doctor. Good Sam, the hospital where she does her surgeries in Portland, has a special wing for WLS patients with special equipment to accommodate the larger patients. I consider her the cadillac of the WLS surgeons in the Portland Metropolitan area. However, she is also the hardest to get to. If your insurance company has a weight loss exclusion, she will not even accept you into her program. I am trying to obtain alternate insurance now so I can bre accepted into her program. She has a great support group and staff.