Thomas V.
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Sharp Memorial Hospital
"Post-op care was excellent. Nurses and staff were very attentive and caring."

Llorente Jorge
"Dr. Llorente and his staff have been excellent in calming my fears about bariatric surgery and in providing information and guidance. I found out about Dr. Llorente's new program from Patti, the program director, who is engaged to a friend of mine. Patti and I spoke several times over the phone about several other surgeons that I was considering. I ruled them out because one does not provide a complete follow-through program and the other is not accepting new patients with my insurance. Finally, Patti suggested that I might like to participate in Dr. Llorente's new program. She was not pushy and I sensed that she was genuinely interested in helping me find the best option for my particular situation. Patti sent me out a packet of information and requested that I have several tests done locally before my first trip to San Diego. These included blood tests, an upper GI series of X-rays, and sonograms. Although I was late getting them done, she and Juna were most gracious in working with me. They arranged a series of appointments for me on August 24, so that I would not have to make more trips to San Diego than necessary for consultations. I met first with Patti and Juna (whom I had not met before). Then I ran off to an appointment with a psychiatrist for an evaluation of my mental state. This a standard part of the overall process for establishing medical necessity for the surgery. Even though I was a little late getting to the psychiatrist's office, he was also very gracious and made a special effort to interview me in the available time so that I would not have to make an additional trip to San Diego. I then went to the offices of Dr. Lisa Arian, the internist/endocrinologist. She went over the results of the blood tests, X-rays, and sonograms with me. She then performed her own medical examination. She told me that the X-rays showed that I have a polyp in my duodenum and that I will have to undergo some additional tests, including a biopsy. I then returned to Sharp to meet with Patti and Juna again. Finally, at the end of the day I met with Dr. Llorente himself. In contrast with my experiences with other doctors, Dr. Llorente was very patient and easy to talk to. He was particularly keen that I understand the procedure,its risks, and the follow-up program completely. He said that the more I understand, the greater the chances of success at losing weight permanently. My appointment was his last for the day, and we talked so long that his office staff had closed up the office by the time I left. Because I have sleep apnea, Dr. Llorente wanted me to have a consultation with a sleep disorder specialist, in addition to some other tests. The only caution I have is that the bariatric program at Sharp Hospital is just beginning, so there are some obvious signs of disorganization. Patti and Juna had just moved into a new office and they will probably have to expand again soon, as their staff begins to grow. However, I have no questions about their professionalism or about Dr. Llorente's competence and caring for his patients. Update as of 10/6/01: I have been going through pre-op testing for over a month, and I am still not done! I have been X-rayed, sonogrammed, endoscoped, colonoscoped, polysomnographed, and I still have some more to go. Part of the problem is that I live in the Victor Valley. Finding good medical care is more of a challenge here than in San Diego. However, I believe that all this testing will be over in two weeks, and then the surgery can get scheduled. I have already told my boss that I will have to take a medical leave of absence in the near future and he is very supportive. TTFN."
About Me
Hesperia, CA
Location
55.0
BMI
RNY
Surgery
12/03/2001
Surgery Date
Feb 18, 2001
Member Since
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