Robert Marema Bariatric Surgeon

I have yet to meet Dr. Marema. I chose him because he has had the surgery himself and comes highly reccomended. The staff is polite. They seem to have the best program of any I have seen in South Florida. I was told my United Health Care PPO was not worth trying because of a NO WLS ryder. I am paying for my surgery myself. They seem to be very busy and I feel a little strange going through all my tests without ever meeting the dr. I saw Dr. Moore, at another weight loss center, my very first visit. So far, things are going well. I'm sure I will feel more confident about everything once I meet the Dr. before my surgery.

loved him from the start. office staff was incredible. his knowledge, compassion and demeaner made me so comfortable. i'm so glad i chose him. i know so many people who had problems with thier surgery and doctor. the after care program was great. following the directions is very important. the rules are for a reason. when you follow them, you avoid problems later.i'm very happy about my decision to go to dr marema.

What was your first impression of him/her?
very knowledgable
How did your impression change over time?
Same
How would you describe his/her office staff?
Very Professional
What did you like least about him/her?
Nothing
What should future patients know about him/her?
He is considered to be one of the best so his time is limited.
How much does he/she emphasize aftercare?
It is critical and he probably has the best Post op program
Does he/she have a structured aftercare program? ABSOLUTELY
How did he/she address the risks of surgery?
Was upfront with all risks
How would you rate him/her overall?
9 out of 10
Which is better, surgical competence, bedside
manner, or both great? I will know after the surgery. :-)

Dr. Marema seemed very nice. I have not seen him since the surgery, but this may have been due to hurricaine Frances. I saw his associate Dr. Diaz, who has been wonderful. He has answered all of my questions. The office staff were all very nice.
Dr. Marema is a little too busy at this point in time.
Aftercare is very emphasized. This seems to be the most comprehensive pre and post-op education I have come across.
The risks of surgery were presented both in the informational meeting and in the pre-op education classes.
Overall I would give him a 9 out of 10.
Both surgical competence and bedside manner are great.

The only problem I had was with pain control. I had a problem with my previous surgery and expressed this to the surgeon prior to surgery, however I had to call his associate at the office in order to get my pain meds changed after surgery. But once it was straightened out my pain stayed under control the rest of my stay and my pain was only out of control for 1-2 hours right out of recovery.

I have only met Dr. Marema once. He seems very pleasant but more importantly knowledgeable and confident. He was forthright in his discussion of the risks.
His office and staff were very impressive, it appears that several staff members have had the surgery themselves. The office is huge! They make the waiting room very comfortable.
Pre-surgery education and aftercare are key in this organization. They have several classes available, support group meetings and a newsletter. Many people in the support group are very positive about Dr. Marema and what this practice has done for them.
After one meeting it is hard to give an overall rating. But he made me very comfortable with the prospect of my surgery and I have scheduled the date for 10/01/2004.

I have only met Dr. Marema one time at the orientation. He was very friendly and took his time to answer everyone's questions and concerns. He was also very informative and educational. After the orientation, he spoke to us on a one on one basis, he's very approachable, caring and understanding. I definitely know that I have made the best choice possible and can't wait to become an official loser. **Even my husband who was so against me having the surgery was impressed with Dr. Marema** His staff so far seem very friendly, caring and understanding (being that i've called a few times to make sure they know I'm waiting). They have never been rude to me and are very patient despite how busy they are. Dr. Marema did address the risks of surgery and definitely reemphasizes the need for aftercare. I rate him a 10 so far.

Haven't gotten to actually meet him yet but we spoke on the phone. I am very impressed. He knows I am bedridden and is willing to drive up to my house 3 hours from his office to meet with me and help me to get this surgery.I am very impressed(actually blown away) that a Dr exists that would do that.

I look forward to meeting him.

My first impression was one of being impressed. He is a man who has himself had the surgery, so he has been through it. He comes across as being a kind, gentle soul, who understands you and gives you the reassurance that he can help.

My impression has not changed, but has been further confirmed.

His office staff is outstanding. Due to the busy nature of his practice in Ft. Lauderdale, where I had my surgery, things move slowly, approvals, etc. However, my wife is having her surgery in the new Celebration, FL location, and the staff is great and things are moving along at a much faster pace. But, all the staff has been so friendly and helpful, they are great!

He did not do my follow up in the hospital himself, and that would have been nice.

