Philip Schauer Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I first "met" Dr. Schauer at a support group meeting back in April 2001. I next saw him in May 2001 when I (FINALLY) got my first appointment with him which was on May 11. I was very impressed both times with him. I felt his office staff (although friendly and appearing efficient), seemed a tad "too" focused on making sure they passed the message on to us that by calling them "needlessly", we would be bothering them. They stressed several times that we should NOT call them for at least 4 to 8 weeks after our visit as they had "too much to do" to be bothered with needless calls. Although I can understand this on one level, I hope they take care to remember that the reason we are all there is because we have an ILLNESS, with very real health concerns and needs which strengthens our desire to have their help to help us by doing this surgery.

I am hoping that after the surgery I will not be afraid to call them for fear that I am "bothering" them even if it turns out that the concern I have is a "silly" question.

I think part of the reason people feel they must call to check on progress frequently, is that from all we've read (and observed ourselves), the timeframe in which we are told things will happen is incorrect. This in turn causes us apprehension and makes us feel the need to call and make sure things are "moving" along as expediously as possible. An example of this is when I had my first appointment there on May 11 which was a Friday, I was told the paperwork would go to the insurance company for approval the following Tuesday, which was May 15. I called my insurance company on June 8 to see the status, and was told it was never sent in. I called Dr. Schauer's office and was "chided" that it had ONLY been 3 weeks so it was too soon to call as the paperwork had just the day before been sent out. This in my opinion is what causes needless frustration and "fear" of being "forgotten". But on the other hand, it is my belief that all things aside, Dr. Phillip Schauer is the best in his field and I am thankful that I live in an area where I can access his skill without having to travel too far. This confidence in my surgeon far outweighs any other inconveniences and/or concerns that I may have.

Dr. Schauer and Dr. Ikramuddin are fantastic. Their office is very busy. It takes a while to get an appoitment, but I think it's worth the wait.

I have found that if they don't get back to you right away, you have to be persistant with them, especially if you have a question or concern. Just keep calling until they get back to you.

He is a great Dr.! the office is very busy but he is certainly worth the wait!

Dr. Schauer and Dr. Ikramuddin are great. They are very busy, but are wonderful. They only problem that I seem to see with their group is that they don't have enough office staff to fill the need of all of their patients. But regardless, the care that they give is EXCELLENT!!

My first impression of Dr. Schauer is a good one. He is very caring and answered all of my questions and concerns. The office staff is very good, however, very busy. The appointments were very backed up. Tons "no pun intended" of people waiting to see him.

My first impression of Dr. Schauer was that he was a very polite and kind man with a very caring attitudeI had my surgery on March 26th 2001 and had no problems at all . Dr Schauer is a fantastic surgeon and i would highly recommend him to anyone

What can I say! I am fortunate enough to have such a talented and skilled surgeon so close in Pittsburgh. Even if I lived out of state I would have definitely considered him as my surgeon. The office staff is great!!! Expect to wait a while but it is worth it. My surgery is scheduled for May 1,2001!!!!! It is a process that has taken me 8 months from my initial contact with his office to the present. While I am a very impatient person I felt this time has given me ample opportunity to research this life changing surgery. Dr. Schauer truely understands the plight of the obese person both medical, psycological and social. Dr. Schauer is committed to you and you are committed to him as a lifelong patient. Good luck on your journey!!!

I met Dr. Phillip Schauer on 3/24, and I have to tell you I was very impressed... He was willing to spend the time neccessary to go over the procedure and answer any and all questions you may have.. I got a more secure feeling after this meeting, and I am sure this doctor will go the extra mile to make sure you are well taken care of, and wont treat you as a nobody... I am looking forward to him doing my surgery.. I have all faith in him.... Kathleen...

I met Dr. Schauer on 3/24/01 at his Saturday Clinic. His office staff was fantastic...extremely knowledgable and very friendly. I think Dr. Schauer is very concerned about his patient's quality of life. He clearly understands the problems associated with obesity...the problems beyond the academic and the medical. I thought he was very friendly while still being professional and I would refer friends and family in a heartbeat. In fact, I already have. Afterall, my cousin referred me after having Dr. Schauer perform the surgery a year ago and losing well over 100 lbs. Nothing negative here. A+

I was very impressed with Dr. Schauer and his staff, ( by the way several of them had had the surgery and were great inspiration) They took the time to explain the basics and shared their experiences and let us ask questions before we actually saw the doctor.
The doctor was very open to questions and I was not uncomfortable asking. He and his staff did emphasize that this was a life changing surgery and it was not something that could be reversed if you changed your mind afterwards.
Surgical competence is always most important to me, but if I found the doctor to be unreasonable (arrogant, removed etc) I would probably look for another doctor. I have long gotten over the idea that Drs have a god-like status!
The only gripe I have had so far is the time I spent in his office for the first appt. They were extremely busy and I was there for half a day. But when it was my time in the office, they were not rushing ME out. So I will accept this and not complain (too much). Besides, while I was waiting, I made a really good friend that day! What more can you ask for?
I will comment further if the need arises and after the surgery.