Celio O. Burrowes M.D. Bariatrics Bariatric Center

I thought Dr. Celio Burrowes was very friendly and understanding. His office is very nice but his staff can sometimes be very rude. I did not like the fact that I was still very confused at the time of the initial office visit and I had already been given the option of electing surgery without having a real understanding of what morbid obseity is and how it can possilbly be cured without the need of such a drastic surgery. I would definatley recommend Dr. Burrowes to others aside from that situation.

Dr. Celio Burrowes is an excellant doctor. He
save my life. i had surgery on march 12, 2001
my weight at the time of my surgery was 380lbs. Im now 300lbs, im crying now because i thank GOD for directing me to the Dr Burrowes. i couldnt walk to the mailbox to get my mail,my blood pressure was always high
shorten of breath from walking upstairs.since
i lost 80lbs i am able to walk in the malls, my blood pressure is down, no more shorten of breath. im feeling good about myself with high hopes for the future. i cant begin to tell you how happy i am with my surgery.his office staff was wonderful to me. DR. BURROWES IF YOU CAN SEE THIS I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE MY GUARDIAN ANGEL. GOD PUT YOU HERE TO SAVED LIVES. GOD BLESS YOU DR.BURROWES.
CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK YOU DO FOR MANKIND.

My first impression of Dr. Burrowes was GREAT!! He took time to explain everything to me & answer any questions I had. I've been in contact with Dr. Burrowes office since August 2000 & the office staff is wonderful. Monica, Maryland are the two ladies that took time to get the insurance & appointments worked out for me.
My whole hospital/surgery experience was much better than I thought it was gonna be. Dr. Burrowes makes sure you are comfortable with everything going on. I had a lil trouble with the nurses at the hospital & he took care of that before he left. My surgery was done at Crawfordlong hospital in Atlanta. (The parking company at the hopital lost my car keys & had to have a key made for my car.)
I would recommend Dr. burrowes! I give him & his office staff a 10+!! Dr. Burrowes is busy, but he doesn't make you feel like he's rushing around. It's all worth it!!

I would like to add information about Dr. Burrowes that I have learned from my experience with him. This does not change my inital opinion of him. Yes, Dr. Burrowes is a incredible Doctor, but he does have his faults. He is ALWAYS late to the office. I have to get a morning appointment so that I can make sure I am home in time for my kids when they get out of school.
I also feel that he could be more up front about the cost of the fobi pouch. The money that is paid to him for the pouch doesn't get recorded anywhere so you still have your deductable from your insurance company. I didn't learn about this until after surgery. I just don't like the feeling that something was being hidden from me.
Dr. Burrowes is a great doctor! I still recommend him to anyone who asks me about the surgery. I do warn them to make plenty of time for the appointment & to ask lots questions.

Dr. Burrowes seemed very professional and intelligent. He gave me all of the information I requested and was very up front about the risks. I am a little frustrated with how hard it is to get things moving. It is hard to get a call back when I leave a message so I have to call back a lot. I know they have to be very busy though with so many patients, so I just try to overlook that part. ****update*******
I was very upset with Dr. Burrowes and his staff. Be careful and ask for everything in writing....no one says that the check you pay to him goes straight to him, and isn't filed with the insurance. I asked several times, and was told that the $4000 I gave him would count tward my max out of pocket for surgery, too. Now it turns out, it isn't and I owe another 1100 dollars. I really felt manipulated and taken advantage of. I would have been willing to pay anything for this surgery, so the money isn't the point. I was just disappointed and mad about being lied to. I did talk to the doctor about it, and he was very apologetic and listened to what I said, which I appreciated, but I am still out 1100. Hopefully in the future, more emphasis will be put on making sure the clients understand the way this works...

My first impression of Dr. Burrowes was that he didn't have the time to see me. His office staff is nice, but they do not return calls and seem to forget important things you told them...such as what hospital you would like to have your surgery at. The biggest complaint I have is the $4000.00 you are required to pay upfront because "no insurance company will cover his type of surgery" My insurance company will cover my surgery 100% and I am very lucky for that. I just do not have the $4000.00 to pay for the "fobi pouch" I am debating changing doctors. I have my surgery scheduled for 2/9/00 and I would like to keep that date. As far as his skills as a surgeon I have only heard GREAT things....that is what makes the decision so hard.

I was first going to see Dr. Fobi in L.A. but on his urging went to Dr. Burrowes. He is a very competent surgeon and thus I agreed to him doing the procedure.

His office staff are nice people but extremely disorganized. They often lose papers, won't return phone calls, and can be very rude. His nurse is very kind and sensitive, good sense of humor.

The pre-op tests were conveniently dealt out to professional colleuges who were always very late and inconsiderate of the patient's time and mental status.

The money and insurance are a major issue. Dr. Burrowes refuses to bill my insurance for the procedure, but billed them for the "other procedure" that necessitated the hospital stay and surgical time.

I fought all the way to the insurance comissioner's office and believe I have my foot in the door to push the issue for all folks who are morbidly obese, but without the surgeons cooperation I can't force the issue...

Dr Burrowes stated to me many times, claims to bill for the "gastric-bypass" would be fraudulant...I don't know why, he did do the surgery.

Dr. Burrowes is an excellent surgeon but a poor man of business. He uses manipulative tactics such as guilt and shame to make patients do what he wants. His favorite comment is "I saved your life"...

With a good insurance and a large bankroll you will have no problems with this office except for disorganization...but perhaps a patient is often too easily confused with expected pathological levels of patience.

Dr. Burrowes was very kind and very open. He explained what the procedure would do but also told me it was only a tool and i would have to work hard to. He is a very kind man with a great heart. The office staff is wonderful.Kathrine the nurse has been a saint always there to answer questions(even silly ones).Monica is truely a sweet person, she has so much to keep up with I would not want that job. Marilyn is kind, caring and always friendly. They really are very busy and sometimes we all get alittle cranky including me LOL.. Dr. Burrowes is very personal and wants you to do well with this surgery. He puts alot of emphasize on aftercare and the importance of it. He is very upfront about the risks of surgery and answers all questions honestly. I would rate him a 9+ because he had probable saved my life but i know noone is perfect..lol...I felt that the entire experience was pretty good, I felt comfortable in the hospital and all the nurse's were great!!!!!!!!I just want to THANK him for giving me a new life...
I want to thank everyone who helped me through this and got me to the other side...