Mustafa Hares Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

Excellent....Love the office staff too!
very structured aftercare program

When I first met Dr. Hares, it was with another patient for the initial consult. He seemed very at ease with us, not too formal. The other patient and I let him know that we were fairly well informed to begin with, so he was brief with the description of the surgery. He discussed risks and failure rates and talked quite a bit about other surgeons he has worked with. It would have been nice to have some one-on-one time with him, as it takes me a few minutes to warm up to people...I had a list of questions that I didn't ask because by the time I was ready to speak up, he was ready to do the exam. That is my issue, really, not a problem I have with Dr. Hares. The exam was very brief. He told me that my incision would have to go around my belly button and then he listened to my heart and lungs. His nurse, Jackie, was very friendly and I got the chance to express my concerns and ask some questions while she was getting me ready for the Dr.
She took some photos, both clothed and naked, gave me a list of tests that needed to be done and then I was done. I got a good sense of their capability and comfort with the whole process. The receptionist, Carol, is wonderful. She seems to always have a smile and has information ready as soon as you need it. There are support group meetings every other Monday. They are about an hour from me, and are at 5:30, so it will be a challenge to make it to some. My surgery date is coming up, so I will have more to write about the surgeon then...for now, I am comfortable with knowing that he comes highly recommended by other patients and that he has trained/worked with highly skilled surgeons such as Dr. Hess in BG, OH.

I haven`t spent much time alone with Dr.Hares,but anything I needed to know was covered in a group setting(either in his office or support meetings).Much of my visit time is spent with his RN,Jackie.She is always available to address any problems I`ve had.His office manager,Carol,is also extremely supportive & helpful.They all emphasize the importance of the 2 year follow-up support program.
The things that bothered me after my duodenal switch were the drain tube,pureed diet,and diarrhea for the first 10 days.The drain tube was very uncomfortable and was always getting accidently"yanked".When it was pulled out by the nurse,that was a whole nother kind of torture.The pureed diet goes on for a month because of the Valtrac device he uses.That gets boring real fast.
Since I don`t remember seeing him in the hospital,I would say Dr.Hares surgical competance is better.

I feel very comfortable with Dr. Hares and the staff at Bloomfield Bariatrics. I love that I have <b>never</b> have had to leave a message or navigate a voice mail system when I call the office - I have <b>always</b> gotten a human on the first try! Jackie is absolutely amazing. She's smart, she knows her stuff, and she makes me laugh, which is very important. I like that she will be at the hospital on surgery day to talk with my parents. I've been to one support group meeting so far, and I'm looking forward to attending the others.
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Dr. Hares is straight forward. He explained the duodenal switch in great detail, and didn't lapse into doctor-ese. He took questions and comments in stride, and made me feel incredibly comfortable. Plus he has a great accent, which makes listening fun.

...01/16/03...MY EMAIL ADDRESS SHOWN AT THE SIDE IS INCORRECT AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT CHANGED. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME MY NEW EMAIL IS Ddgilmer@aol.com
....I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM ANYONE. I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THIS SURGERY. I AM NOW 2-1/2 YEARS OUT. SOME BUMPS ALONG THE WAY BUT I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT AND I STILL CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL DR. HARES IS.

Dr Hares is a very soft spoken person. He informed me about the surgery, the before and after. Jackie his nurse is the best. Carol who runs his office is very helpful. Dr. Hares is the best.

My impression of Dr. Hares and the program he is affliated with is one of professionalism, warmth and true dedication to the field. However Jackie, the nurse clinician, handles most pre and post evaluation and education and most questions and concerns go through her first. She is extremely knowledgable and supportive. Post surgery she is available 24/7 by cell phone.

Its my impression that Dr. Hares is very surgically competent and I experienced him as having a very good bedside manner while I was in the hospital. My family was impressed with him. I would rate him very high. However I was initially disappointed and surprised to find that most of my contacts with Dr. Hares would be through Jackie and I really never developed much of a relationship with him. I had no complications and therefore no need for further medical contacts with him.

Two years of bi-weekly aftercare in the form of a large support group is a requirement of this program. Even though I am a psychotherapist (clinical social work) and have a degree in nursing, I find this aftercare program essential to my progress and recovery. It's very valuable for the information that is presented by Jackie and others and for the personal contacts with so many people having the same surgery and what I learn from them. We are dealing with so many significant changes which makes aftercare so invaluable. It's probably an important treatment model for all people with significant medical or surgical problems who are in recovery.

Dr. Hares is competent and cautious - I had some complications with cellulitis and he was in the hospital every day checking on my. He is so compassionate - and he's funnie! A very approachable and down to earth guy. He is the only surgeon I would ever recommend.

He seems very thorough on his explanation of the procedure and also other wls and why he chooses D/S
My first impression of him was that he was interested in educating the group about the benefits of wls.
His office was friendly and efficient. They all seem to be very motivating and encouraging.
So far I haven't had anything I disliked about him. I did hear of one horror story that occured early in his practice but the woman is doing fine and as far as I know, his record of deaths is ZERO. Very comforting to know.
His office is set up to accomodate a large person. the tables, the chair all larger and roomy. That is nice
His after care is very important. That is why the $4500 fee is necessary. I am not sure how many meetings I will go to, but definitely go to the lab work necessary.

very people person doctor. gives a lot of info prior to surgery. very caring and concerned. the office staff is just wonderful and are there when you need them.the aftercare program is expensive but thats because they want you to be committed to your aftercare program.they want you to be a lifetime part of their program.all risks of surgery were addressed. and I would have to say that Dr. Hares is both a competent surgeon and has a great bedside manner.they all are the best in my book.