Michel Murr Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

THIS WAS THE MAN FOR THE JOB
NEVER DID

THEBEST

NOTHING

HE IS THE MOST CARING DR. I'VE EVER MET

A MUST OR NO SURGERY

YES

VERY OPEN AND HIDES NOTHING

THE BEST

BOTH GREAT

Dr Murr was very through and direct which I liked. Though I waited almost a year for my first visit I thought He would be a little
longer in his exam,but he sends in another doctor to feel things out which was okay. He was very concerned about my overall health
so he sent me for a sleep study and a dietican and a mental health doctor. It ends Up that I have sever apnea no mental conditions the dietican was very informative. Some Dr. That I talked to and researched just wanted to do the surgery not look at the whole person or problems.

I went to see dr. haicken first. His nurse practitioner was excellent. I then went to see dr. murr. He was very good and he does lap rny which I would prefer. So far so good with his office.

I saw dr. murr for the second appt. So far so good. He said it would take about two weeks for the information to be sent to insurance and then He would get me in asap. I have no complaints at all about the office.

My first impression of Dr. Murr was that he was a very personable,and very kind man. It has remained the same over time. Dr. Murr's right arm, Martha Entel, is an angel, and assisted me through my appeal process. She helped me to get over a lot of the hurtles that one must jump to get approved for this surgery. Jennifer, the nutritionist, comes to every support group meeting that she can, and provides helpful feedback in reference to the dietary changes associated with GBS. Future patients can expect to be treated with dignity, and can expect that every aspect of your health will be evaluated prior to determining if this surgery is right for you. Dr. Murr makes sure that you are a good candidate for surgery and makes sure that you visit any specialists necessary to determine that, including a psychologist (with your spouse if you are married). Unfortunately, due to the high volume of people needing this surgery, the wait times for appointments took a while. However, they have taken steps to make it better by opening up the "one-stop-shop" clinic. The TGH support group is awesome! Veteran GBS patients are there to describe their experiences and offer support as you go through your experiences.

My first impression of Dr. Murr is that he is very serious in tone. He wants to make sure that you understand the implications of this surgery and that there is a risk of death as the worst possible outcome. It was scary hearing him say that but not something that I was unaware of. I told him that I understood this and that I was willing to take that risk for the sake of having a better lifestyle that the surgery and weight loss would bring.
Since I have not really had much time during appointments to talk to him I can't really say I know him that well. I have read many good things about him as a surgeon and his previous patients that I have talked to at support group meetings all say that they were very pleased with him as a surgeon. And that he is very caring. Martha is the primary contact in his office staff. She is the bariatric coordinator and also hosts the support group meetings. She is very nice but also very busy. The best way to reach her is by email. She responds relatively quickly although she can be brief in her responses. I guess that's probably because she has alot to handle. Dr. Murr has a long waiting list of patients to see for the first time. I waited 7 months to see Dr. Murr for my first visit. The second visit with Dr. Murr did not get scheduled until I had seen the nutritionist, psychologist, and sleep doctor to determine if I have sleep apnea (which I do). When all those doctors had submitted their reports back to Dr. Murr, only then, did I get put on the list for the second appointments. Fortunately, that appointment came alot quicker than the first. As far as Dr. Murr's beside manner, I do not know this yet other than first impressions, but I do hear that he tries to visit each patient after surgery to see how they are doing and he does make himself relatively accessible through his assistant, Martha, for emergencies or questions post-op. I think that surgical competence, especially for this kind of surgery, is more important than bedside manner. I think Dr. Murr is both incredibly competent and caring about his patients. I think he just wants to make sure people know what they're getting themselves into. It's not for the weak of mind.

I've heard that aftercare program is good at the hospital Dr. Murr performs the surgery, Tampa General Hospital. They have a great nutritionist on staff, Jennifer Broder, who visits each post-op patient to discuss nutrition plan and suggested foods post-op. She is very friendly and helpful.

I met with Dr Murr for consult on 07/27/01. He was very personable and answered all my questions. He does require all patients to attend at least one support group meeting prior to surgery, and stresses the importance of having a support network in place. He also will NOT do surgery on anyone who smokes...sooooo, i quit. He is quick witted and a very caring individual.
I must also mention that it takes a while to get an appointment with him. I think the wait list is about 4 to 6 months, but it is well worth the wait. He is in high demand right now with all the media attention his practice is growing rapidly. He does Bariatric surgery as a service but that is only a small part of his practice. Sometimes he runs behind on appt times, but the way I look at it is that when I needed him while I was in the hospital, he was right there, so when he is late he is at someone elses side that needs him more right then. Martha, his coordinator is fantastic. I found the best way to contact her is thru email. She checks it often and responds immediately.

Dr Murr is very straight and to the point. His office staff is very helpful.

Getting into see Dr. Murr for the first time took almost 7 months. The day of the appointment I was early but the appointments were running late. By the time I got in I was anxious and ready to battle to prove I really wanted the WLS but was surprised by how easy and pleasent the visit was. Dr. Murr sat down, offered to answer any questions I had, gave me his card and written instructions for the next step, and wished me a pleasant day. His staff seem comfortable with larger people and very professional. My only complaint was the small size of the chairs in the waiting area. (Small for obese people, not normal people.)

*Note: I recently went back for a 3 month post-op follow-up appointment and the chairs were now comfortable. Dr. Murr also gave his permission to start an on-line support group. It will be located on yahoo groups and titled as OSSG_Dr_Murr.

Dr. Michel Murr performed mine and my wife's surgery. RNY Open We both had complete confidence in his ability and follow-up care. He is straight forward and let's you know this surgery is no picnic and yes you can follow the post-op instructions and have alot of success or you can sabotage your own journey. My wife and I have alot of admiration for Dr. Murr and his staff and believe that he truly gave us a "gift"....

Dr. Murr removed my gallbladder in 7/2000. My surgery was done by laparoscope and I had no post-op complications. I had no idea at the time that he preformed bariatric surgery...but then again I weighed at least 25 pounds less at that time. I thought he was a very competent surgeon then and when I saw him recently my feelings have not changed. I am a RN at the hospital at which Dr. Murr practices, and when we encounter each other in the halls, etc, he is always pleasant. His office staff has also been very nice to me so far as well.