Micheal Sarr, M.D. Bariatrics Bariatric Center

This doctor is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!! He saved my life and I will be forever thankful to him for what he did!!! Not only does he KNOW what he is doing, he is friendly, funny, and UPFRONT & HONEST!! A very, very caring person who took the time to include my husband and children! Wish I would have met up with him months before, but just thankful that he was able to repair the damage done by having had the gastric bypass plus the two revisions. Without this wonderful, fantastic, awesome doctor, my life would have ended!!!

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART~THANK YOU, THANK YOU DR. SARR!!!! YOU WILL FOREVER MEAN THE WORLD TO ME AND MY FAMILY!!! THANKS FOR GIVING ME BACK MY LIFE!!!!

Dr. Sarr

I would like to thank you and your staff for taking time to complete the first stage of changing my lifestyle. I have been able to do so much more than before.

Absolutely love this Doctor. He was so awesome. I went to the appointment by myself, so he gave me his home phone number and told me that my husband should call him, so he can discuss things with him. He aosl said I should call whenever I need too! He believes that a revision will solve my chronic pain problems. Says I may even feel better immediately after surgery.

Dr. Sarr is very nice and very friendly. He seems very down to earth and seems to care about his patients very much. His office staff is very helpful and willing to do anything they need to for his patients. He address everything he thinks you would like to know headon, and if he misses something just speak up he'll answer it for you right away. Dr. Sarr is very openminded and not bashful about any subject. I've never had a negative experience with him yet, and haven't heard anything bad about him. I know several others who have had him for their wls as well and they liked him as much as I did.

My Surgeon was Michael Sarr. He is head of the department at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He is fantastic! The two times I met with him before surgery were wonderful. He helped me understand exactly how this surgery would aide me, as well as why my body got into this position to begin with. He was very kind, very patient, and very informative. He spent the first part of our discussion talking about my children and how they were handling the whole situation. He was very concerned that they be comfortable with the process. He even personally offered to sit and visit with them to talk about it, and offered them a tour of the hospital if need be. I was so amazed and comforted by this. He also made me understand how important it would be for them to be able to see me the first night. He impressed me greatly. He did have another doctor working with him, Johnathan Gibson. This doctor did most of my follow-up care, so I didn't get to see much of Dr. Sarr after surgery. He did check in a few times, but it was a VERY brief visit. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that he only seemed to have 30 seconds or less with me each time he did visit. I think, however, he was letting Dr. Gibson take over. Mayo is a teaching facility and I think this was Dr. Gibson's time to shine. Dr. Sarr did call me a few days after I got home to see how things were going. That was nice and appreciated. On a scale of 1-10 I'd give Dr. Sarr a 9. The only reason I wouldn't give a 10 is because of the rushed feeling I got from his visits after surgery.

My first impression of Dr. Sarrs was of a man who is very sure of himself, and knows what he is doing. He will not tolerate not following the commitment that is needed to succeed.
I can'y really say over time as I have an appointment on Jan, 28 and have surgery on Jan. 29. Pre-op on Jan. 28.
Office staff is very knowledgeable, friendly, courteous. As this is a teaching institution, they will ask you if you mind having anyone else in with you.
I did not dislike anything about him.
That he is head chair of General Surgery and head of Gastroenterology. Also is the most requested for by-pass from patients overall.
Very structured before and after program. He will not tolerate being lazy and not doing what he tells you.
If you gain weight before surgery, he will cancel you.
Addressed all risks of surgery, and mortality issues.
I would rate him a 10 on a scale of 1-10.
His surgical competence I am told is the very best-by my endocrinologist. Bedside manner is excellent from prior patients I have contacted.
I asked my endocrinologist who he would send his family to. You will usually find out rather quickly who is the very best.
I feel that you can have a very positive outlook and feeling of your surgeon and his staff if you are polite, considerate of them as well and follow what they are trying to do for you to regain your health.
You should not expect to have your hand held thru all of this. It is OUR OWN re-sponsibility to succeed with the tool that he is giving to us.

