Chicago Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery Bariatric Center

I was struggling with obesity all my life. In 2007 I had to fly to NY to have a sleeve gastrectomy. I was told that I was one of the few first to undergo this surgery. For the first 2 years after this procedure I kept loosing weight and that made me happy. Gradually, however, month after month I regained the weight and more. I tried everything and anything, as before the surgery, but nothing worked. I was back researching on the internet and I came across this website. Naturally I wanted to meet the Doctor that had the most reviews on obesityhelp.com and so I did, and what a blessing that was. At that time I lived in SC but I didn't hesitate to fly in to Chicago and meet this renowned surgeon. I was not disappointed. To make the long story short I had a laparoscopic revision to gastric bypass with Dr. Frantzides in 2011 and I am now and have been ideal body weight, and it is my hope and believe that it will remain as such for a long time to come. Thank you Dr. Frantzides!

I came across Dr. Frantzides profile on obesityhelp around August 2016. I was very impressed with all of his positive reviews and years of experience. At the time, I was uncertain if bariatric surgery was an option for me, but I knew that something had to be done, as I could no longer fight obesity on my own. When I finally decided to call Dr. Frantzides office, I was greeted by a warm hearted woman named Teresa. She was able to schedule my consultation appointment that very next week.

After my initial meeting with both Teresa and Dr. Frantzides, I was convinced that bariatric surgery was the right decision for me and that Dr. Frantzides was the right surgeon for me. Dr. Franztides was very confident, encouraging, compassionate, and he far exceeded my expectations. He took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns and assured me that I was in good hands. I walked away from that meeting knowing that I couldn't have asked for a better surgeon.

The date of my surgery was December 7, 2017. I got the gastric bypass surgery done, as well as a hiatal hernia and umbilical hernia repaired, which were both discovered prior during my pre-op examinations. The surgery went well and Dr. Frantzides was there every step of the way. I was given clear instructions of foods, meds, restrictions, and directions for everything that I needed to know. Both Dr. Franztides and Teresa came to visit me the next day at the hospital, as well as called me when I returned home that night. Anytime I had a question, they were available at all times to answer.

It has now been 4 months since my surgery, and I have lost a total of 70lbs following Dr. Frantzides instructions. Although I'm still on my weight loss journey, in this very short time my life has already drastically changed for the better. I no longer use my weight as an excuse to isolate myself and not enjoy life. I am more than satisfied with my experiences with CIMIS and encourage anyone who is unsure about whether to pursue surgery or not, to just give Dr. Franztides a call. Thank you Dr. Franztides for all that you have done for me.

I have been obese all my life. Few years ago I was convinced to have a lap-band with a surgeon at Nort-Shore. It was a complete failure. Not only I didn't have any substantial loss of weight, I was regurgitating and leading a horrible life. The same surgeon convinced me to have a sleeve 2.5 years ago. He missed the fact that I had severe reflux and hiatal hernia which he didn't fix. One year ago I met Dr. Frantzides who was recommended to me by my gastroenterologist. Boy do I wish I had come to him the first time around not the third time around. He spend at least 1.5 hours explaining to me all my options, he had me undergo several tests including a barium test for my reflux. I had my revision February of 2016. He performed a gastric bypass, he fixed my hiatal hernia, and the next day I was home. The nurses at St. Francis Hospital were very attentive to my needs, Dr. Frantzides has always been there for me since and Teresa is wonderful. Here I am 1 year later, 143 pounds lighter and very Greatfull!!!!!!!

