Atlantic Surgical Associates Bariatric Center

Dr. Looser is very professional. I thought he was great. He wasn't very warm at least that's what I thought. I only had a couple of meetings with him before my surgery. In the hospital he was great and has been ever since. I had no complications and he said he wished all his patients were as easy as me.rnHe is a surgeon and a professional with one thing on his mind - taking care of me. I would recommend him and his practice Atlantic Surgical Associates in Portsmouth to everyone.rnDr. Genz and Dr. Petulli in his office are also great ~ they make a great team. The pre-op procedures of getting you to the big date, the program is wonderful with Nancy Seasman as the coordinator. I would rate the Portsmouth Regional Hospital and the Bariatric Program there A+ for people who live in the Seacoast of NH and Southern Maine. No need to go to the big city hospitals.rnI am on a roughly a 6 month followup basis now. He is thorough and truly a pleasure to see.

dr.looser was great.he is very \"down to bussiness\"and takes a bit to warm up to you,but i felt very confident in him right from the start.the office staff were wonderful,and they did all the insurance work and did a wonderful job!!

who cares is he is Joe Friday or warm or fuzzy he is a very good Surgeon. he answered all questions about the surgery and made me comfortable with his abilitites.

Dr. Kevin Looser is as I would describe a wonderful caring and gentle doctor.
He seems to very dedicated to the Pourtsmouth Bariactic program that He and his colleagues have put together.
Dr. Looser is a no frills kind of doctor, Tell you like it is, which is just what I wanted .
Dr. Looser has a wonderful office staff, and a wonderful gal (Betty) that help you with everything and all questions you may have, for appointments and scheduling.
I would recommend this Doctor, along with the 2 other Dr. in the surgical team,
Dr. Genes , and also Dr.Pacuilli all seem to have the same goal in common,
The goal they seem to have, is to render their patient with the best care, mentally and physically.before surgury as well as after. Dr. Looser's full description of the surgury and all that it intended was disclosed to the fullest along with their full scope of question and answers, along with monthly meetings, before as well as after the surgery, as well as the enforcement that this is not a one day fling, but a full 5 year committment into ones wellbeing. the Drs. are fully dedicated on ones health, nurishment and sound body
in all aspects of this program.

After 3 months, I've had no complications whatsoever. Dr. Looser is a very competent surgeon.

He's "Joe Friday" brusque, but I like that. "Just the facts, m'am"

While he does explain what he's doing, you need to be the initiator with questions. He answers all questions forthrightly.

Somewhat conservative with fills, but that's probabily a good thing.

At this point, I'm very satisfied.

Dr, Gens is immedialty likeable. He is very
thorough and takes the time to answer your
questions and address any concerns you may
have. He made a point to let you know that
he was always available to you pre and post
op.
His office staff is great,very helpful with insurance questions and filing papers for
approvel.
Because of the Wonderful bariatric program
I was involved in risks, aftercare, ongoing care and support play a major role in recovery and success of this surgery. the
surgeons attend the support groups as well
so they have a good understanding of what
partients are experiencing and can address
those concerns on the spot.

I would give Dr. Gens a BIG 10,he is competent, caring and concerned.

I first met Dr. John Gens in 1989 when I needed my gall-bladder removed. He was a top-notch surgeon and a warm and friendly person. In spite of complications after the gall-bladder surgery, I completely trusted and thoroughly respected him.
When I began my research into having bariatric surgery I first contacted Tufts. Then I learned that Dr. Gens was involved in starting a bariatric program in Portsmouth. Furthermore, he had trained in the procedure at Tufts. I immediately chose to apply to the program at his practice.
I believe that I became patient #25, in their new program. However, you are not just a number with Dr. Gens. He makes you feel as if you are his only patient, and he has all the time in the world to address every little concern.
His fellow surgeons are just as competent and reassuring. The professionals on the team involved in physical therapy, nutrition, and behavior modification, and the office support staff, are all great.

I liked him from the first moment. I have not had much contact with him personally yet but his staff is wonderful. Nancy has helped and walked me thru alot and Kim has helped let me know what I should and shouldn't eat. Mark from PT is very considerate. I love them all and can't wait to get a set date and go thru the process. Oh and Dr Wagner is such a hoot. Very down to eartha nd explains why we might have some of the feelings that we do and that it is okay and not to think of ourselves as bad if we make a mistake and to get back on track.
I have not had the surgery yet so I will update as the process goes on.

