Chicago Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery Bariatric Center

Dr. Frantzides was very personable.He was
patient and answered all my questions. I continue to have very favorable opinions of the doctor.
Staff is wonderful! I couldn't ask for a better support team. I can't think of any negatives. The doctor is very skilled. He is at the cutting edge of this surgery and is very dedicated to his craft. Aftercare is clearly emphasized and stressed. The team provides a great information resource. A structure aftercare program exists and is consistently followed. On a scale of 1-10 Dr. Frantzides is 100. Surgical competence is better but it helps to have some type of bedside manner. Dr. Frantzides has both.

Dr Frantzides was direct he didnt sugar coat anything, he told me the facts about the surgry and the risks involved. His confidence helped me to be confident in myself and the choice I had made. The staff was VERY friendly Jerry and Karen you are the best. Doc puts great emphasize on after care and diet and nutrition after surgry. This man is so sweet and loving he made me feel like I was his favorite patient. He took my pic and said he was going to make me a star!! Dr Frantzides,Dr Zenies and Karen made my progress possible! I felt so much love and support from them and felt we were all a team in this lifestyle change. I know I can call any of them 24 hours a day and ask questions if needed. It's now 11 days since my surgery, I'm 25 pounds down and feeling wonderful. Dr Frantzides and his team are experts and I would trust my life in his hands anyday. I will never forget crying the day after surgery when the doctor came to visit me..He told me not to cry for my new life , and if I wanted to cry to cry for my old life. I will take those words with me for the rest of my life. Indeed there are no reason for tears now. My goals are being achieved!!

Thanks Dr. Frantzides!!

AWSOME STAFF AND INCREDIBLE DOCTOR I FEEL LIKE I'M SO LUCKY TO LIVE CLOSE TO WHO I BELIEVE IS THE BEST IN HIS FIELD.
I am 13 days out and all I can say is WOW! I had my first follow-up Doctor's visit last Friday and as of then I had lost 31 pounds and no complications, not even nausea I seem to tolorate anything I eat but I am careful not to put more then I intend to eat and only soft stuff with the exception of chicken but I chew it till it's nothing. The amazing thing is when your sitting in a restraunt and your looking around the way people eat they shovel in as much as they can and eat till they want to explode and that was me and without my new limitations it still is me I just had to make a concious desicion that I do not want to tempt fate and be sick all the time, I will tell all of you reading this that Isopure protien shakes really make a diiference get at least one shake a day in to help get you on your feet.If there is anybody out there not sure of where to have this done I will tell you that I can't imagine anybody having this done open or with any other doctor besides Dr Frantzides, he and his staff were awsome there wasn't a stone uncovered he's the difference between buying a chevy and a caddilac (he's the Top of the line Caddilac)you might think you just want to get it over with and have it done locally like I did but I'm so glad the other Doctor was a flake.You WILL have a lot more PAIN and complications having it done open and don't let them tell you your too big to have it done laproscopic the truth is they are not skilled enough and you need to educate yourself call 847-570-1003 and get the truth.Good luck to all and I will post a new picture soon.

As a 344lb / BMI=53 obese woman AND nurse, I am hoping that my perspective on Dr. C. Frantzides will leave an impression on those that are searching for the answer that WLS can bring. After having researched this surgical option for over 2 years, had many conversations with my PCP on whether I was an appropriate candidate, and seeking the support of my family, I chose to move forward with surgery in Jan 2005. My choice of Dr. Frantzides was multi-faceted taking into account his # of years performing the procedure I was going to have, the morbity/mortality/complication rates he has published and his advocacy and passion for performing the procedure laparoscopically. There were several times during my pre-procedural course where I relied upon my clinical knowledge to help the soon-to-be 'patient' side of me to understand the information that was key to making my decision. I've researched nearly every program offered in the state of Illinois and can share that Dr. Frantzides some of the best statistics around. I attribute this to his competence and confidence in performing the procedure laparoscopically. As a nurse and a patient, there is no other best option than experiencing this procedure laparoscopically. The relative complication rate and recovery time of an open procedure is not anything anyone should have to experience unless there is absolutely no other option. Think about it this way...when your surgeon performs this procedure, and it is done through an open incision in your abdomen, there is a good deal of fat that has to be 'moved' out of the way in order for the surgeon to even SEE well enough to conduct the complex surgical procedure. In addition, there is only one person in that operating room that actually can see what is going on and that is the surgeon. In the laparascopic procedure, every aspect of the procedure is projected on monitors that allow the entire surgical/anesthesia team to clearly view the 'surgical field'. Dr. Frantzides has successfully performed the procedure laparoscopically on patients up to a BMI of 91. It seems that other surgeons may not have the same level of expertise, passion for or desire to take the time to perform the procedure laparoscopically as the open incision is, to some degree, an easy way out. So I ask you...do you want a surgeon who believes that the only best way to perform this procedure is through a laparoscopic approach? Do you want a surgical team that can all 'see' what is happening during the procedure and advocate for you? Do you want a post-procedural recovery that is free of complication with the best possible short and long term results? If your answer to these questions is YES then I strongly encourage you as a nurse and a gastric bypass surgical patient to seek out a surgeon that performs the procedure laparoscopically. In addition, if you are starting your journey and looking to choose a surgeon, then I can give no higher recommendation of Dr. C. Frantizides and the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare hospital team. I welcome any and all questions my experience that I have shared here.

