Dr. Melhem A. Imad MD

Before I can leave a review, I must give a brief history. Some 12 years ago I had a serious falling out with a gynecologist I had been seeing. As a result of that incident that “ doctor” published nasty comments about me that have followed me to every doctor I’ve seen since. As a result I have experienced varying degrees of animosity by “ doctors” and/or their support staff. I have learned over the years that doctors stick together right or wrong. However, a VERY small number of doctors have treated me well despite the “nasties” about me. Fast forward to CRSS. I saw Dr Patel for surgery. As usual, my initial consultation was great. Immediately after the consultation, I could never reach his assistant nicole ladera for questions or for scheduling other appointments I needed pending surgery despite her telling me to email her and she would call right back. I did that as well as call, leave voice mails, messages with other employees, and even drove to the office to meet her to no avail. No employee would so blatantly disregard a patient for fear of possibly losing their job. There are a number of time-sensitive hoops you have to jump through in order to get surgery with Patel. Nicole was interfering with my progress. I believe Patel arranged this with Nicole because he wasn’t man enough to tell me he didn’t want to do my surgery. As a former RN, I’m accustomed to witnessing unethical behavior of “doctors” with their patients. I wouldn’t trust Patel to remove a splinter. I cancelled my surgery. And yes, I’m sure I will suffer further repercussions for leaving this review. (FYI: The only doctor from this group I can recommend is Dr. Buckberg. He was my provider when with another group. But being a good doctor isn’t about where one works, it’s about what kind of man (or woman) you are). UPDATE: Every doctor I had appointments with in preparation for my surgery cancelled my appointments and the cardiologist wouldn’t see me at all. He scheduled me with his nurse practitioner.

From my first visit to my surgery to my follow-ups have all be amazing. The ladies up front are all so helpful and sweet. They always remember who I am and even when I call to ask a question, they go out of their way to help me. The first time I met Dr. Meyers, he was great. He explained everything to me from beginning to end. Went over all the options and my medical history so that we could make the best decision about which surgery would be best for me. He has a very cheerful and comforting attitude towards his patients and his bedside manner is incredible. He goes above and beyond to make sure that his patients are ok after surgery. He even started his vacation late because he wanted to make sure I was feeling ok after my surgery that day. I haven’t met a doctor yet that would do that. Miss Tracy is his scheduler. I can’t say enough great things about her. We hit it off as soon as we talked on the phone. She stayed in touch with me every step of the way to keep me updated about the approval from my insurance, she helped me get scheduled and go through the entire pre surgery checklist. I remember my first post op follow up, she was standing there as soon as they brought me to the back and was my own personal cheerleader. Whenever I have an appointment she always comes to see me. She responded to my 1,000 emails and never got annoyed at all. This practice makes you feel comfortable and confident about helping you along your journey to a healthier lifestyle. They have been a great support system and I recommend them to whoever asks me about my gastric sleeve surgery.

I saw Dr. Rahman after 2 ER visits at Virginia Beach hospitals for a gall bladder attack. I was in pain and worn out from waiting in pain. Dr. Rahman's calm, reassuring, and caring presence confirmed that he would take care of me. He reviewed my records before I arrived and knew exactly how to address my medical issues. They said they would get me into surgery as soon as possible and they did. The next day, his scheduling nurse, Debra called me and gave me a date and told me what I could expect in the experience. The following Tuesday, I arrived at Chesapeake Regional Hospital with valet service and a relaxing piano concert in the lobby while I dealt with paperwork. I felt like I was walking into a 5 star hotel. I was swiftly delivered to my pre-op area and the nurses couldn't have been nicer or more concerned about my well-being. The anesthetist chatted with me for a long time about my tendency to feel nausea after being anesthetized. Then the wonderful Dr. Rahman came in to explain what would happen and how to take care of myself thereafter. Then the surgery was over. My incisions were small and healed beautifully. I have had no problems and I feel great. Dr. Rahman and his office were superior in care and skill. Thank you so much!

Dr. Meyers and his staff have changed my life. If you are looking into bariatric surgery don’t hesitate. They are so helpful, caring and makes the process smoother for you. You learn so much and I was always taken care of every time I had an appointment. The support they provide is amazing pre and post surgery. One of the best programs around thanks to Dr. Meyers and his team.

Had an issue on my last visit dropping off insurance forms involving one of the receptionist. It turned into an embarrassing altercation in the waiting lobby. She expressed an attitude and escalated the misunderstanding over the fact that I was simply dropping forms off and she wanted to charge me for full appointment visit. Understanding that her job dealing with the injured public may require a higher standard of compassion and customer service should be considered is a higher responsibility. I guess not everyone is cut our for that type of job. Administration stepped in and resolved it all with no hassles.