Crohn's Doctor in NY - Recommendations/Views

Ive been using Dr Daniel Present (212 861 2000) for the past 12 years. He supposed to be a top dr. for crohns, but I'm not sure I would reccomend him. I never feel like theyre on top of the patient and know anything without looking at what was written in the chart. It may be more benificial to find a Dr. who actually knows and remembers you and your ailments.

Good Luck. 

JavaJay- Thanks for your post. Yes, I haven't met Dr. Potack but have met some of his colleagues in-house at Mt. Sinai. I was leaning toward using an "outside" doctor because I'm wondering how accessible the faculty-practice associates are on a day-to-day basis. My ipressions is that they are really up on the literature and latest research, but that obviously means traveling to conferences, doing research and teaching too. Hasyour experience been positive? Would love to hear more about Dr. Potack too. Thanks

I had the same problem also. Dr Deitrich was on the best doctors list and when I first started seeing him my appointments kept getting cancelled because he was out doing seminars.  The I would have to wait another 3 months before there was an opening.  The flip side was that he is good.  Eventually, since he didn't specialize in CD, he recommended Dr. Potack who does specialize in it.  I have been very happy with Dr. Potack.  He really listens to his patients and works with them.  He was hesitant about starting me on Remicade but I talked him into it.  He then thought about doing a colonoscopy to see if there was any inflammation going on.  I told him that I was hesitant about doing it and that I felt that there was because of symptoms I was having.  Instead of going for the money with a colonoscopy he did some bloodwork that kind of comfirmed there was inflammation.  So far, he is my favorite GI I have had.

I see Dr Lloyd Mayer at Mt Sinai. He got me into remission very quickly & is very patient. I believe he is head of immunology & gastro. I know he is very involved with CCFA & their research.
Hope this is helpful, let me know if you have any more detailed questions

I am new to this site but not Crohn's. I have had Crohn's for 22 years. I think 2 years longer but was diagnosed when I was 21. I went to see Dr, Marion because my regular GI doctor felt he wanted a top notch specialist to see me. The first visit in 2005, I brought my films from my latest smal bowel follow through which said there was no obstruction and Dr. Marion was able to see the obstruction right away. A few weeks later I was hospitalized where I work in NJ, the GI doctors knew about my case because I am a nurse who works in endoscopy there, however, after being NPO for 1 week and having a CT scan of my abdomen and another small bowel follow through, no one saw the obstruction. Dr. Shlein, my GI that sent me to see Dr. Marion called him and had me transferred to Mt. Sinai. After being NPO and on Hyperal for 3 weeks and 3 small bowel x-rays later, Dr. Marion went to bat for me and had Dr. Harris (specializes in IBD surgery) operate on me. He did a great job.
Skip ahead to 1 1/2 years later, the pain after eating, 1 to 2 bowel movements a day very painful and no appetite, my GI again sent me to Dr. Marion. Dr. Marion insisted I had my small bowel follow thru x-rays with a radiology group in Manhattan. He told me I was on too may pain pill and that was why I was feeling bloated, not able to eat anything even liquids and I should stop them. After I had the x-rays, Dr. Marion was away, so my GI called and got a copy of the report because he could not stand to see me in so much pain and suffering. It confirmed that I did have a stricture in my small bowe and was almost completely obstructed. My GI did not want me to see Dr. Harris right away because I already had short gut 5 ft of small bowel left from my previous 4 resections. After Dr. Marion returned, I called his office to get an appt. to go over the results and what course of action he would recommend. He did not come on the phone, but instead had his receptionist tell me there was no obstruction noted on the test and I should stop all the pain meds and I would feel better. I was confused. Was my GI, whom I had known then for 18 years lie to me. I decided to bring the films to Dr. Harris and let him give me his opinion. The report the radiologist typed said there was a stricture, it took 12 hours at the x-ray for the barium to go thru. I knew somethin was wrong because it usually goes thru in 30 mins. Dr. Harris did not read the report, he looked at the films and said no wonder your in pain, you have a stricture the size of a string in diameter and taking up about 8-10 inches. Long story short, I had another small bowel surgery with the great Dr. Harris and felt better for 6 months and have had flares from my Crohns again and now a possible small bowel obstruction again.

I just wanted to relay this story because Dr. Marion works with Dr. Present and my GI trained with him and felt very comfortable sending me there; however after he treated me that way, he rethinks who he sends there for a second opinion. I am still on pain meds for this horrible disease, It is like a punishment every time I eat, my stomach hurts so bad. I have lost 20 pounds over the last 4 months without trying and I would not wish this illness on my worst emeny. Beware of the specialists you go to. I prefer my small town GI, he is comfortable telling me when he can't handle a situation or needs a second opinion. I feel he is not full of himself and thinks he is always right like some specialists get in there head. As a side note, I know this is long, Dr. Marion could not stop telling me how he took care of Mary Ann Mobley, an actress who also had Crohn's and was on a television special about her. I respect that he took care of someone famous but that does not mean he knew me in hte sense of if I was addicted to pain meds or not. I just stopped working this Monday because of the nausea and pain. I needed something to help with the pain to work and carry on as a mother of my 2 children and my sick husband,

Sorry this is long and I am new to this site, but thanks for reading it.