I was immediately struck by Dr. Frantzides dedication and professionalism. His passion for medicine and healing comes across as genuine and informed. From the first opportunity I heard him discuss the surgery at a Q&A seminar, I decided that I could entrust him to perform this life changing procedure. He is obviously experienced, very confident, though humble and takes great efforts to remain current in his techniques. Dr. Frantzides is not only exemplary in his approach to treating the patient comprehensively prior to the surgery, but after as well. He has surrounded himself with a very competent and congenial staff who provide various supports, guidance and the careful attention necessary to ensure the patient has a successful procedure with minimal stress (i.e., navigating insurance, labs/testing, education,etc) Dr. Frantzides provides extensive aftercare supports and stresses the importance of followup visits. He is genuinely concerned about the total welfare of the patient before, during and after. He makes sure that patients are completely educated and prepared for the procedure and dispels any misconceptions or fallacies regarding the procedure. I highly recommend him to anyone seriously contemplating the surgery. He is absolutely off the scale and I simply do not have enough adjectives to praise him. He absolutely saved my life!!! It's actually unfair to have to choose whether it's his outstanding bedside manner or his supreme surgical competence because he is absolutely the complete package. Via this procedure, Dr.Frantzides is sharing his gift of healing with the world. He's simply amazing.

Hi, My name is Dixie Mendola and I want to tell everyone my story. 2 years ago I entered Dr Frantzides office in a wheel chair, weighing in at almost 500 lbs. At 5'6 1/2" that gave me a BMI of over 80. Dr Frantzides calmed me by telling me I could have the surgery Laproscopically (sp) and after several visits we made a date. 4/26/03 my life changed FOREVER. Now almost 2 years later I weigh 262 and am contacting a plastic surgeon to remove the excess of almost 50 lbs. I no longer need the wheel chair, and am able to do almost anything!!! I highly recommend the surgery to anyone who has 100 lbs or more to lose, and my personal feeling is laproscopic is the only way to go. The recovery is much easier and alot less painful. I urge anyone considering this surgery to think it over very carefully, but if you are a candidate, and have overcome all issues, have it done!!! And have it done by DR Frantzides.He was very kind and
It only got better and was available if necessary. He is the most caring man I have ever met, not to mention the absolute best surgeon.He is a WONDERFUL surgeon, and I consider him my Angel. On a scale of 1-10...25!!
Both beyond compare, I have had many Doc's and Dr Frantzides is the BEST!!!I was a terrific risk and a challenge to him, but he took me on anyway, and now has permanently changed my life...for the BEST!! I have faced a long road, and still have further to go, but now, 238 pounds later, I know I can face anything!! THANK-YOU Dr Frantzides, I will always remember what a caring soul you have!! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS -- Dixie Mendola.

Dr. Frantzides was recomened to me by my ortho doctor @ Rush Pres. I went to one of his seminars and knew he was a wonderful person and surgeon....I needed both of these qualities. Over time my regard for him grew I adore him as a person, He has a love for his profession and his patients. To me he is the ideal of what a doctor should be. The office staff at Evanston is wonderful I love every single person. As far as after care everything was done as I was told it would be. dr Frantzides explained all of the risks to me. In the meetings prior to my surgery and after my surgery everybody was very helpful. The benfits as wellas the risks were explained.I recenlty had Dr. Frantzides correct my hernia, tummy tuck, and Lypoma. Overall I would rate him superior. He Sparkles!!!!! He changes the lives of his patients. Anyone who suffers from overweight should see Dr. Frantzides. The good news is he does his surgeries Lapascopically, that means you will not be split open like a hog!!! Yea. New vistas have opened for me. Thank you Dr. Frantzides

I've reached the age where I no longer embrace unnecessary risk. I also believe that easier is better than harder and a short recovery time is better than a long recovery time. For these reasons, I sought a surgeon who performed over a thousand laproscopic WLS procedures - and who was respected as a leader in the field by his peers. I am happy that Dr. Frantzides is my surgeon.

He is not the nearest surgeon to me (in fact he is downright geographically undesirable) and he's not in my insurance network (I don't think he is "in network" in any insurance program).

However, what he is - is the best.

I recognized this when another doctor told me, "You're either very lucky or you've done your research, because there is no one better."

Post Op: My first impression of Dr. Frantzides overall was he was very positive about explaining the Laparoscopic procedure. He was very professional and easy to talk to. He answered all of my questions in regards to the procedure and risks involved so that I would be making an informed decision. I really cannot think of anything negative to say. He has a very like-able staff and personality.

i think frantzides is a wonderful talented surgeon. he has a superb bedside manner, he is attentive and concerned. the fact that he does this surgery laproscopically is amazing. i appreciate how confortable he has made feel and knowing that i wont have big ugly scars on my body is reassuring. i chose him because not only is he in the top of his field for bariatric surgery, but he specializes in gastrointestinal (?) issues.