Roger De La Torre Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I had my consult today. It was an all day affair. Nutrition talk, exercise talk, risks and benefits talk, any and all questions and answers, history and health interview and finally sign the proper paperwork and schedule your PATs and surgery date. I was the second to go back so I was able to leave before most. He and his staff seem very organized and caring. De La Torre in particular comes across as a very educated, well-spoken individual. He may however, have a bit of a complex. He's great at what he does and knows it and knows everyone in the room knows it. That's o.k. by me. I say, "If you got, it flaunt it!" Don't get me wrong. He is fairly humble about it all but a few things he said made me realize it's there. He doesn't gloat. It's subtle but it's there. Overall, I like him. I like him a lot. To me, he appears to know his stuff! I'm certain he'll do a fine job. The Lord will be guiding his hands anyway.

Will get to meet him on Oct 9th

i met dr de la torre briefly he asked if i had any questions and i didn't but from my first impression he seems real nice he does make sure you know the ups and downs of the surgery i have already had my surgery done by him and i think he is excellent i had no previous illnesses or problems and the surgery didn't cause me any i recommend him to everyone i have nothing negative to say about the dr or my hospital stay only that i liked the night staff nurseys better than the day ones

I realy did like him verry much he was upfront & honest about what will take place he left nothing uncovered & i believe he takes it all so serious he is great could not say enough in his behalf.

I finally met the infamous Dr. de la Torre yesterday. I think from all the posts I've read about him I was expecting him to be nearly rude and abrupt, but he was actually pleasant, smiling, and personable. Perhaps he seems a little shy. As everyone says, he goes over each risk and describes everything in great detail, he also balances out each risk with some good news, usually that his rate for that particular risk is very low. He lets you know why he is considered a good surgeon, but in a very humble way. I was impressed and trust him. The exam part was very fast. He simply asked a few questions such as "do you have diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc."...made me wonder if he even read that packet I had to fill out and send him. My confidence in his ability has increased, and I just look forward to seeing him again in surgery! (Well, before they knock me out anyway).

I have a consultation scheduled for October 9, 2003. I've heard all good things about him. I will let you know after I meet him if they were true.

My first impression of Dr. De La Torre was positive. He is a very efficient surgeon with much experience to back up some impressive statistics. He is one of the people who pioneered the use of laproscopic surgery for gastric bypasses and I trust his skills implicitly. This impression has not changed over time.

His office staff is efficient and, once accepted as a patient, easier to access. Their office must be inundated with requests for information and until your insurance has been approved, it's difficult to speak to a live person.

His bedside manner is rather abrupt and impersonal. I would prefer a "warmer, fuzzier" manner, however, not at the expense of skills and experience. If his expertise comes with this bedside manner, I'll take it gladly.

There is a VERY structured process to go through before surgery and afterwards, as well. This includes thorough medical history and clearance, an educational seminar conducted by the doctor and his staff as well as clearance from a counselor or psychologist. After care includes follow-up visits and a support group.

The risks of the surgery were clearly laid out during a day long educational seminar. He made a cassette tape in which he stated his name, the names of the participants and the date, along with his explanation of the risks. I was required to sign a paper stating that I had been there for the explanation.

Overall, I think he is an excellent surgeon who is a perfectionist and takes pride in making sure the surgery is done properly. His surgical competence is clearly his strength, as opposed to bedside manner. My experience has been very positive and successful, to-date.

I began my journey with Midwest Bariatric in Wentzville, MO in April 2003. I called another program, St. Vincent's, the first part of June when I received denial for the long limb RNY per my ins. I was told the short limb was covered but the Midwest Center only does the longer limb.

I was surprised to get in for a group meeting w/ Dr. Evanson on 6/26. After the group meeting, those interested in surgery met individually with the doctor. Dr. Evanson was very personable and seems to care about treating those w/obesity. St. Vincent's has a new bariatric wing and the facility is nice.

I was clicking along with this program when my appeal for long limb RNY and treatment with Dr. de la Torre went through. I went to a group meeting on 8/14/03 at Midwest Bariatric. I have a date! 9/15/03 at DePaul Hospital. I am impressed with Dr. de la Torre's experience. That's why I contacted his office in the first place. Seems I come full circle. I'm so happy to be treating with this doctor. The program education is put together well and I feel I am in good hands with this team.

I first met Dr. De La Torre on 10/17/02 during a group informational meeting. He will not meet with patients until insurance approval has been obtained. My first impression of him was, "Wow! He sure is a handsome man!" Dr. De La Torre spent a lot of time addressing the risks of RNY (mainly) and also of the lap band (not as much said about this surgery, but not as many risks, either). After the group meeting, we each met with Dr. De La Torre individually to discuss our surgeries, and were given our surgery dates. During my personal meeting with Dr. De La Torre, he strongly recommended that I should have the lap RNY instead of the lap band (AGB), because of my weight (322 at the time). He felt I would lose weight more quickly with RNY and that I would lose a greater percentage of my excess weight also. My husband and I know someone who died from complications of RNY, so this was not an option for me. I had researched the lap band extensively prior to meeting with Dr. De La Torre, and when I explained my reasons for wanting this particular surgery, he agreed to perform it. Dr. De La Torre performed my lap band surgery on 11/20/02. It was the easiest and least painful surgery I have ever had (two C-sections and a hysterectomy preceded this surgery). Except for some nauseau and vomiting 1-2 days post-op, my recovery was uneventful. Dr. De La Torre was concerned enough about my vomiting that he kept me in the hospital for an additional day (I was supposed to go home the day after surgery). I rate his bedside manner a 10. His office staff is terrific as well. The hospital has a support group for all WLS patients that meets on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m.

I have not met the Dr. yet but have nothing but good things to say about Nancy, his nurse in charge of paperwork. She is not easy to get in touch with as she only works Wednesdays and Thursdays at office. I got my paperwork in the mail, filled them out, sent them back and she had my paperwork submitted them to the insurance company within two weeks. I think that is great!!!!
I tried a couple of other Drs. prior and found them to not suit my needs. Dr. Chris Eagon has a year wait. Dr. Fibato only does open and I did not find his staff as cooperative or informative. See my profile to see more on Dr. Fibato

I met Dr. de le Torre on 3/6/03 and found him to be a very pleasant person. He does emphasis and record all the risks and complications that can go along with this surgery. It appears to me that he wants you to be absoluty sure of everything that can go wrong before you make your decision. His program is emphasizes aftercare and they have a structured aftercare program. They answered all my questions before I asked them. I am very pleased with the program as a whole. The only thing I don't like is that they are located at a small hospital. I would have preferred a larger hospital with alot of specialists on staff. But I feel that Dr. de le Torre is very competent and skilled at this type of surgery.

7/22/03-My opinion of Dr. de le Torre's after care is going downhill all the time. I have talked to him about a couple of problems and he never leaves the spot he is in to come over and examine you. The latest problem has caused me to miss a day of work so I expected for him to be a little concerned but he did the same thing. He seems to be real quick to say that it has nothing to do with the surgery. Of course I didn't have this problem before hand. So I ended up going to my PCP and she is checking it out.

All of the above are only my personal impressions of my own experience and not statements about what other people may experience.