Future patients should know that he is one of the top bariatric surgeons in the country. They should do extensive research on who is performing their surgery. While national mortality rates are 2% for this surgery, these rates vary, and may be lower, based on how good the quality of the surgeon is. It is critical to do the research. US Bariatric is the group I went with, and Dr. Marema founded the group.

The entire philosophy of US Bariatrics is about extensive pre and post operative care. They go to great lengths to ensure you have all the knowledge you need up front by putting on information classes, nutrition and excercise classes, pre-op classes where all phases of the surgery are explained. They even show you the devices such as the G-Tube drain other instruments that will be used during the procedure. They inform you what drain tubes will be left in you and for how long. Additionally, they have extensive aftercare and post-operative support groups, spiritual workshops and such a fantastic staff. You are required to follow up for a full year with the surgeon and his staff. They do bloodwork during these visits to make certain you are taking you supplements etc. They make adjustments if necessary. They have their own brand of special supplements for bariatric patients but remain open to your desires to potentially seek alternative supplements. For me, pills after surgery were very difficult to consume. Therefore, I tried and have stayed with the Isotonix line of liquid supplements. My bloodwork has proven that these have been a great choice for me and I enjoy taking them daily. I do not sell them, so this is not a commercial.

The risks of surgery are apparent if you do the research you should do prior to undergoing such a procedure. They did put on information classes, however these are generally pretty positive in nature. While they will address some hard questions during the sessions, if asked directly, they tend to not want to shine the light on too many of the bad things that can happen. After all, they are there to sell weight loss surgery. They will answer your questions, even if it is in private.

I would rate Dr. Robert Marema as a great surgeon, with an excellent demeanor. As for beside manner, he never followed up with me directly on hospital rounds. That was one thing I missed. Instead, other surgesons from his office visited me. They were competent, and quite nice, but I would have liked to see him again and have him check on my progress. Also, to thank him. Notwithstanding that fact, he is gentle, caring and comes across as quietly confident in what the surgery will do for you. He has been there himself, so you know he has empathy for your situation. He will go to great lengths to do your surgery laperoscopically, vs. open. I was a 53 BMI, at 409 lbs. and he did mine as a lap. Dr. Marema is all about helping people, and it shows when you meet him.

His surgical competence is superb, and his bedside manner may be good, I just did not get to experience it as other doctors from his office did hospital rounds to follow up.

When I first saw Dr. Marema he had not had WLS himself. He was and is tall and at that time a large person himself. I found this comforting for me being a morbidly obese person. He spoke to me with much kindness and compassion and I knew he knew this disease. Over time he has proven to myself and thousands of other patients that this is a calling. He surrounds himself with people who also feel this is a truly life altering experience. He believes in educating his patients so they can be successful long term. Many of his office staff have had WLS surgery so they also can share their experiences with new patients and those further out. He believes this is a journey that only begins when first deciding to undergo WLS and after surgery there needs to be new information and tools to guide patients along this journey. I have been very fortunate to become part of his team and developed with him an aftercare program to truly allow patients and their family and friends to learn new coping skills, nutrition, exercise and build a spiritual life if they are inclined. The philosophy is that the body,mind and spirit need to be addressed in order for long term success. Educating everyone on the risks is taught and discussed several times before surgery. Dr. Marema wants people to know the risks involved with WLS surgery as well as the risks if a morbidly obese person decides to not have surgery they are at great risk for mortality. Due to the growth of his practice and program they are other surgeon who are just as qualified and also have the compassion and emphathy needed to be in this field of Bariatrics. Patients seem disappointed that they don't see Dr. Marema as often as they would like. Unfortunately he can't be everywhere and the need for education to Hospitals, Surgeons and their staff across the country for the overall well being of the bariatric community takes up a great deal of his time. Obesity is something this surgeon has lived with personally his family has been afflicted with the disease and he has a vision to help everyone who wants help. I am proud to be a Marema patient as well as part of his support team. Of course I am not biased. Every WLS person feels their surgeon is the best and they are for them-that is why they chose that surgeon and their program.

Dr Marema was very nice. I liked him and was confident having him because he himself had it done as well as his family. His office staff is very imformitive but his insurance people took forever to process my papers. It seemed as if I had to do all the leg work, which I was at the end denied. What I don't like about him is that the last time I saw him was just before my surgery. I have never again seen him. They make my follow up appts. with him, but when I get to the hospital, they give me another doctor to see. Dr Marema does have good post-OP and support groups but it's too far from where I live. He addressed the risks of surgery like it is. As a surgeon I would rate him a+.