Van Vallina Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

I can't thank Dr. Vallina enough. He is a straight shooter no B/S great bedside manner, with a human being personality. He is as real as they come and he has changed my life. He knows what he is talking about and holds no punches.
So if you need to be dealt with kid gloves Don't go to him. If you Need a great open honest Surgeon look no further.
The Man knows his stuff and does it well.
Thank you Doctor Vallina you have changed my life!
Becky M
I'm 10 mths post Op and down 114#

Dr. Van Vallina is simply the best doctor I've ever be fortunate enough to have take care of me...and I've been seen by a lot of docs. My first impression was great; Dr. Vallina made it seem like he had all the time in the world for me (and an endless supply of tissue as he let me cry through our appointment). I left that appointment and knew that he was the doc for me. As the process has continued he has only continued to impress me as highly empathetic, compassionate, and competent. All of the hospital staff at CDH rave about him too. His office staff is great. In particular his office nurse spent countless hours helping me over the pre-op insurance authorization process. I was always received promptly and treated with the most of respect. Future patients should know that Dr. Vallina will do anything and everything in order to care for you as you take on a life-changing procedure. The Bariatric Treatment Center at CDH is a comprehensive and highly structured program. The team members are excellent, approachable, and always competent. They, along with Dr. Vallina, addressed the variety and scope of the risks of surgery. I did, in fact, suffer from a post-op complication resutling from blood thinners. Dr. Vallina and the entire CDH team made that experience a success and I was even more grateful to be under his care as I had to deal with that.

All in all Dr. Vallina is excellent. He has the experience and credentials of the very, very best while having the most amazing bedside manner. I would reccommend him to my family and friends.

I've had only an initial appt with Dr Valina at this point (6/1). My first impression was one of confidence. He told me a little background of his....overseas study years ago, teaching RnY at Rush Pres Hospital, Head of Surgery for his large medical "group". He seemed to be very forthright about risks associated. He also seemed like a "casual/relaxed" kind of person. This was reassuring since I'm not impressed by pretense and he would seem to "stay cool" under pressure or with an unexpected development. The support groups and aftercare seems to be a strong suit for the Central DuPage Hospital program. I'm at that nervous, scared, excited stage. Anyone who could share their experience with Dr Valina with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You

I was originally scheduled to have surgery done by Dr. Spitz but he moved to another state. I was to be his last patient, but had an abnormal EKG and surgery was cancelled.rnrnI first met Dr. Vallina when he assisted Dr. Spitz in removing a growth from my thigh. I did not see him again until the day of my RNY as all pre-op care had been done by Dr. Spitz. He came into the room and assured me that everything was going to be fine.rnrnI'm thrilled he did my surgery. He has been professional and reassuring. He is supportive and cares about the progress of his patients. He recognized an issue with my heartbeat at a follow up appointment and got me immediate care.rnrnThe office staff at the Bariatric Treatment Center at CDH is wonderful! They are professional and everyone makes you feel like you're one of the family. From pre-op and getting insurance approval all the way through and after surgery, I cannot say enough good things about this team.rnrnAftercare is extremely important to him. There is a structured program in place. It includes support groups, follow-up appointments and testing, and even fitness classes if one wants them. I've taken advantage of all of it and couldn't be happier.rnrnOverall, Dr. Vallina is definitely a ten out of a ten in my book! The only issue I had was a disagreement about an allergy to penicillin just prior to surgery. He didn't think my reaction warranted not taking it but I refused it. He eventually agreed to a work-around and used a different anti-biotic though it meant delaying surgery a little while to run the medication through my IV.

I was a little biased toward Dr. Vallina as he did my mother's RNY a few years ago. He is competent and skilled, but most importantly, caring and compassionate. He is assuring and very devoted to aftercare and education up front. I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about him and I would be happy to provide more information if anyone would like!

my surgeons will be dr. van vallina and dr. johnathon spitz. i thought dr vallina was very down to earth, and very qualified. i did not meet dr spitz yet. the office staff was very friendly, professional and efficient. he strongly stresses proper after care and they have an excellent pre and post surgery care program. i think he was very up front about the risks of surgery, thus a thorough workup before surgery to minimize the risk of complications. i believe him to be a skilled surgeon and also a person with compassion and humanity. the hospital is central dupage in winfield, il. i first attempted to make an apt. with the university of chgo. hosp. they never answered my apointment requent on line. when i called they acted frazzled and like they were doing me a favorby talking to me. they wouldnot make an apt. without me giving them a credit card number to charge me $125.00 for info about the program and to determine if i was a candidate for surg. dr vallina purchased the bariatric surgery info program and emails it to you for free.

Great bedside manner. Cares about patients.Shares info about himself. Not the usual surgeon arrogance. Extensive pre op testing, post op followup. Risks were addressed. Would only do surgery if he met with my husband so he knew what to expect. My husband said he felt much better after the meeting. Long wait to see him - sometimes up to 2 hours after appt time. I ran into pain problems and ended up in the ER where they did $9,000 worth of tests to tell me it was muscular pain from the incision.
His only recourse was to suggest rehospitalizing me so I could get morphine, even though the Bariatric Clinic is next to the Pain Clinic. After I insisted on going to the pain clinic, he facilitated it and I was taken care of. I was able to get strong enough pain meds and stay at home.I was never sure why he didn't refer me right away.

Dr. Vallina is terrific! He is not only a skilled surgeon, he has the "bedside manner" so often lacking in most medical professionals.

Dr. Vallina made my wife and I feel like we were important. We felt like we knew him and that he really cared about us as individuals.

We highly recommend Dr. Vallina!

I was very impressed when I first met Dr. Vallena. He seems like a very compassionate man. He explained all the risks involved with this surgery. He spent as much time as needed to answer all my questions.

I like to say that my surgeon is a very nice person and made me feel very comfortable. The staff is pleasant also and they are more than happy to help with any of the preop cares I have . He explained everything for me in a way that didn,t glorify the surgery. It was in a way that explained the benefits and the possible risks i would have. His aftercare program is lifelong and seems to be thourogh.I was impressed with his bedside manner and professional way. He was patient and listened to my questions and concerns without making me feel like I was intruding on his time. Liek so many doctors seem to do to their patients. I think the team of my surgeon, his staff, and my new Primary care physician is a winner. I am waiting for my letter to be read by the insurance company and hope they will approve quickly. Then I will need to have a couple presurgery tests done. After that look out world cause I will be more than happy to be feeling better and lighter and maybe not embarressed to be out in public and maybe I will have "A LIFE".