I met Dr. Frantzides about 11 months ago. Prior to meeting him, I never thought I would ever have bariatric surgery. My whole life I struggled with my weight. I was a "yo-yo dieter." In other words, I would diet off and on. Consequently, my weight went up and down. I was called every name you can think of for being over weight. My family and friends teased me. I have five siblings and I was the only one with a weight problem. My mother had a weight problem also. I was her twin. She exercised and tried every diet on the market. I did that too, but I took it a step further. For about 20 years on occasion, I took diet pills and binged and purged. At the end of my senior year in high school, I started birth control shots. The shots lasted for 3 months at a time. My eating habits didn't change and I worked out regularly. However, I started gaining a lot of weight. I only weighed 146 pounds at that time. I started noticing my clothes were getting too tight. I worked out more and stopped drinking sugary beverages and foods. I told the nurse practitioner about the weight gain. She said I only gained 10 pounds and that I should just continue my work out routine, and eat healthier. I got my second birth control shot. I continued to gain weight despite my working out. I gained 30 pounds after 6 months of being on the shots. I was angry and devastated. The nurse practitioner explained to me the shots will either make you gain or lose weight, depending on your metabolism. I told them from the beginning I did not want any birth control that would cause me to gain weight. During this time, my mother had developed diabetes. I was scared it would happen to me too. The nurse explained to me that even if I dieted every day, it was going to be difficult to lose weight for a couple of years. She said the birth control would take that long to leave my system. I began taking diet pills and binging and purging on occasion. I was determined to lose weight no matter what. I would lose a little and gain more weight when I stopped the pills and the purging. It was madness! I was out of control. I started seeing a dietitian after a few years. I became very good at keeping food journals. I learned my body responds poorly to overly processed foods. It's all the delicious foods and drinks everyone loves. Oh well! I knew I had to get better about eliminating unhealthy food and drinks from my diet. By this time, I already had been diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). I was already scared to have children because I didn't want to gain weight. When I got the diagnosis of PCOS, my chances of being a mother were small. I was determined to keep trying to get healthy and stay that way. I wanted to be a mother someday. I knew I had to work out and eat healthy. The day I found out I was pregnant was the happiest and saddest day of my life. I received a call that my mother had died. She had been on dialysis for 3 years because of poor diabetes management. During my pregnancy, I was trying my hardest not to gain too much weight. I worked until 2 weeks before I gave birth. My job was physically and emotionally demanding. I thought I would only gain about 30 pounds. I ended up gaining 92 pounds. I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life, 255 pounds. I was so scared I was going to end up like my mother. After all, I was her twin. I began doing research on bariatric surgery. I did this for a few months. I still wasn't convinced bariatric surgery was for me. I eventually came across the Obesity help forum. I just started reading all the reviews about Dr. Frantzides. I knew I just had to meet him. I called his office and spoke to Teresa. She was very friendly and gave me great directions to the office. Dr. Frantzides talked to me in detail about all of my options. He answered all of my questions. Teresa was extremely helpful also. I did not have a sitter for my 1 and a half year old son, so I had to bring him with me. I was trying to have my consultation and keep my son from messing up the entire office. He managed to go behind the front desk and spill coffee on himself and the desk. Dr. Frantzides and Teresa were so kind to my son. They gave him different things to keep him occupied. Poor Teresa ended up watching him while I had my exam. I have never met such wonderful health professionals like Dr. Frantzides and Teresa. I felt so bad because they had no idea I was bringing my son. Dr. Frantzides even helped me to the elevator with all of my stuff. A week later I started coughing a lot, especially when I would eat. When I went back to see Dr. Frantzides, I was still coughing. He had informed me that it was G.E.R.D. I had no idea. I had been waking up with sore throats, sneezing a lot and having trouble with my sinuses. I had, had surgery on my sinuses to open my airways about 10 years ago. I was thinking my constant trouble breathing through my nose was my allergies. It was the G.E.R.D. I was so scared and upset. Dr. Frantzides assured me he could fix the problem. I trusted him and had hiatel hernia and gastric bypass surgery. I also got esophageal dialations. During the surgery, Dr. Frantzides discovered I had a very rare liver defect. My liver was not attached to the abdominal wall. I was born with the liver defect and never knew. Dr. Frantzides fixed it for no additional charge. He saved me from having a future emergency surgery. The staff at Saint Francis is phenomenal! Every staff member I encountered was friendly, kind, and so helpful. The volunteer staff was great too. I was on the 5th floor in the south wing. I was told I would get excellent care at Saint Francis and I did. I wished I lived closer to this hospital. My pain was managed so well, I only had moments of discomfort. After about a week, I was moving around like I didn't have major surgery. I followed Dr. Frantzides diet restrictions just like he told me. I did not experience any complications. I can breath perfectly through my nose, I haven't experienced problems with GERD, and I have healthy eating habits. I learned what is good for my body and what is not. This was not an easy decision. But it was the right one. Dr. Frantzides is truly a phenomenal human being and surgeon. If you are reading this, you have found the pot of gold. It will be a year next month since I had my surgery. I have lost over 80 pounds. I feel absolutely terrific! I love my new life!