When I first met Dr. Sarr I must admit I was a bit intimidated. I'm sure it didn't help that I was extremely nervous about meeting him and wondering whether or not he would think I was a good candidate for surgery. He was very upfront and straightforward regarding his expectations of me pre-operatively to not gain any weight and to start an exercise program (in a pool of all places!) 5 days a week. Looking back on it, I am glad he presented himself as he did because if he hadn't I'm not sure I would've worked as hard as I did to reach and ultimately exceed his expectations. In the end, it was EXACTLY what I needed. After coming to that realization, on my 2nd meeting with him I wondered what I had been so scared about. While Dr. Sarr is very upfront with his expectations he is a very caring, down to earth person with a great sense of humor to boot! He explains in detail which procedure you will undergo and the possible risks attached to it. He really emphasizes the importance of aftercare and how you will need to take vitamins, supplements, and a monthly B-12 shot for the rest of your life. I felt very confident and at ease knowing he would be my surgeon, I knew I was in good hands. I found his entire staff to be an excellent group of individuals, particularily Dr. Jaime Haidenberg and Jane Mai, physician extender to Dr. Sarr. My experience with Dr. Sarr and his staff was an extremely positive one, I could not have asked for a better bunch of people to take care of me!

I had my first consult with Dr. Sarr. Both he and his nurse are very nice. I had research him before the consult and went into it knowing that he was an experienced and excellent surgeon with regards to RNY. His personality makes you very comfortable but he is straight forward in telling you that he will not do surgery if you do not do your part.

Dr. Sarr is great! Seems most people think their surgeon is wonderful - perhaps because these doctors have to have a compassionate personality to want to help all of us that are at such a desperate point in our weight struggle. I found Dr. Sarr to be very kind and easy to talk to - very compassionate! He's going to change my life - and after my previous surgeries and complications, I feel completely trusting and comfortable putting my life in his hands.

We didn't get off to a very good start. He put me on the defensive right away. I told him my history, as much as 80 pounds lost several times through starvation diets,TOPS. Weight Watchers, diet pills, a failed VBG surgery 14 years ago, all only to regain what I had lost and more each time. At this first meeting with him, I had just succeeded in dieting off 38 pounds since I started the process at Mayo,by following the diet they gave to me.I was feeling pretty good about myself and the fact that I had done this in about 2 and a half months (besides being over the Christmas holidays.) I wanted to prove to them that I could follow a program and was willing to do my part to make this work.His exact words were " What makes you think this time will be any different, when you have failed before, even with a VBG?"That stung! I thought I would recieve a little more understanding for my problem and credit for what I had struggled to do the last 2 & 1/2 months from my surgeon than that.I didn't need another doctor to tell me what a failure I am. Maybe he just was having a bad day, or maybe he was testing me. I don't know, but he sure let the wind out of my sails.I certainly hope this first impression will change later on.

I found his staff to be wonderful and particularly helpful. I guess he is a real stickler about exercise. I wish I could do more of that. I went up there because I can hardly walk even with a cane. I stood it as long as I could and went to Mayo to see about getting my knees done and the orthopedic doctor refered me on this road. I first have to lose the weight and then get my knees done. I could lose 100 pounds plus and my knees would still be bone on bone. I'll do anything it takes to get rid of this pain.

He was very thourough and honest in explaining the risks and possible complications of surgery and after. But I did feel he was exagerating them, from what I have learned through research. Again, he was probably testing me. What I can't understand is, why did I have this experience with him, when others at this site have rated him as "nice, personable, blah, blah, blah?"

I'll tell you more when I have a chance to get to know him a little better. I guess I'd rather have a surgeon who was the best available than one who makes me feel good. He certainly seems to have all the credentials. So I have confidence enough to put myself in his hands. No one could get to the place he is at in one of the best medical facilities in the world and graduate at the bottom of his class. I guess I don't have to like him, altho that would be nice.
Jenele