I was very impressed with Dr. Gens and the Atlantic Surgical Associates. Fortunately, Dr. Gens had performed a gallbladder removal on me a few years ago so I was already comfortable with him. When researching options for WLS, my PCP advised me that Dr. Gens had spent the past few years researching the WLS and was planning on opening a bariatric practice on the seacoast. I was very fortunate in getting in on the ground floor of the practice & I believe I was surgery #3 or 4. I wasn't nervous because this was a "new" practice. Dr. Gens already had a reputation as the best larascopic surgeon on the seacoast & he had spent much time researching the surgery and had "interned" & performed this surgery at other WLS centers before bringing it to us at the seacoast. What really mattered to me was that Dr. Gens & his associates spent alot of time looking into the issue of obesity - I was told that at first he did not necessarily think WLS was an answer for obesity but with the time he spent on researching the issue, he became more convinced that WLS was a viable solution for this issue. His practice spent several years researching & traveling to other WLS centers to determine what really worked best & to help them bring the best practices back to use in setting up their own program. I can appreciate a practice that takes that kind of time & commitment to what they are doing before implementing their program.

The program at Atlantic Surgical Associates is a multi faceted program consisting of mandatory support group meetings (pre-op), classes with a pschologist, meetings with a nuitritionist & meetings with a physical therapist. There is a large, active support group for post ops that everyone is encouraged to attend & there is a structured monthly meeting for pre & post ops that has a featured speaker that addresses any number of subjects related to WLS. Patients are closely monitored for the first year, then taper off to a yearly exam; you don't "graduate" from the program until you are five years out.

The Portsmouth Regional Hopsital was great. The staff that cared for me were attentive and very helpful. My nurses were wonderful; they didn't baby me or pamper me (the sooner you move, the better). Physical therapy was right there and you weren't released until you could show that you could meet basic daily needs (walk, climb stairs, shower, etc.). My pain issues were well addressed & when I developed complications the first night, the staff was immediately there for me. I required a second operation but at all times I felt everyone was concerned about my status and I strongly felt I was well cared for.

I believe there was at least one patient who didn't feel as positive about Dr. Gens; felt she didn't get the personalized care or attention she needed but that wasn't my experience or impression. I have no problems with Dr. Gen's manner; he is factual & keeps you informed on what's going on. Not a warm and fuzzy hand holding kind of person but realistically I don't expect that kind of thing from my surgeon & don't need it. What I look for is someone who is highly competent, thoroughly informed, honest & upfront & who shares information with you; someone who understands that I have a right to know everything I need to know before making a decision that affects me; after all, this is my life and my body we're discussing. Dr. Gens does all of that. Even when I was experiencing extreme nausea for months after surgery & required several hospitalizations, Dr. Gens was honest; they didn't know why I was so sick but I got alot of follow up care & tests and eventually it all worked out.

Dr. Gens & the Atlantic Surgical program strongly endorses the support group meetings & attend the mixed group one themselves every month. I've seen all three doctors associated with Atlantic Surgical in relation to my WLS and would highly recommend any of them. I strongly feel that all of the surgeons are totally commited to each and every patient and I believe they have worked very hard to educate patients on all aspects of the surgery, the risks involved, expectations, etc. I'm impressed with the follow up programs & from what I've seen, the vast majority (if not all) of Atlantic Surgical WLS patients are VERY successful. We're all very supportive of each other & we're open and honest in our post op group meetings. Our goal is to help each and every person out there in any way we can.

Overall, I would obviously strongly recommend Dr. Gens personally, and the Atlantic Surgical Associates to anyone looking into this surgery. I recommend anyone researching this to attend the open seminar they hold periodically (generally advertised locally & on their website I believe) as well as attend as many support group meetings as they can. This is a great group of people & we all want to help those looking into this surgery.

For anyone interested, my statistics are: 16 months post op. Previously weighed 285 pounds at 5'2"; weighed 165 at surgery and now weigh 135. Went from a size 24/26 to a size 8. I feel better than I have in years. No acid reflux; no sleep apnea; asthma dramatically reduced (only one incident in the past 16 months when I was cleaning & raising up alot of dust); cholesterol down from 200+ to about 150. I exercise moderately & more importantly, eat moderately. Am in control of my eating for the first time in decades without the use of drugs or diet aids. Would recommend this surgery to anyone who is truly obese and would do it again in a hearbeat.

My first impression of Dr. Gens is that he is very knowledgable and excited about being apart of the Bariatric program. His office staff is very pleasant and easy to talk to. The only negative I have, which is very minor, is he did talk alot before giving me the opportunity to ask questions. Dr. Gens is very passionate about the importance of aftercare. The progam requires you to stay connected for 5 years (unless geographically impossible). The hospital has a very structured aftercare program and believes the aftercare is the reason for surgery success. Dr. Gens is very open and honest regarding the risks involved with WLS. Overall, I loved Dr. Gens. I left the consult feeling very confident and comfortable with him.

With all of that said, let me also say to all those who chooses Dr. Gens, he VERY strict about his weight loss requirement. I was 2 days away from surgery and he made me reschedule because I was 4 pounds away from my goal.