3 years ago, I was 265 pounds when I first walked into Dr. Frantzides office. Based on my consultation with him, instantly, I could make a definite decision that I was going to have my surgery with this surgeon. His knowledge and confidence in himself as well as hundreds of reviews from happy patients were all that was needed to give me confidence that I too was going to be alright. This is why I am writing this review today, to give back to the doctor who took the time to educate me, who did my surgery perfectly, preserved my vagus nerve and I became one of the hundreds of patients who had a Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass BUT who DO-NOT “dump”!!!
I know now that had I gone somewhere else, they wouldn’t have preserved my Vagus and I would be literally “punished” anytime I ate “the wrong thing”. I was lucky that faith had me to come to Dr. Frantzides fist and he did the rest. I have lost over 100 pounds. I have since had a tummy tuck (also with Dr. Frantzides) and I am a new woman today. I also hope my review helps others find their way into Dr. Frantzides office, and they can have the best qualified, and experienced surgeon to perform whatever weight loss procedure they decide to have.
As for Dr. Frantzides, he is in my heart, he loves what he does and it shows.
Thank you Dr. Frantzides!!

I had a "Sleeve" 4 years ago by another surgeon who was very much pushing me for this procedure. I lost some weight the first year and to my amazement I started gradually regaining the weight. There I was again, struggling and going through the diets. Again I started researching my options. I have consulted with many doctors and surgeons until I came across Dr. Frantzides. I met with the doctor in November of 2014. I was really impressed with him and his credentials. I had a revision by Dr. Constantine Frantzides on January 2015. He did the operation laparoscopically, and I stayed at St. Francis Hospital only 1 day. The nurses were all wonderful, and they all re-assured me over and over that I was "in good hands". After almost 1.5 years I am approaching ideal weigh of 131 pounds. I feel amazing, and all my friends and relatives tell me that I look amazing too.
This is all thanks to the 'amazing" skills of Dr. Frantzides!!!!!

I’m not sure what I can add that has not already been said by the other reviewers of Dr. Frantzides but nonetheless, it is worth noting that I am absolutely positive that his skills as a surgeon and the compassionate care he provides as a doctor have changed my life. I am four months out from my bypass and am almost 70 pounds lighter. Four months and 70 pounds! I can climb stairs again! I sleep better! And, most importantly, I have had zero complications since my surgery with Dr. Framazing. (Yes, that is what I call him because, quite frankly, it fits.)

I have been overweight all of my life but didn’t become morbidly obese (wow that is a hard thing to type) until my mid-20s after childbirth. For almost 20 years I carried around an extra 120 or so pounds. I tried diets, of course, with minimal success that I was never able to sustain for long. Then, in 2009, I had a lap band placed by a doctor here in my hometown. After 18 months, weight loss of about 70 pounds, and several months of pain and agony accompanied by an almost constant feeling of having something stuck in my stomach/esophagus, the band completely slipped, requiring emergency surgery as it was cutting off the circulation to my stomach tissue, causing me to throw up blood, and also causing pain that was so excruciating that it took two doses of morphine and one dose of another IV pain killer to even touch the pain once I was finally admitted to the hospital 48 hours after it slipped. As a side note, I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. All three of my kids were delivered naturally with no pain meds. I can handle pain but when that band completely slipped, that was a whole different level of agony. Let’s just say that I can’t ever watch that scene from Braveheart again where Mel Gibson is getting disemboweled. To say that having the lap band placed was a mistake is a GROSS understatement! I am lucky to be here typing.

So fast forward 4 years after the removal through a bout of serious depression brought on by the loss of the tool that had been sustaining my weight loss, a denial by my insurance to have a bypass after the band slipped and weight gain of almost 80 pounds, to May of this year when a friend underwent a bypass with this doctor from Skokie who she kept raving about. I had to check this guy out!

My health was beginning to deteriorate. I struggled with everyday, basic movement. I was 47 years old, weighed 285 pounds and was getting to the point where I couldn’t take care of regular everyday activities. My knees were failing; my feet hurt constantly; I was out of breath regularly after minimal activity, like walking from the parking lot into my office carrying my briefcase; I wore out shoes in a matter of weeks; I couldn’t even walk down steps normally. And, not to discount, I was beyond embarrassed by the way I looked.

