Chicago Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery Bariatric Center

One Year Ago - On November 23, 2010 Dr. Frantzides did my Laparoscopic RNY. I was 298 lb..Today I am 185 pounds. I lost the total of 113 pounds. I went from size 26W (pants) to 12 and 1X (shirts) to S.
My life before this surgery was going only in one direction - the grave. I was 29 years old and so severly obese that some nights I was scared to fall asleep. I was miserable and depressed and I felt like my life was going to hell.
Dr. Frantzides changed that. He gave me something no words can explain. He gave me this feeling of freedom and re-birth. I am a new person now, seriously. I have sooo much energy, so much motivation, my spirit is back, my smile, my thirst for life.
All of you people out there, that are sitting on the couches and dont know if surgery is the right way - dont hesitate. Dont waste time. Surgery is the right way, but only if you have the right Dr. and if you are reading this, you have found him. I am the living proof that he exists. Happy Holidays.

I was referred to Dr. Frantzides by a friend of mine who had the gastric bypass surgery approximately 5 years ago. She was so impressed by him and his staff that she referred both her sibling and her father to Dr. Frantzides who performed the surgery with the same successful results.

When I first met Dr. Frantzides he was both very honest and sympathetic and explained all of the various surgical weight loss options available to me. His staff is extremely kind and helpful, and they are always there to provide support and information.

It was clear to me from the onset that Dr. Frantzides was remarkably knowledgable, having performed over 2000 gastric bypass surgeries and innovating various surgical procedures that are now used worldwide. He is extremely committed to sharing his knowledge with other surgeons, so as many people as possible who struggle with lifelong weight issues can have healthier lives.

If you are looking for a truly experienced, professional, kind doctor and staff, look no further. It is with the utmost sincerity and confidence recommend Dr. Frantzides and his staff.

An update -- it's been three months since my laproscopic surgery in April of 2010. I have lost 55 pounds, and feel great. I've had no adverse reactions to the surgery in any way. The only problems I had came from eating too quickly, or eating food that was too spicy. This has only happened twice, and both of these incidents had nothing to do with the surgery itself, and could have been avoided had I made better choices. The effects the surgery has had on my self confidence and physical well being are too numerous to mention. However, I will say that I am able to run up flights of stairs, and that I am able to shop for clothing in stores with everyone else.
If you are a person who has struggled with weight issues and have felt both the physical and emotional pain of that struggle, laproscopic surgery can change your entire life. I won't lie -- the first two weeks after the surgery are very painful, but the ways in which your life changes for the better make that pain worth it. You won't even think about it after those first two weeks.
Another update -- It's been roughly 6 months and I've lost 85 pounds! The changes in my life have been immense. I feel so much healthier and confident. I've followed all of Dr. Frantzides instructions and remained 100% compliant, and I found out today that all of my bloodwork came back 100%! This surgery has changed my life. I'll be back in 6 months with another update!

I really didn't start gaining weight until my sophmore year in high school,
but with each year more weight came on. It wasn't until my 2nd year of
college that I tried something drastic - Optifast. I went from 230 pounds
to 175 in 3 months. That year is also the the year that I met my husband who
has loved me for me no matter what size I was or am.

Blissfully in love... The pounds began to come back on slowly. By the time I
graduated I was back up to 215. This time I tried Jenny Craig. I lost about
15 pounds for maybe 6 months. Another failure.

That next year my husband proposed and I moved to Chicago. Now I had real
pressure - A Wedding. So what does a panicked overweight bride do -
Phen-Phen. This is before they realized how bad it was for you. I was on it
for 1 year and was walking 5 miles a day. It worked. I got down from 250 to
175 again.

After the wedding, hello old friend, the pounds came back on. Over the next
13 years and two kids later I ended up at 333 pounds. Now I had a whole new
set of life issue I was dealing with juggling motherhood, work, marriage and
the chronic pain of my severely arthritic knees. Until now, I hadn't had all
of the other comorbidities that come with being overweight, such as
hypertension and diabetes. Not to be fooled, I knew they were in my near
future.

I had to make drastic life change, but I was caught in a catch-22. In order
to lose weight, I need to workout but with my knees I couldn't. I had
thought about gastric bypass in the past but was always fearful. It is a
major surgery. After some quick soul searching I had made up my mind to do
it. This was the time! I asked my father-in-law, who is a physician, who I should go speak to
about the procedure. He recommended Dr. Frantizides. I liked him
immediately, he was one of the 1st physicians that I have seen in over 15
years that didn't make me feel less of a person because of my current size.
In fact, he actually made me feel thin and worthy of such a gift. The gift
of a new life, a healthier life, an active life, a longer life.

After the 1st meeting, I committed myself completely to the process. I stuck
to the instructions I was given. It was not easy at first, but each day gets
better and better.

The surgery recovery was tough and very painful and by the 3rd day I had
started to question my decision. Then day 4 came and I got it. The pain
started to lessen, I started to get my diet into a manageable rhythm and the
weight started to come off.

I am now 1 month post-op and down 32 pounds. My adventure is still at the
beginning but this is going to be a wild ride.

10/28/10 Update... Currently 4 month out and down 80 pounds. I am more active ( working out at least 2 hours a day), watching what I eat, and living life now. I've donates over 30 bags of clothes and am now searching for cheap interim clothes to wear. My only issue has been trying to find descent sources of extra protein. Ick! Good luck to all of you and stay tuned for my next update.

