Johns Hopkins Obesity Surgery Center Bariatric Center
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My first impresson of Dr. Schweitzer is that I adore him! I think it is very very important that you "click" with the person you decided to let cut you open and this is exactly what happened with Dr. S. As soon as he walked into the room I felt a connection. And as he talked I became more and more convinced that he was the surgeon for me. He reminded me of my primary care physician, whom I adore, in his easy-going friendly and competent manner.
His staff gives you two comprehensive handouts and has you watch a video/powerpoint presentation prior to meeting with the doctor. They are all very pleasant. Then you have the obligatory weigh in and blood pressure. I do have to say that although the Aide that took my blood pressure was sweet she was not very adept at it. She repeatedly ahd trouble dealing with my fat person's arm and could not get either the large or thigh cuff to work properly. She appeared to get a bit flustered and I am unsure if we ever got an accurate reading.was in line with what I told her mine normally runs. I did have an additional problem with finding out if his office is in my insurance network. His secretary said he was but she would check into it for me to be sure. She was supposed to call me back twice before my scheduled visit to give me the information I needed. She never did either time and as a result I ended up going without a referral because the information my primary care doc's office was getting is that they were not covered. The secretary then told me, after I had paid my copay, that I was not going to be able to be seen today becasue I did not have a referral. When I mentioned that "someone" was supposed to have called me back twice she got very quiet. She was very nice and I am sure she was simply overworked. I did, however, end up paying out of pocket a LOT of money.
But it was all worth it because Doctor S. is just wonderful! He answered every single question I had and encouraged me to ask as many as I liked. He explained the procedure, posible complications, aftercare etc...completely. He said that I am a very good candidate for the lap procedure and he explained how the procedure is done and what makes someone a candidate. He was happy with my diet and excrcise and encouraged me to keep it up.
He emphasized the importance of aftercare and made it clear that no matter where I was in the world or where he was int he world that I could and should contact him if I was experiencing any problems.
Dr S. is a pioneer in the lap procedure and it is clear he is VERY good at what he does. I have total and complete confidence in him to do this surgery.
Impression of My Doctor: My first meeting with Dr. Magnuson gave me a sense of trust and confidence. I had read up on him prior to my appointment w/him @ Johns Hopkins, and was impressed w/his credentials. I chose him because he does the Open RandY and removes your gallbladder at the same time to avoid the inevitable gall stones that form due to rapid weight loss. The only negative thing I can say about him is that it took MONTHS to get an appointment w/him just to consult me on the surgery. But I guess that's a good thing because he must be in high demand.
His personal assistant that does his scheduling seemed very flippant at first which...sort of intimidated me. But after speaking to her a couple of times, I recognized it was just her personality & she was actually quite helpful and friendly.
I had my surgery by Dr Schwitzer on 8/21. He did the Lap RNY. I had a rough first day with nausea, but turned that corner, and feel just fine now. I have never had much pain and only take Tylenol for soreness once in a while. I have 6 small incisions that are healing well. Still eating a pureed diet. I would recommend Dr Schwitzer to anyone who is interested in this proceedure.
I had my surgery on Aug 23rd. Due to unforseen complications, I had difficulty coming out of the anesthesia and post surgical morphine. Dr Magnuson and his resident mustered their resources and pulled me through! He is congenial and is concerned with your comfort at all times. He has structured pre-op and post-op support groups. Besides being Chief of Surgery at Hopkins Bayview Med Ctr, he seems to be truely interested in each patient.
On the negative side, I would have liked to see him more. In my five day stay, he averaged three visits. BUT, his residents were there round the clock and communicated with him often.
Dr. S. seems to be a very nice man. He is very young but has lots of experience. He had lots of information for me to review and answered all of my questions both positive and negative.
When I made my first appointment it was approximately 2 months off. I was devasted. I felt that that would mean no surgery for at least 5 months. I begged for an earlier appointment. The office staff said that they would do what they could. I couldn't belive when they called with an opening about 2 weeks later. The office staff were very nice and welcoming. At this point, they have filed with my insurance company or so I thought. I still feel like I have picked the right place. It just has the wrong staff.
While I still believe that Dr. Schweitzer is a great surgeon, his staff leave much to be desired. They just don't seem to feel what we are going through. I called constantly to follow up on the insurance filing and they treated me like they were doing me a favor by talking to me. Live and learn. Now I wait.
Great first impression!
Great Staff!
I had a major concern about the 10% mortality rate. Dr. Magnuson covered the reasons why that increases or decreases, patient to patient.
He gets 2 thumbs up!
*See below for Dr. Schweitzer comments* Dr. Vanguri is a soft spoken, gentle man. His office is very busy, it takes months to get an initial appointment, and then months to schedule the surgery date. I have been attending his monthly support group meetings for a year now. He has been performing this surgery only for 15+ years. His surgical skill is said to be excellent. Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore apparently has a very good reputation. His staff, altho overworked are very helpful and friendly. In the past year I have not heard any fatality stories or terrible complication stories, either. The only problem I can see with the aftercare program is that there is no associated nutritionist specializing in this weight loss surgery. They are working on that, tho and hope to have one soon.
On my initial visit there, he does a little group briefing, then individual exams. He answers all questions very confidently. I believe he really cares about the plight of the obese.
8/21/01: All tho I really liked Dr. V - I am now having the surgery done by Dr. Schweitzer at Sinai hospital because he does it lap. I really want a quicker recovery and less of a scar. He is new to Sinai and is just getting his practice set up. He does not yet have credentials (his ID#) from all the insurance companies, yet. He is supposed to have it from Aetna by Sept. 1 and I am scheduled for Sept. 10. Jenny, his secretary is very nice and helpful, she is also new working for him. I can tell that it won't be long before she is completely overwhelmed there since Dr. S. is one of the few in this area doing this procedure lap. He has been an abdominal lap surgeon for maybe 8 years, and has been performing the gastric bypass since 1998. He is about 36 years old, but very confident and nice enough. In the two visits I have had with him, he has taken his time and explained all the surgical options and answered my list of questions. I must say tho, that he never examined me at all. Just took my weight and other lab test results. From those doctors that I have looked into, he definetely makes you jump thru the fewest hoops and seems to take an overall less invasive approach. I like that. Last I heard he was in the process of hiring a nutritionist who will also start some kind of support group. Hopefully she will be up and running soon!I'll update on the other side!
Dr. Magnuson and his secretary, Gerry are fabulous. They are very helpful and straightforward in communicating all information I needed. They were very supportive.
I am very satified thus far.
Gina R.
I was very impressed with Dr. Magnuson. I had done a lot of research prior to my visit,which helped speed things.His office sent the letter of pre-determination to the ins. co within a week. The ins. co. could not find the letter, so it took faxing it 2 more times. During my first consultation, I discussed with him the necessity of also having a hysterectomy and what my chances of having these two surgeries combined. He was completly supportive of the idea and confirmed this would be the safest route to go. Now that I am approved,we decided not to combine the surgeries.