Alvarado Bariatric Surgeons Bariatric Center

I will have to travel 900 miles to meet this doctor. I have had a personal phone conversation with him. The Alvarado Hospital, Dr Clark, Dr Wittgrove and the bariatric surgical team are very renowned. Dr Wittgrove performed wls on Carnie Wilson (see www.spotlighthealth.com). I will have a physical exam, tests, etc. on 9-9-04 there in San Diego and meet the doctor for the first time. Surgery is scheduled for 9-13-04. God is with me and I'm ready for a brand new life!! I am 60 yrs old and so tired of carrying all this weight.....all prayers will be appreciated!

Dr. Clark is in my opinion a very qualified, friendly, and knowledgable doctor. He is very well versed, and goes out of his way to explain the surgical procedure, from start to finish. His staff is also friendly and likable, and contacts you regularly to insure that you are on track with all the required tests and paperwork. Aftercare is GREATLY important with Dr Clark, and is very structured. I would say Dr Clark is one of the best surgeons I have ever dealt with, and I have had 20 surgeries to base my decisions on. I recommend him whole heartedly.

My first impression was that I had a great deal of confidence in him. I still feel that way, even more so. Everyone at his office and at the hospital were the greatest. I had wonderful care from step one until the last contact I had with them. I have one cousin and a sister-in-law that also had the surgery performed by Dr. Clark. We all had the same wonderful care and treatment. The one year of after care is so very important. I have another cousin that had the surgery done in Phoenix and did not get the great after care and had to do so many things that sound strange to me. Everything I had to do afterward made perfect sense to me. It was the best thing I ever did. I would recommend it to anyone needing it.

I personally didn't like the man, but I was looking for a good surgeon not a doctor I would see long term and therefore want to like. He seemed competent. Treated me respectfully. Did the job well. Office staff was friendly and helpful. My friend and I both had surgery the same day. We both developed infections after we returned to northern CA. Hers was serious enough that they flew her back down to San Diego. Mine was just an infection of the drainage incision and was treated outpatient locally though it took daily trips to Kaiser for a week to have it looked after. Six years later my friend becomes clogged very easily and vomits to relieve the pain 5-6 times a week. Aftercare was limited because of the distance between Sacramento and San Diego. What we received in the two weeks we were in the area was good and gave us a good foundation.

He was very professional and knows his job. He was very thorough and made sure that I understood everything. The office staff were also very knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend him to others. After surgery, he sent me to class for nutrition and exercise. It was very helpful. I wish that I wasn't from out of town so that I could have attended other aftercare services that his office offers. Dr. Clark is an excellent surgeon and you should at least call his office or attend one of their lectures around the country. BTW, his office also did the Carnie Wilson surgery.

My first impression of him was at an open seminar he spoke at. I thought he was a bit glib regarding some of the questions asked and I thought he wasn't as forthcoming about costs as he could have been. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about that aspect of the surgical procedure. When I saw him for my pre-op physical I found him to be personable, knowledgeable and with a great sense of humor which I very much aprreciated. He was thorough and attentive. The office staff was fabulous, very caring and respectful and kind, very much on top of every aspect of the procedure, both before and after.
I thought he was a little pompous at first, and he may still be that to some extent, but he definitely redeemed himself when I met him the second time.
He emphasizes the aftercare a lot and his office is very much on top of that.
He was thorough with the information regarding the risks, but I had also talked to a lot of other people as well.
I was very impressed with Dr. Clark and Alvarado's entire operation.
I don't know yet because I haven't had the surgery yet.

Dr. Clark was fantastic. Very confident and also very compassionate. I would recomend him in a heart beat. He has a great after care program. The complete staff was wonderful.

Dr. Clark is well-versed in his specialty and gives a good presentation

The office staff, Shirley Singletary in insurance and Sue Miller, RN have been just great. When I dropped in unannounced to meet them on what was obviously a very busy day, they both treated me like a long, lost beloved relative with a hug and smiles.

I'm sure that some of the journey will be less than pleasant, but having the support staff in place within the doctor's office makes all the difference to me.

From the first moment I met Dr. Clark I was sure that I had made the correct choice of surgeon. He was straightforward, honest about the restrictions and possible complications of the surgery. He was also friendly to myself and my mom and aunt, who had come with me to San Diego. He answered all of our questions, and seemed confident and experienced. He is not soft spoken, but is clear and concise. I found him to have an exceptional sense of humor, a fantastic bedside manner, and an extremely professional presentation. He clearly has quite a bit of experience. The program and the office are quite streamlined, and everyone in his office is a joy. They are concerned and genuine people, many with similar experiences of their own with WLS, which helps them better treat and care for patients.

Dr. Clark is one of four wonderful surgeons operating out of San Diego's prestigous Alvarado Center for Surgical Weight Loss. Headed by Dr. Wittgrove, the office is staffed with compassionate and knowledgable nurses, most of whom are former patients. Dr Wittgrove and Dr. Clark pioneered laproscopic gastric bypass, which makes them the most experienced at this type of surgery. While I was in the hospital, there were surgeons from other states observing in order to learn their techniques for their own hospitals. Dr. Clark took such wonderful care of me. I did not have any stitches, unnessecary tubes or organs removed as a precautionary measure. Many surgeons remove the gall bladder as a standard part of the procedure, but Dr. Clark did not see any reason for it so he left it alone.
I was impressed with him, his staff and everything about my experience while in his care. I really don't have anything negative to say about this surgeon. So far, absolutely everything has gone perfectly.