I weighed 310lbs, I had surgery Octerober 21, 2008. At that time I had servere diabetes and had to take 9 shots a day, high blood pressure, chronic pain, depression, and heart problems. Six months later I weigh 201lbs, I am cured of my diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic pain, depression, and have not had any heart issues. It has been two years, I weigh 174.2 and feeling like a new person. All thanks to Dr. Frantzides, Dr. Roberts and the rest of his staff. During the first couple of months I could not have done it without the emotional support that Jerri gave me. The biggest change is that I can see myself living to play with my grandchildren. I would do this again, I am now living and not just surviving.

I am continuing to get healther as my time goes on. I recieved a call from my surgeons office on my one year anniversery. I am 23lbs from my goal weight and my life is mine again. I am so grateful to the Frantizide and his staff.

It has been 6 months since my surgery and I have lost 70 pounds. I never thought that I would be able to do this but with the help of Dr Frantzides it has actually been very easy. I don't think about the surgery. My scars are very small and starting to fade. I am able to do all of the things that were difficult 70 pounds ago. It has been wonderful. Everyone in the office has been very helpful and kind. Anytime I had questions they were always willing to help. Having Dr. Franzides do the surgergy was one of the best decisions I've made.

6 months out and almost 100lbs lost. Feeling great and thankful to Dr. Frantzides for everything. Only about 30 more to go.

I felt from the first meeting with Dr. Frantzides and the girls in his office that I was in the right place. Things were explained to me in a clear and concise manner.I felt relaxed and comfortable going forward with the surgery.Geri and Teresa were helpful with all the insurance requirements and initial medical testing.It has been one week since the surgery and I feel great. Already in just one week I lost 33 pounds and I like where this is going.

I had been hospitalized with a painful back stenosis. All the stress at work plus my obesity is what landed me in the hospital. I required a bariatric bed and lift at rehab. I learned about Dr. Frantizides and how excellent he is from the bariatric supplies rep. I knew it was time to change my life and have the bariatric surgery I'd been thinking about for 2 years. I went to an in-network Dr. but I didn't like the way I was treated. Dr. Frantzides was very open, honest and easy to talk to. He has been very friendly and approachable about any procedure/post-surgery questions I have had. It has been 6 mos since my surgery and I have lost 59 pounds. I no longer require my diabetes medications and the weight loss has allowed me to cut my dosage of high blood pressure meds in half. It is easier to move and I am walking farther the more weight I lose. My back pain has lessened and I am excited about living my new life. Dr. Frantzides has told me all along this journey what I might feel and what was coming next. He was spot-on about that. He is a very competent Dr. and I'm so glad I had the surgery performed by him. I would recommend him to anyone considering bariatric surgery.

I fund Dr. Frantzides to be warm and a highly skilled surgeon, great bedside manner, I am very happy with the decision that I have made. I had a laparoscopic gastric bypass as well as a hiatal hernia and ventral hernia reapired all in one procedure. I already see positive results two weeks after surgery. Already I have lost 18lb and I look forward to losing a lot more. I am completely happy with the decison I made to have Dr. Frantzides as my surgeon. I found the entire the office to be helpful and always willing to answer any questions that I had.

I am a lawyer and I was willing to travel anywhere in North America to get the best surgeon available. I used to defend doctors and hospitals as a lawyer and I know a little about the ins and outs of selecting surgeons and hospitals. So I did my research across the country and it all pointed to the top surgeon: Constantine Frantzides of Skokie Illinois. So I went to meet Dr. Frantzides. I had already decided on VSG but after listening to Dr. F explain the whys and hows of WLS I began to realize that he was right, I needed gastric bypass. During our first meeting he was warm, articulate and extremely knowledgeable and experienced, having already performed over 2500 of these surgeries laparoscopically. We discussed his statistics and medical results, we discussed possible complications and his extremely low statistics for complications. After just one meeting I was convinced I had found my surgeon and went ahead and booked my surgery date, 7.14.2010.

Dr. F's office staff is excellent above all others. Gerri is very knowledgeable and always willing to help. Great folks.
Dr. F stresses aftercare to the max and I am right now 2 weeks post-op and really appreciating how I'm being taken care of.
Overall I would give Dr. F a 20 out of 10. I know physicians and hospitals and I"ve had several surgeries and nothing comes close to the excellent surgery and aftercare I have received. Dr. F really cares about you and it comes through his actions, not just what somebody says.
His surgical competence is the absolute best. I know this because of my results and from what other people on boards like Obesity Help. I have had zero complications, can eat everything they've released me to eat and today, 15 days out, I have no pain at all and am back at work as a lawyer with all the stresses and challenges that go along with my job. Dr. F's bedside manner makes you feel absolutely safe and secure and makes you understand that you're in the best of hands. Enough cannot be written about his wonderful surgical liaison nurse Mary. Yes, he actually puts his own nurse in the hospital while you're having surgery and she tracks you through the entire process and takes care of you in addition to the hospital nurses. I was extremely grateful for this and so happily surprised. Mary followed me even into the OR and hugged me while they administered the anesthesia. Wow! His other key surgical help is Dr. Welley, a soft-spoken intelligent doctor who serves as Dr. F's fellow and surgical assistant. Dr. Welley is also competent, caring,and accessible for my questions. Dr. Frantzides and his group are the only way to go if you're able to travel to Skokie (Chicago) and select your own doctor. Start by reading his website and then read his dozens (100s) of professional articles. I did, and I'm happy and resting today because of my choice.
By the way, at 15 days post I have lost 23 pounds and have never felt one hunger pang since surgery. Post-op recovery and pain was a breeze, I took a couple of pain pills on days 1 and 2 but really quit at noon on the 3d day. No need, no real pain, so I switched to liquid Tylenol. I'm really starting to like this journey!