Enter Dr. Frantzides. This guy! Wow! Not only is he blessed with the surgical skills of a superhero; he is an amazing person to boot! He actually cares incredibly deeply about his patients. Now, I know other doctors care about their patients, too, but when was the last time you had a doctor sit down with you in his office for over 2 hours, one-on-one, to assure you had all of your questions answered? Or when was the last time you had a doctor dedicate himself to doing everything in his power to ensure he would not have to open you up completely during surgery even if it meant working on you laparoscopically for over 5 hours when open surgery would have taken probably half that time? Or, finally, when was the last time that you had a doctor personally call you everyday for a week to check to make sure you were doing ok because you had gotten yourself so dehydrated that you had to go to the emergency room? Not only did Dr. Frantzides do all of these things, but he also made sure that my mother was not completely beside herself with worry about me after surgery and after the ER visit. These are a few of the reasons why I call him Dr. Framazing. He really is absolutely amazing…547 reviewers don’t lie.

In closing, I would just like to say that if you are considering the lap band, please don’t. Those things are incredibly dangerous. And, if you are considering WLS, give a lot of serious thought to the surgeon you will use. I live a little over 200 miles from Dr. Framazing’s office. I am a secretary for a school district; I don’t make a ton of money, have 3 kids and myself in college currently, and my insurance didn’t cover this surgery but I made this happen with Dr. F. because I knew that he was the absolute right man for the job. It’s your life and your long-term health; you want and need the best of the best for a commitment as big as this. There probably are a handful of other surgeons out there with surgical skills that approach Dr. Frantzides, but I know in my heart of hearts that there are no other doctors out there that have those skills combined with the compassion that Dr. Frantzides possesses. This makes all the difference in the long and short term. Do what you have to do. You won’t regret it because this man really is truly Framazing!

I’ve always believed that every person has a story. I am also convinced that every person who is morbidly obese has an extremely complicated story. The story line of the morbidly obese individual is filled with shame, embarrassment, interventions, “hoping against hope”, as well as pain. Yet, many times friends, family members, colleagues and even physicians have offered advice to these complicated stories…and yet they don’t even understand the question…but they have all the answers.
My story is probably typical. I’ve spent my entire adult life struggling with my weight. I have tried every diet in the world. Purchased multiple pieces of exercise equipment. Joined and unjoined several fitness centers in my city, multiple times.

My weight continued to climb to over 300 lbs. So in 2006, I sought out a local surgeon to pursue the lap band procedure. Little did I know that according to a study in 2006 by Suter, Calmes and Paroz, lap band surgery failure occurs in up to 50% of all patients. According to this study, one of the leading causes of lap band failures is “band slippage”. Band slippage is when the lower stomach slips through the implanted band creating a bigger pouch above the band.

I sure wish I ‘d read that study prior to having my surgery because my band, like the bands of many others, slipped and needed to be removed.

As could be expected, after my band was removed I began to gain weight again. So I made the decision to have the lap band surgery performed again by a different surgeon, thinking that was the issue. However, after about 18 months this second band had to be removed because of band intolerance. I had symptoms of excessive vomiting and a continuous feeling of discomfort. Basically, I traded the negative quality of life associated with morbid obesity for the negative quality of life associated with having a device in my body that my body would not accept.

Getting the first lap band surgery was a mistake. Getting the band replaced with another band was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my life.

After the second band was removed, my weight gain continued. My long time partner was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2013. My morbid obesity story was getting to the point of no return. I was looking in my crystal ball and my health issues were increasing. I knew that if I wanted a different life, I needed to do something to reclaim it.

I began researching Gastric Bypass surgery. Since my two lap band surgeries had failed, the cornerstone of this decision was going to be choosing the right surgeon, no matter how far I would need to travel to find this surgeon. My extensive research kept leading me towards Dr. Frantizdes in Skokie, Illinois.

Being from Illinois, I knew that Skokie was near Chicago, about 4 hours from my home. In February of 2015, I started this new chapter of my weight loss surgery journey by making an appointment for a consultation visit with Dr. Frantzides.

When I initially pulled into the parking garage at Dr. Frantzides’ office, I was completely out of my comfort zone. Dr. Frantzides’ office is in a professional building, and that professional building is in a mall. I am from a fairly small city. We don’t have doctors’ offices in professional buildings in malls. Despite this, I knew immediately upon walking into Dr. Frantzides’ office that I was in the right place as I was greeted by his fabulously efficient and caring assistant, Teresa, followed shortly thereafter with a warm welcome by Dr. Frantzides himself.

