The Surgical Weight Loss Institute of Kansas City Bariatric Center

I am very proud of having Dr. De la Torre for my surgeon. Dr. Norbert Richardson was his assistant. You couldn't ask for anyone better. His staff was great and I am very happy that they were there to help me. He is an excellent doctor and I am very lucky I got him....

That the man had a sense of humor! That he seemed very honest in his speech to the class of pre-op patients that I attended about the surgery and the risks involved. We (my husband and I) felt very confidant about his skills as a surgeon. Our impression of him as a good surgeon only strengthened over time. His office staff were all very professional and personable. Maybe, somewhat hard to get a hold of by telephone at times. The only thing that I would like to point out, is that I did not see Dr. de la Torre after surgery, while in the hospital. I'm not saying that I didn't have good follow up care in the hospital, because I did. I saw all the necessary doctors that were there to evaluate my health/care. I did, however, expect to see the attending physician while in the hospital. The Midwest Bar. Clinic's program, I feel, is run very smoothly and professionally with a good structured aftercare program. My PCP said that he must have done "a really good job", since I have done so well with so little pain. Surgical competence, of course, to me is most important. Having a good bedside manner only makes it better! Of course, anything that I have said in the above statement is purely from my experience and I make no claims to what other's may/or may not experience. We are generally thrilled with the way things have turned out...so far, only 2 1/2 weeks out of surgery.

I had all of my pre-op testing done on April 12 at the Midwest Bariatric Center. I met with Dr. Scott. I liked him very much;very precise and helpful. He didn't pull any punches and was completely honest about the risks of this procedure. He explained the procedure very thoroughly step by step. I feel very compfortable with the decision I have made. His staff was wonderful (especially his nurse Janet), the hospital staff was great and so helpful. Everyone was as kind and comforting as could be. The psych evaluation was not as frightening as I thought it would be...some of the questions seem rather silly, really. Everyone who talked to me encouraged me to participate in the support and nutrition classes before and after the surgery. I feel much better about this surgery since my visit.

My pre-surgery impressions of Dr. de la Torre were positive. While he's not real "warm & fuzzy" imo, he does strive to present both risks and benefits for wls. His program seems to have a great deal of experience and a strong background in wls. He does indeed record his little talk about the risks, but that seemed fairly unobtrusive to me. I didn't really "bond" with the office staff, but they were cordial. The class we were required to take was just OK, if you've done you're homework, it will probably be old news to you (more details on the class in my profile), but be prepared to spend the entire day there. I didn't like *not* having an appointment, but in retrospect, the sign-up sheet worked fine. I'm not sure that aftercare is emphasized enough--only 3 post-op visits are required, but post-op diet was thoroughly reviewed. Midwest Bariatric does have a support group, but I wish they had a resource for other support groups around the state, as I live 3 hrs away from Wentzville. I'll post follow-up comments after my surgery on 10/15--wish me much luck!! <b>11/4 Update</b>--my surgery went very well & my recovery has been smooth so far. Although I haven't seen Dr. de la Torre since my surgery (& I was asleep then), I've been pleased so far. <b>11/18 Update</b>--Since my surgery I've now seen Dr. de la Torre once & was almost surprised at how cordial he was, so there really is a nice guy lurking in there like everyone says. He was very reassuring & encouraging about my progress & I liked that. I've also met Dr. Scott in this practice & he seemed very knowledgeable about wls & rather mild-mannered for a surgeon.

My whole experince has been very pleasant.Any questions ive ever had have been answered. This has been a very positive experience!

I think he is a master of his craft,however 3 years ago his bedside manner was lacking. His office staff other than Janet (no longer with him) was nice although not very educated in gastric bypass surgery. I have made it a point to attend support group at least once a month,in the first year I attended weekly.If there is one thing I would like to see the surgeons who perform this surgery do more often is push there pre-op and post-op patients to attend support group as though it were as important to there weightloss as the surgery itself.

Very Competent and capable

Have only met him once. Will see him again tomorrow.
Nancy Corbett his Director is very warm and helpful.

Dr. DeLaTorre is matter of fact. Very Professional.

The program empahasises after care.

They provide you with a list of specific "stages" for food guidlines and 3 follow up appts and an emergency number to call.
We reviewed the risks of surgery in a group setting. He had us sign forms that we were told and understood the risks. He also recorded it. Afterwards we met with him one on one to ask any specific or personal questions.

I percieve his surgical competence as excellent. Bedside manner is good. He is a Pleasant man.

I was very impressed with Dr. de la Torre. He did not seem to be rushed, although was all business. He had a nice sense of humor, but was serious about his surgery. It seems as if malpractice insurance is a problem that might cause him to give up doing this type of surgery. The jury is still out, pending his renewal premiums. I was impressed with his background, and stated statistics. As a matter of fact, when I called another hospital to line up my pre-op blood work, I spoke with a person who commented that he had worked with this doctor and he was a wonderful surgeon. Non-solicited comments!!!To date, I would rate this Dr. a 9, since I have not yet been under his knife!!

Dr. De La Torre is very to the point. Nice and will answer any questions you may have. I will know more after I have surgery, but for now he seems like a really nice person to deal with. The office staff was really helpful, although some could be a little more personable.

First Impression - Professional, complete, honest.
My impressions hasn't changed over time.
His office staff can be very busy and hurried.
Not "liked least" qualities
He is honest and truthful. This surgery alone isn't the whole picture.
Aftercare as throuough but sometimes hard to get in touch with him.
I was not available for aftercare.
Completely explained the risk involved.
Overall rating 8.
I think surgical competence is best. Nice guys can flub up. Compentent surgeons are that.