Robert Brolin Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I finally met with Dr. Brolin yesterday after waiting 5 months for the consultation. I have to agree with most of you that...yes, he is very professional and a "lets get down to business" doctor. But anyone who has been to his office can also agree there's a lot of hustle and bustle going on in there. The outer waiting room was packed. In fact, there were no empty seats and several of us had to stand. It wasn't long, though, before I was called into the "office" waiting room where it was much more comfortable. Plenty of seats. (big ones!) Before I even met with Dr. Brolin, I could see why it took so long to get this appointment and why his bedside manner may not be pleasing to everyone. He has no time to spare on anything but getting the the proper information out to us and answering any questions we have. Not with a waiting room packed with prospective WLS patients. I would suggest to anyone scheduled for a consultation with Dr. Brolin to do your research ahead of time. Have a list of questions prepared (because he DOES answer all your questions). I felt somewhat "cheated" when I left his office. Not because of anything he did or didn't do. But because most everything he explained to me I already knew from researching and lurking around on this and other WLS website support groups. That's a compliment to all those who share their experiences with the rest of us. It made the whole experience much easier for me and for the doctor. BUT...for those of you who may go in without a whole lot of information, rest assured Dr. Brolin will make sure you understand everything and all your questions are answered. And so now I begin "phase II". Waiting for a surgery date which will be three-plus months. Waiting is the hardest part. But it will all be worth it! P.S. I did get Dr. Brolin to crack a smile! So can you!

My first impression was he seemed nice and very absorbed in the work he does. His office staff is very organized and fully competent. I cannot report any further information until I have completed surgery, recovery, etc. All I can say is he comes very highly recommended.

I was aware from the get-go that Dr. Brolin was my doctor of choice. I still took the time and researched several others, from New York, throughout New Jersey, and all the way from Pittsburgh and Ohio, but Dr. Brolin's reputation preceeds him. His credentials of being the president of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons carried alot of weight (no pun intended!) and I knew that I needed someone with great skill rather than someone with a hand-holding warm fuzzy temperament. My only bother is that everything seems to take so long. I called Jan 8th, 2001 for my first appt, (scheduled 5/18/01) and probably won't have surgery until 10/01. That's 10 months from my initial call, and it seems like forever!
His office staff was fine when I was there, but trying to get through on the phone, or finding out about insurance or other questions can be a challenge. With the huge volume of patients in the office, I'm sure they're doing their best.
There is also a wonderful online support group that has been invaluable to me, for answering questions, venting, whining, and great moral support. He also has a monthly meeting for both pre- and post-op patients.

Dr. Brolin office is very busy. It will take 3 months for the first appoiment. He is very professional and straight to the point. I rather deal with someone like him. He took his time with me in his office and he anwser all of my questions.

My surgeon is somewhat quiet but thorough in his field. He explained all the risks I would face and he thought I would do very well. I have heard he is the best in this field from other Dr's and nurses in my area. Dr. Brolin has been doing this surgery for approx 18 years or more now and he has this down to a science. I first saw Dr. Brolin in Jan 01 for my consult and had to wait until July 01 for my surgery because everyone knows he is the best and everyone want him. I have to admit the wait has not been easy but I know I'm in safe hands.

My first meetingwith Dr. Brolin was in Feb,2001 and I thought he was very thorough and knowledgeable. He is definitely all business, but I want that in a surgeon. My personalresearch and my pcp's recommendation lead me to believe that I have made an excellent choice.
Dr.B explained the surgery compleely and we discussed the risks and benefits involved. He answered all my questions and even drew a pictre of how the surgery would be done. Since I am still pre-op I can't comment on his bedside manner or surgical care yet. He did stress the importance of aftercare for sucess.

not very
Not very outgoing but very informative and professional
He is very caring
some are friendly and others are not they are all professional
I only had 2 visits post-op I had no complications. I won't see him for 4 months. He weent over every risk of the surgery there is. I am a nurse and I would highly recommend him. Surgical competence is by far better.

Well, I pretty much knew what to expect from Dr. Brolin since I have been chatting with his patients on the online support group through yahoo. (if you want to join check out his website at www.geocities.com/bariatricossg and at the bottom of the page there is a link to join it!) I had also seen him at two of his monthy support group meetings. Like Wendy said...he has the personality of a shoelace...but a very caring and talented one!! His routine is pretty much "autopilot" I guess thats what happens when you've been doing 15-20 consults a day. And as everybody says...I am not seeing him for his bedside manner...I am seeing him for his skill as a surgeon. I was surprised that my wait at his office for my consult was not that long...I was scheduled for 2:15pm and was in and out by 3:15...the nutritionist that is filling in for Lisa (she's on maternity leave from what I understand) was alright...although I didn't have to give her the huge packet that they sent me in the mail...but hey? who am I to argue?

I finally met Dr. Brolin for my consult on April 17th 2001. I had joined his online support group long before my consult so I was pretty well informed as to his personality or should I say lack of a personality prior to my meeting him in person. I have to say that although his personality was a dark shade of gray, his knowledge of WLS was unsurpassed. He willingly answered any questions I had and encouraged me to ask him anything at all. The man knows his stuff and I understand he has a golden glove when it comes to WLS. As everyone says there is usually quite a wait even with a "scheduled" appointment. It was an opportunity to meet post-ops and pre-ops like myself and the time passed quickly. It took 4 months to have my initial consult and I understand it will be another 5 months for the closest surgical date. They say good things are worth waiting for so I will wait patiently and know that the outcome will be favorable!!

My first impression of Dr. Brolin was not
a very good one. I thought he seemed
very coarse and not caring. Boy, was I
wrong. He is actually a very caring and
dedicated surgeon. It just goes to show
you, first impression are not alway accurate.
His nutritionist, Lisa Bradley, is wonderful.
She is very knowledgeable and helpful.
Whenever I called Dr. Broling with a problem,
he always called me back promptly and answered every question I had. I saw Dr.
Brolin about every few months after surgery
for the 1st year. The second year, I only
saw him once. I have not seen him since
1999 and need to schedule an appointment.
Since they moved from Robert Wood Johnson
to St. Peter's, I feel like they forgot
about me. I just got a letter from them
recently to schedule an appointment.
I would absolutely recommend Dr. Brolin
and his staff to everyone. I would do it
again if I had to. No regrets here.