The Kane Center Bariatric Center

Boy was I nervous when Dr. Rantis walked in to the room, but within 2.2 seconds it was all gone. He is a GREAT guy. He made me feel so welcome and even cracked a couple of jokes! (I LOVE to laugh!) Then it came down to the real deal. Dr. Rantis told it how it is and made sure I understood everything along the way. He said I was a canidate for LAP RNY. All staff and the folks from Weight For Life have been wonderful! I am waiting to hear when the big day will be. One thing is for sure, Dr. Rantis left me with a WONDERFUL first impression "10"!

Dr. Rantis was excellent before and after surgery. Everytime I see him he remembers me and that is important.

HE IS AN EXCELLENT DOCTER.

He is the greatest man on this earth (next to my husband and father-in-law)and his bedside manner was incredible. He made me feel so cared for and special. This man deserves an award for being so kind, gentle, and humane. And his associates need to take lessons from him!!

I will never have another surgeon unless he personally recommends him.

He gets a 100% in my book!

Julie K. Hicks

Dr. Guske was wonderful!! There aren't enough words to describe how he has changed my life!! From my first visit with him he made me feel important and that my life was important, I didn't feel like I was just another "fat" person going to see him to get thin. All of the staff made you feel individually special. That meant alot to me! Dr. Guske took his time with me to make sure I understood procedures,risks, and the after care. The main word that always came back to me was that this surgery is a "tool" to lose the weight I need to use. I didn't want a quick fix, but I needed something more to get me to even where I am today! Any questions I may have I know I can call Dr. guske and his staff with and not feel like a burden to them. The only negative thing I can think of is that his office isn't closer to me! Other than that everything else was a great experience and I'm only sorry I hadn't done it sooner!

6/10/02 - (Surgical Consult) Dr. Kane Jr. was fairly devoid of a personality at our first session. He was not so much clinical as he seemed distant. He was good at covering all the stuff about the surgery - I felt I am making a well-informed decision. I think he was just tired. He did get more animated when he was discussing how WLS changes the lives of his patients and it is a lifesaver for some. That convinced me that he really was a good doctor.

His office staff is very efficient and seem to know their stuff.

My first impression of Dr. Rantis was good. But I was skeptical.

Overtime my impression changed for the better because he was so helpful with any question that I had. I faxed him a list of about 10 questions that I forgot to ask on my initial consult and he called me at work and asked if I had time to go over my questions with him. He was wonderful!

I only met one of his staff members (I can't recall her name) but she was nice.

I haven't found anything about him that I haven't liked yet.

He is very honest, but he has a great "bed-side" manner.

He, along with the Weight for Life program, does have an ongoing aftercare program at the hospital!

He addressed the risks of surgery very graphically but as honestly as he possibly could. And that's how I prefer it.

I guess if I had to give him a number on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best, being that I am pre-op and don't know how everything is going to turn out, I would have to say a 7. Hopefully that rating will increase, as my weight decreases.

Both are very important! I think that it goes hand in hand!

Haven't met with him yet, but he's quick to get things going once the approval came through. No complaints here.

3/18/01 - I met with Dr. Guske. I'm definitely glad he's the one who'll be doing my surgery. A very straightforward type of guy who volunteers information you might be afraid to ask. I actually asked him when it would be "okay" for me to start smoking again. Of course he didn't recommend it, but when he saw I wasn't kidding, he let me know. You've got to like a doc that accepts his patients for who they are. He made a great impression on me.

04/21/01
I just wanted everyone to know that the group of people I've been exposed to during this surgery have been some of the most professional and caring I could hope to meet in my life. Dr. Guske - I can't say enough about him. I trust him...I think that's all I need to say. Dr. Hart - a to-the-point kinda guy. If you watch him, you'll see the wheels in motion. I liked that he considered all aspects before relaying information. Lessie - We didn't interact much, but that was OK. She leads the support group and I needed to hear more from the patients. Dr. Smith - He isn't with the group, but he was my first exposure to a psychologist. Ya gotta like a guy who says you're sane. :-) Kim Kercherr - a very beautiful person inside and out. She took time to make sure I understood what was going on, was quick to answer my call, and even called to tell me my folder had been found. I believe I've been exposed to a very gifted group of people. May God further continue to bless them for years to come.

8/15/01 At 16 weeks post-op, I'm still convinced that I had one of the best experiences possible. The aftercare has been great. My doctors keep one another informed as to what's going on with my progress.

My first impression of Dr. Kane was neutral. He seemed knowledgeable and his "bedside" manner was ok, not teriffic, but ok/ He answered all my questions and sent me off for all the tests. He was very thorough in going over the risks and benefits of the surgery, as well as my personal history and how it would affect the surgery.

Over time I found him to be caring and considerate. He is often harried and then his bedside manners slip some, but overall I never got the impression that he was a slice 'em, dice 'em and drop 'em kinda surgeon.

His office /nursing staff have always been very helpful and accomodating. When I had some problems medcially it was always taken seriously and handled promptly.

I least like his schedule, it seems a bit rushed on some visits (usually ordinary follow-up), and I often feel hurried to get all my questions answered. I was also not impressed with the aftercare nutritional information..... most is immediate post op and doesn't deal as much with the rest of our lives...... there isn't a lot of good info out there for that and they need improvement in this area.

Future patients should know he is a very good surgeon. He, as well as the other people in his practice, are caring, exprienced, well trained and very knowledgable. They know how to handle the complications that can arise from surgery as well as the co-morbidities we bring to the surgery. If you're having complications (as can happen with ANY surgery) they are good at finding the problem and resolving it.

The aftercare is pretty good, but they are improving it daily. That is what I like about this group, they are always trying to make it better, whether it is surgical technique, behaviour modification, support, nutrition or fitness, they keep trying to do it better.

Yes, he does have a structured aftercare program, and you can go as long as you feel a need for it.

Overall I would grade him a B+ in general care and an A+ in surgical care.

I REALLY LIKED DR.GUSKE. HE SPENT ALOT OF TIME WITH ME AND WENT OVER EVERYTHING.THE STAFF WAS VERY FRIENDLY AT THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS OFFICE, I JUST WISH THEY HAD A SATELITE OFFICE CLOSER TO MY HOME.

I will be having Dr. Guske from Alexian Brothers Hospital! And I have to say my first visit with him was fantastic. He is a very warm, caring person. His office staff so far has been great also!
March 21st was my surgery with Dr. Guske!!
What a wonderful man! I can not say enough
about this doctor! Anyone who is blessed enough to have this man preform surgery on you, you are blessed! He is very positive, uplifting, kind, gentle, and down to earth man.
A Man who really loves his job and people he takes care of!!!
I couldn't say anything bad!!If anyone has any question about him please e-mail me!