Abbott Northwestern Hospital Bariatric Center
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Dr Drew was very friendly, straight forward and honest. He was relatively hands off in the after care. He did come to see me once after surgery to see how I was doing but other than that he did his excellent surgeon work and I couldn't ask for more. I didn't expect him to be my nurse or hold my hand through the after care so I was not disappointed that he did not.
If your looking for a surgeon to be more of a general practitioner than you will be disappointed, because that is not what he does. I did however work closely with my general practitioner during the process and she was abreast of all the tests I did and when my surgery was. She also came to see me in the hospital on the day after my surgery. I feel that between the surgeon, my general practitioner, Abbot Northwestern’s excellent nursing staff I had a great concert of medical minds who took fantastic care of me.
Dr. Schwartz seesms to be an excellent doctor. He spent a lot of time answering questions and giving out infomation when we met. The staff seemed very qualified and helpful. He emphasizes aftercare very much. He also told me if I gained even one ounce before surgery he would not do it. I liked that. I look forward to the surgery
I have not met him yet, although my mother had the surgery 7 years ago by him, she thought he was great.
My first impression of Dr Drew was that he was very gentle and sensitive man who understood the emotional and deep frustration that anyone who is seriously over weight deals with on a day to day basis. He addressed all of the risks involved in having this type of surgery and why I should not have the laparoscopic verses the open for my situation and I appreciated his honesty. He explained everything he was going to do and why he was going to do it a certain way in words I could plainly understand. He has an incredible staff, Krista and Judy who were also very helpful and supportive. There was not anything I did not like about him. They are very strict about your aftercare program and want you to follow-up to make sure you are living a new healthy life-style. If i could rate him on a scale of 1-10 he would be a 10. I felt very confidant in his ability as a competent surgeon and his bedside manner was impeccable. I would recommend him to anyone who is thinking about having this surgery. I also enjoyed the staff at Abbott Northwestern Hospital they were awesome.
I attended the required seminar by Dr. Schwartz's office in December 2003. Prior to that, I had researched several MPLS surgeons & found that Dr. Schwartz was indeed my best choice. Dr. Schwartz's wife, who's an RN, conducted the extremely informative seminar. It took me another 1.5 months to decide that I wanted to proceed with the surgery. I submitted my paperwork to Dr. Schwartz's office & received my insurance approval letter the middle of May 2004.
One of the main reasons I went with Dr. Schwartz was from patient referrals. My first impression of Dr. Schwartz during my consultation one month prior to surgery was one I'll never forget. I was able to bring my parents into the consultation to soothe their nerves about this major operation. Dr. Schwartz was extremely professional & informative. He first gave us the risks of having such a procedure done then moved on to the positives. He reviewed my chart & all of my previous test results & stated that I'm an excellent candidate for the surgery. He then asked if I'm ready to schedule a surgery date & tears welled up in my eyes. The day had finally come!
The literature I took home with me from the initial Dec. 2003 seminar & lit. accumulated since then has been extremely informative. Dr. Schwartz operates at Abbot Northwestern in MPLS, a hospital which requires you to attend a seminar with reps from each dept. you'll see & deal with during your stay in the hospital. This is a new seminar & one I recommend other hospitals to hold. Reps included: pharmacist, nursing floor mgr., recovery rm nurse, nutritionist, Nurse Judy Schwartz, & other operating room nurses. The info they provided me was priceless. I'm not a nervous person & was only nervous about the surgery for 5 min. during this seminar. They explained exactly what would happen from the time I walked in the door to admitting to the time I walked out of the door to be discharged. All details were discussed & it overwhelmed me a bit, HOWEVER, it was much better to know this at that time, then during the morning of admitting & after the surgery. I was tired enough having to get in a walk, breakfast, shower, & visits from various medical personnel. I wouldn't have felt like discussing my post-op diet for 30 min. after the surgery took place.
Both surgical competence & bedside manner were great. Dr. Schwartz told me afterwards that due to my BMI being 56, the lap RNY was a difficult procedure, but he was able to complete it without it becoming an "open" procedure. The entire nursing staff was extremely supportive & very caring.
I can't thank Dr. Schwartz & everyone involved in the procedure enough. They've given me my life back & now it's time to do my part in becoming a "healthier Amy".
From the time of my first meeting with Dr. Scwartz and his staff I knew I was in good hands. Dr. Schwartz made me feel very comfortable from the very beginning. First Dr. that I met that didn't lecture me about my weight. I would recommend Dr. Scwartz to anyone who is serious about WLS. Bedside manners were excellent.
Dr. Drew was great! I had my consultation with him about 2 months ago. My surgery is scheduled for next month (November 17, 2004). Dr. Drew was extremely kind and explained the entire procedure thoroughly. He answered all my questions and was very understanding about all my questions and concerns. He was honest and told me everything I needed to know. His staff is also great - they're all very nice and extremely efficient. I haven't had a single problem with any of my paperwork or getting anything done. In fact, they're usually two steps ahead of me! Dr. Drew is also very concerned about follow-up care. He is very kind, but also very up-front about insisting on the importance of following the program and coming back for follow-up. He is honest about the risks, concerned about the care and open to any and all questions. I would highly recommend Dr. Drew and his office to anyone looking into this surgery!
Dr Drew is a very smart man. He was kind but tough, and pretty no-nonsense. I had my poop in a group and he seemed to very much appreciate that. I asked a lot of direct questions, he had a lot of direct answers. I really appreciated that.
His staff is fantastic, and incredibly helpful. Don't call them, they'll call you. . . 8 months after your info is all in. The waiting is the hardest part. HOWEVER - he is SO worth the wait. They are the best surgeon's in the Twin Cities in my book.
DO NOT FAIL to attend Renewal support group Tuesday nights at 5:30 in his building. They suggest this, but it is not required. It should be required. They put a lot of responsibility in the hands of the patient for their aftercare, take their suggestions - go to therapy, and go to renewal. Go to Renewal EVEN BEFORE your surgery.
I would rate him as an excellent surgeon, with a good bedside manner.
My first impression of Dr. Michael Schwartz was, that he's very well educated, I've been learning about the Gastric Bypass procedure also know as Roux-en -Y or Lap Band for the past 18 months. He did a wonderful job at explaining the procedure went into detail and answered almost every question I had during this time. However he is strict and holds people accountable for their own actions, which I think is very good. This procedure is serious and needs to be taken this way as well.
The office staff at Abbott Northwestern is very professional and very helpful. Weather its by phone or walk in their always happy to hear from you and try to always deliver the best service to their patients both old and new.
Future patients need to remember to follow all the rules to get the best results of this procedure.
Aftercare is extremely important and shouldn't be taken lightly. It's very important to go to all your check ups to make sure nothing has changed as far as your body but also to stay educated and up to date on everything.
Finding a support network besides friends and family is also extremely important. It's very helpful with answering questions that may come up along the way. Also is helpful with accountability and keeping you focused and on track with your goals in mind.
Abbott Does require you to get checked several time your fist year after and then once a year after that. They also have a support group at their site that is called RENEWAL it meets weekly on Tuesday nights from 5:30pm-7pm
All surgery risks were brought up and discussed.
If I had to give a letter grade to rate Michael Schwartz I'd give him an B. His bedside manner isn't always the best. But he tells you the truth and not what you want to hear. And he is very pushy at making sure you achieve all your goals.