Johns Hopkins Obesity Surgery Center Bariatric Center

My first impression was good. My husband and i liked him and there was no doubt he was the one for my surgery. Iv only seen him once so not sure about the lone road ahead but i have confidence. His office on the other hand was a mess and they never answer the phone. Hopefully this doesnt present a problem in the future. He did a great job so far of explaining the surgery and the confidence level he had made a great impression for me.

My surgeon, Dr. Kimberley Steele at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Bariatric Center is amazing. She was pleasant, patient and caring pre and post op. She even called me at home, after surgery to check on me.

A wonderful caring doctor. Very cautious in everything he did.

John Hopkins was my first choice because they were a pioneer of bariatrics in the area, and they have a rock hard reputation of care and experience. rnrnI had originally selected a different surgeon, Dr. Schweitzer, because of his experience. He did not accept my insurance. So, I was offered Dr. Steele and thought I'd give her a try. I was originally going to be one of Dr. Steeles first patients for surgery (a little scary but hey, everyone starts somewhere!); however, my insurance decided otherwise by giving more and more hoops through a whole two years of waiting. So I have been with her for, I guess you could say, two years of this journey. Dr. Steele is such a wonderful physician. As far as surgical competence, I cannot comment myself but have heard wonderful things from her previous patients.rnrn Dr. Steele is very upfront but also very interested and has a \"bedside manner\" and attitude with her patients that you don't often see. She is genuine, and certainly was honest and upfront about herself as a surgeon and what she expects of her patients. She is not afraid to listen, actually listen, and is very personable. She is also very passionate about her patients - last appt I had with her she was in the waiting room attempting to convince a gentleman to go to the ER because he was having chest pains. He was refusing because he needed to \"get back to work\" and was very argumentative and nasty with her. She stood her ground and was professional the whole time, and it's truly not often you see a physician out in the waiting room.rnrnShe has done much research in bariatric surgery, including genetic studies after surgery among others, and has received awards for her studies - so it is not just her job, it's also something she takes heart in. She also assists students as an instructor at John Hopkins University through her office, again showing a passion for the study by helping others learn about it.rnrnShe is very clear about the risks of her surgery, and her aftercare was extremely emphasized and clearly laid out. Again, she was very clear what she expected of her patients for the surgery to be successful and for my overall health.rnrnDr. Steele is honest, upfront, and while she is confident, she does not have the arrogance about herself that some physicians do. That was my favorite part. :)rnrnThe only thing I was not happy with was her staff. At times were too busy. It took a very long time sometimes to hear back from them about certain issues I was having with my insurance coverage. I didn't always get to speak to Dr. Steele's secretary, often times it would be a different office member. There were many times that things were lost in the shuffle or mix ups that would occur. They were always very friendly, however, and tried hard to do what they could. The office is for several physicians and not just for bariatric but for general surgery as well, so they see many patients. Dr. Steele did always address the issues as they came up herself.rnrnHere's the link to Dr. Steele's information through John Hopkins Bayview.rnrnhttp://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/surgery/faculty/Steele

My first impression was that the Dr. was exceptionally knowledgeable, not overly friendly or interested in me personally. But pleasant enough. Nice nurses and PA.rnrnHis office staff was and still is terrible. I have nothing positive to say about them. His PA is wonderful, which is good since she is the only one I have seen since my surgery.rnrnIf you need aftercare -This is not the practice for you. I do not live near his practice, so I am unable to attend the hospitals support group. When I have gone for my 3,6 & 9 month checkups, it just seems like I they are going thru the motions. I am very confident in his surgical competence and would recommend him to my mother or sister.rnrnI would rate his surgical ability a 10 out of 10, but his office staff a -10.rnrnThese are just my personal observations and of course everyone will have a different view.

During the consult I was upset with Dr S. I explained which surgery I wanted then in one sentence he said it wasn't for me. I sat there with my lips poked out the rest of the consult while he was explaining RNY. He then asked if I had any questions. Once explaining all the reasons and research I had for DS he apologized for the quick assumption and we decided on the DS.

I was very impressed with Dr. Magnuson. He answered all of my questions and added questions I didn't even think to ask.rnrnThe staff was amazing and extremely kind.rnrnOriginally I was going to use a different doctor in his practice, yet to complications with my insurance I had to switch. I'll be honest, I'm so glad that happened. I like Dr. Magnuson so much better. I feel he's much more experienced and really cares for his patients.

Dr. Schweitzer was very professional and very through. His staff ws very nice. On the day of my surgery he was very reassuring and made sure he answered any questions. The OR nurse Gia and the Anesthesiologists were wonderful and explained axactly what would happen. rnrnPost surgery the residents were very gentile and checked on me.

I honestly cannot give enough praise to this surgeon and his team at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. First, his office staff (specifically, Alice Cooper, his admin contact) is extremely helpful with the insurance approval process. Once I met with Dr. Schweitzer, my first impression was that he was friendly and makes a real effort to explain everything so that you understand what you're signing up for. His office visits are very brief - he might spend 3 minutes with you, if that - but his surgical competence far outweighs any faults that I could think of.rnrnHe saved my life ... literally. I'd had problems with bleeding (lost 6 pints) immediately following the surgery. Dr. Schweitzer had already left the hospital just after my operation, headed out on vacation, but came back to the hospital when he learned that I was having complications. He and Dr. Kimberlie Steele took me back into surgery and restitched everything. They helped me pull through. Dr. Steele monitored my recovery, and she was very attentive and supportive. I would recommend both of them to anyone who is seeking WLS surgeon.

Dr. Steele is an excellent surgeon. I had no complications after surgery. She works out of John Hopkins in Baltimore -- You can't get any better than that. She is tough in that she will not operate on you unless she feels you have a complete understanding of the surgery, its risks, and the life changing side effects that you will have after it. But once you get past that you are good to go. And her bedside manner is incredible. Incredibly kind and great with talking to patients personally after surgery. I would giver her a 10 and the JH Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore a 10 as well. The only negative is the daytime nursing at JH. And if you deal with you main nurse you are fine. Hindsight being 20/20... Because JH is a teaching hospital, the day nursing staff has a head nurse and a training nurse assigned to you. Next time I will deal any important issues with my main nurse. (I was allergic to morphine and the nurse in training did not recogonize it)