Alex Argotte Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I've only seen him at the seminar. I was impressed. He patiently asnwered questions. I had been to 1 other seminar and found his to be MUCH more informative.rnrnrnI am now post surgery. I feel he is very knowledgeable and competent but has very little consideration for his patients TIME!!!. He didn't speak to my family after the surgery and didn't come to see me for 24hrs after the surgery. He made his rounds after 8pm every night that I was there. Wanted to d/c me at 8pm at night ( 2 hr drive home-- no pharmacies open) He let me stay that night and then didn't come back in to write the d/c order until 1:30 pm the next day. Being a nurse myself-- I can sense tension between the staff that works for him when he is around. He must be hard to work with.

He is totally wonderful! I love everything about him. He is very thorough and caring. Even his staff is Awsome! I would recommend Dr.Argotte to anyone looking to have WLS. He is truly a gift that God has placed in our family's life.

So far Doc has really been informative' he is standing behind me on my surgery he says everything is looking good. Great doc and seems to have a very good doc patient relationship with all his patients..

I haven't had surgery YET but hopefully before year end. At my first visit, Dr. Argotte explained the entire process, procedure and what to expect during the months before and after surgery including all the risks of surgery. He stressed the importance of follow up visits and support groups that day and everyday I have seen him since. Dr. Argotte and staff have been a tremendous help to me. They are wonderful people!

I first met Dr. Argotte at one of his WLS seminars. I knew at that moment he was the one that I wanted to perform my surgery. He not only very informative, but caring. HE IS A GREAT DOCTOR!

My first impression of him was that he seemed professional, but somewhat impersonal. He came in to meet me after I had already talked with the PA. I think she handles more of the interpersonal stuff. He gave me what seemed like a rehearsed briefing on WLS, discussed how health risks are tied to BMI, and asked if I had any questions for him. rnI really got to interact more with his PA who spent more time discussing details, tests, complication rates, liver reduction diet, etc. The office staff are friendly and helpful. They have been good about rescheduling since I had to go out of town unexpectedly. They also accept walk-ins for initial appointments, so on the day I was there for the first time I had no appointment, but was in to see the doctor within half and hour. They were knowledgable about my insurance plan, called and made my appointment for my stress/EKG, initiated my referral to a dietician, and gave me a list of psychiatrists and psychologists I might contact.rnOne thing I found a little surprising was that on that first appointment they already went ahead and started with some of the pre-op testing and appointments for testing. I sort of thought it would be a little more complicated than just walking in and saying \"I'd like to have Lap Band surgery\" I guess they accepted that I had already researched the various alternatives, because I told them I wanted something less invasive and reversible and the PA or Doctor would have told me if they disagreed with my choice.rnThe initial visit cost me $100 up front in addition to my $20 co-pay. I guess this ensures they get something for their efforts even if insurance or pre-op testing result in your not qualifying for the surgery. According to the paperwork they supplied me, they charge a fee of $315 dollars which is not billable to insurance to cover diatician consult after surgery, follow-up visits, and group support sessions. I also have to pay out-of-pocket for an intitial dietary consultation and psych eval (although my insurance will actually cover psych care)rnIt was stressed to me that aftercare and lifetime followup is extremely important for long-term success. The PA discussed complication and mortality rates with me for both the Lap Band and for comparison purposes the Gastric Bypass. I believe that this doctor used to only perform bypass surgery here at this center because I was originally looking in to having this done at medical center in a nearby town, then heard that he was offering the procedure locally in addition to the bypass.

So far he's been wonderful. But I've only met with him once...his assistant Cleo has seen me other times. She's great!!! A very upbeat young lady that could blow away on a windy day she's so tiny. (can't wait to feel and look thin!!!)

When I first met Dr. Argotte I could tell he was genuinely concerned about you as a person and wanted to help you be successful in losing the weight. He made it clear up front that this surgery was not a cure but a tool. That has always stuck with me. His office staff is fantastic. The way they prepared you before the surgery was phenomenal and so has the care been since. They are always there for you to help any way they can. Dr. Argotte is always so encouraging and praising for your hard work. I think God every day that I was told about Dr. Argotte and that I went to him. The good Lord used him to save my life!

My first impression was he was to the point, very blunt. He put my IVC filter in this past week. He seemed to be a completely different person. He was funny. But then I was pretty loaded on drugs. The office staff is great. Dr. Argotte emphasizes the risks almost everytime we talk. One, negative about him, he is always late!!!

My first impression of Dr. Argotte was that he was a surgeon, not a public relations person. I was a bit put off at first, but after thinking about it - my life was in this man's hands... I'd rather be operated on by a skilled surgeon instead of a smooth-talking p.r. type.rnrnHis office staff - a bit short staffed maybe. They're all incredibly nice people though. I actually have seen his PA much more than the man himself - and she's super. She's got the finesse and mannerisms we all sort of expect to find. rnrnOf all the research I did - Dr. Argotte had the most stringent pre-op and has one of the most detailed post-op plan of anyone I could find. At first, I thought I was being \"tested to death\" but it didn't take long to understand that those tests lessen mortality rates which was super important to me.rnrnHe's not perfect, but he's close enough for me. I'd recommend him to anyone who was searching for WLS answers. As a surgeon, he's got what it takes!rnrnMy two-cents!rn