Ruary O'Connell Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My doctor is the best!!

WELL THIS IS THE 3RD GO AROUND AND I CAN TRULY SAY THAT I AM READY FOR NEW BEGINNING. MY SURGEON WILL BE RUARY OCONNELL FROM NEW ORLEANS.rn

Dr.O'Connell is professional,down to business and I felt very comfortable with him. The office staff were friendly and had their routine down pat.

2/17/04 - I met Dr. O'Connell & some of the ReNew staff (social worker, nutritionist, nurse practitioner) at a support group meeting/new info meeting. The 1st 30 min. was for pre-ops to ask questions to the post-ops, then the post-ops went to their aftercare meeting, and us pre-ops stayed with the Doctor & nurse & asked more questions. It was very laid back & informal, no slide show, etc. The doc was very honest & direct. He & his partner, Dr. Mando, do all of the surgeries together (over 2,000 RNY). He openly stated that they consider themselves still learning the laproscopic procedure (although I believe he said they're done a few hundred). They do the open RNY in under 1 hour. I had already decided that I wanted mine done open anyway. And last week I found out I have gallstones, and they only do an open procedure if they know the patient has stones. He discussed the risks & expected outcomes. I haven't had an appointment with him yet, but I feel I've made a good choice in surgeons. I believe that experience, competence and success rates are the most important factors in choosing a surgeon. If a surgeon has a good bedside manner, that's just a plus.
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12/22/04

lap rny. Dr. O'Connell said my surgery was the easiest they've done. I took just 85 minutes. I had no complications in the hospital. Went in on Wednesday, and home on Friday.
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2/09/05

7 weeks post-op. Down 30 1/2 #. BMI is now 34.2. I couldn't have lost this weight without the surgery. In less than a month, my blood pressure was normal without medication.

Aftercare is very important. There is a dietician & social worker & nurse practitioner in his office. There are 3 support group meetings a month in different cities.

I am very pleased that I choose the Renew program and Dr. O'Connell. It was worth the fight with my insurance company.

My first impression of Dr. O'connell is that he was not interested in having me as a patient. He was somewhat drilling and pushy with some of the questions he asked me and I must admit when I left his office the first time I felt depressed. But after the initial visit, once he may have discovered that I was serious about the surgery, he appearred to be much more forthright, professional and at times had a pretty good sense of humor. On the first visit his staff appearred to be busy, occupied,and not friendly. But, as I went through the entire process, I discovered that the staff was friendly,sincere, and very caring. The professionalism they display was astounding. The main thing I did not particularly like about him was how busy he would appear but I guess as doctor I have to understand that he had alot of other patients and some hustling and bustling is sometimes part of the job.To any patient considering him as a physician I would personally recomment him. Dr.O is clear about the risk of the surgery and he stongly emphasizes aftercare. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate him a stong 10; the man saved my life and gave it back to me! Personally his surgical competence is better than his bedside manners , but overall Dr. Ruary O'conner is a very skilled physician is the weight-loss field .

He is very knowledgeable and amiable.

Office staff is very informative and friendly.

The only thing I don't like about him is his location because it's several hours from my home. Also the waiting involved with appointments is quite long sometimes.

Aftercare is stressed with follow-up appointments being imperative and support group meetings being recommended.

Your are required to take a test on the surgical procedure before your surgery to ensure you know enough about the surgery.

On my first visit to Dr. O'Connell's I was really nervous and unsure if I was doing the right thing. After talking with some of his patient's in the waiting room, I knew that this was meant to be. Dr. O'Connell was very professional and took his time answering lots of questions. His staff was very nice. It took some repeat calling to "push" them to send for insurance approval but once they submitted it I was approved in 24 hours. His support program after surgery is wonderful! On every office visit you see a nutritionist and a social worker to discuss potential problems and address any questions you may have. His office also has a group every month for gastric bypass patient's which is mandatory for his patient's. I have been very pleased with O'Connell and have recommended him to several of my friends.

Before I met Dr. O'Connell, I felt totally committed to choosing him as my surgeon. My dear friend and endocrinologist highly recommended him and that was all I needed...end of discussion.

My first impression? Wow! He's so human! Nice, warm, caring, friendly. He just took his time and was laid back with me. Now, don't get me wrong, his staff were like machines. Methodical and structured. Everything happens in sequence and to prefect standards. I felt totally taken care of. They know there job, this field and are highly professional and impeccible.

Aftercare is a strict requirement. I admired that the most. He and his whole staff come to my city once a month for appt visits and then hold the aftercare program that evening. His dietician, social worker and nurse practitioner man the meetings. You're expected to attend for 3 yrs.

04/14/04
I have not met with Dr. O'Connell yet. I have talked to several patients of his, and he has an excellent reputation.

He is very down to earth in his manner, and kind to the needs of the obese patient.

My impression over time has only gotten better. He knows what he is doing, and his record proves this.

His staff is great and always there when you need them, very accessible.

I could'nt find a single thing to dislike about him. Very professional and caring at the same time.

Aftercare is very much encouraged, group meetings encouraged. Dietician on call.

The risks were not under played, we are made very well aware of the risks.

I rate Dr. O'Connell a 10/10

He has the perfect combination of bedside manner and competence. He takes time when you want to talk, and also answers the phone sometimes, that floored me!