Dr. Frantzides took over an hour to explain the weight loss surgery options, the benefits and the risks of each procedure. He then explained to me the reasons behind my obesity. At no point during that visit did I ever feel like “I was just another overweight person seeking surgery.” In fact, he made me feel like I was the most important person he had to talk to that day. What a gift!

During my appointment, Dr. Frantzides assured me that he would be there to support me all the way. I couldn’t help but think that he was too good to be true. He said, “Call me day or night if you have any concerns, and I will personally call you back.” Much to my amazement, that is exactly what he did! I couldn’t help but think, “What?!?!? An answering service doesn’t call you back?!?! Who is this guy???” But Dr. Fantzides is a person of his word. He does call you back, personally.

Dr. Frantzides has incredible people skills, and skills of compassion for which he has won several awards. However, I didn’t choose Dr. Frantzides because of these skills. I choose him because of his surgical skills. I wanted the best surgeon in the nation! After months of researching gastric bypass surgery, that is what I got!

Assured of his level of care and convinced of his surgical skills, on May 27, 2015, I had my gastric bypass surgery. The surgical team he assembles, the hospital staff and the hospital provisions he puts into place are of the highest quality.

Since surgery I have lost 43lbs. But more importantly, I have started the process to reclaim my life. The morning I was discharged from the hospital I told Dr. Frantzides, “You surely have done your part. Now it is my turn to do mine.”

In closing, my advice to anyone contemplating this decision is short and simple:
#1: Do you own research.
#2: Don’t wait until you’ve gained so much weight that you’ve lost your vision for a better life. Today is the day for reclaiming your life and WRITING YOUR OWN NEW STORY!

Good luck and Godspeed!

Jill Grove

I have now become another one of those people who say “I wish I would have done it sooner”.
I had my surgery with Dr. Frantzides 2 years ago, and it has completely transformed my life. I had a Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass, hiatal hernia repair, cholecystectomy, ventral hernia repair, all performed laparoscopically as promised to me when I first saw the doctor. I stayed in the hospital for 1 night as also promised to me. The initial time after surgery was very doable, minimal pain, dietary restrictions/guidelines directly from Dr. Frantzides. They were simple and also easy to follow. Before surgery I read on the internet a lot and I can say that Dr. Frantzides does things differently. I can also say that it works. He keeps the process simple, just have to do what he says.
Today I can eat whatever I want because Dr. Frantzides did not cut my vagus nerve like the rest of surgeons do, so I don’t have “dumping”, never once did I experience that. I have been able to maintain my weight loss without much of an effort, and in fact I am getting ready for my tummy tuck. I never imagined I would say that I will have a “tummy tuck” and here I am. I truly have been given a new life. I went from being a 50+ woman, depressed about getting older, sicker, and continuously getting bigger. I had major sleeping problems, major regurgitation due to my hiatal hernia, and my gallbladder was giving me problems almost daily.
Dr. Frantzides has given me a new/better life via the surgeries he performed on me perfectly, especially the gastric bypass. This is what I am grateful for every single day when I look in the mirror, and anytime I get a complement, which happens often now !!!
Thank you Dr. F.

If the universe has aligned in a certain way and you are researching Dr. Frantzides & his procedures, then it is a sign you are in the right place. My story may be similar to yours, but through a series of other doctor referrals - I found myself getting serious about making a positive change in my health and found him, found my answer. You can feel free to contact me about my own journey and success thus far, because I was perhaps the most apprehensive about this surgery. That was over #135 pounds ago - within the first 6 months!

There are self actualized people who are doing what they are supposed to be doing,. this is Dr. Frantzides. Professional. Honest. Skilled. If you have exhausted your options of health, fitness and diet control. Make the leap. Finding Dr. Frantzides is like finding the golden ticket to your success. Stop reading on the internet about weight loss surgery and so much mis-information - get on his program. It will work if you do your part. It is not easy and there are some consequences to your choice and I am still learning the eating process. The great thing is instead of avoiding activities - my knees feel better and I have joined a gym and am working out instead of eating. My social life is on the rise and I am not isolating. The minimally invasive approach he follows reduces recovery time. Preserving the nerves in your stomach makes life normal no sweating or dumping as you hear about - just less food and reduced portions and hunger when you need to eat. The team he is surrounded by is very professional and empathetic to an obese patients needs.

Sometimes we cannot turn back the clock and fix our past. But Dr. Frantzides can help you get to your next 5 years and remainder of your life in a better place. Good luck to you on your journey and thanks to Frantzides and his team for helping me.