Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Hospital

First impression was that he was a typical surgeon--not very personable, a bit gruff, but--hey--if he gets the job done, I'm all over him. Who needs all the silly small-talk anyway? He seemed to loosen up quite a bit in the hospital, though. My mom REALLY liked him, and a good family friend pointed out that his engineering degree (undergrad) very likely helps out with problem solving in his now-medical context. Anyway, I was (and continue to be) extremely confident in this surgeon. There has, however, been some recent personnel turnover in his office, and so I have been having some pretty serious difficulty scheduling my first post-op appointment (supposed to be 2 weeks after discharge). His NP has been assisting with this and I will be able to work it out, though.

MY EXPERIENCE W\DR SCHWEIZTER WAS VERY POSITIVE. HE WAS VERY NICE & DID NOT SEEM RUSHED. THE NEGATIVE THING IS THAT HE'S NOT IN MY INS PROGRAM, SO I HAVE TO PAY THE FULL SURGERY FEE THEN FILE W\MY INS CO TO GET ALL BUT 20% BACK. THE 20% I HAVE TO PAY ON MY OWN. NOT EASY AT THIS TIME BUT I LIKED THE EXPERIENCE DR S HAS.

The pre-op staff and floor nursing staff were very freindly, caring and helpful. The charge nurses took particular care to talk to me and make sure I knew to seek assistance if I felt nauseous to avoid vomiting. My recovery room experience was very unpleasant, but the remainder of my stay was as good as can be expected - I mean, there is only so much they can do when you are tied to an IV and in pressure booties and so on ;-)

My surgical consult was July 19th. My first impression was that he is very young! But he also is obviously very knowledgable and personable. The consult went very smoothly, it actually started earlier than the appointment (how often does that happen?) and only took 45 minutes. He does rely on you reading materials he provides on his web-site about surgical risk, so there was little discussion of that. He talked to me about my surgery choice and how my eating habits could affect my success and emphasized that I would have to change my habits. I think the only thing that could have been done to enhance the process today was to have something that laid out who I would talk to and what types of questions each would be able to answer and what would happen after I left. I met with Dr. Schweitzer the morning of surgery and he walked through the risks quickly and met my mom. He stopped and updated my mom when the surgery was over. His surgical assistant came by that evening and went over incision care and post-op instructions. All in all, I felt very comfortable that I was in competent hands and his staff have been helpful and competent. If I had it to do over again, I would make the same choice for my surgeon.

I have stayed at JH Bayview a total of three times and my opinion of this hospital is getting worse with each admission. My surgery went well, the nurses were accomodating, and the interns I dealt with were very nice and seemed very knowledgable. By the third visit, I was placed on the neurological diseases floor and the nurses had NO CLUE how to deal with a gastric bypass patient. They even gave me regular sugar with my meal! The interns were trying to release me days before I was ready to leave, fortunately my surgeon came back from vacation just in time to straighten them out. Finally, I was placed in a room at the end of the hall and was virtually ignored by the nurses. They even apologized for doing it numerous times. They did not even have enough time to empty my drain or change my dressing from my wound. I was very dissapointed with the hospital after my last visit and dread ever having to go back.

He was fine, he did his job and well, that's all that mattered to me. His secretary was very reliable and knowledgeable in tgis field. His P.A. was also very helpful and concerned. If you are seeking his services, just be prepared and well informed of this procedure. Dr Schweitzer sends you home with easy after care instructions..just follow them. All the risks are on his web-site, he outlines them again, but also wants you to do your homework. Overall Dr. Schweitzer is a very skilled surgeon and a blessing to this field of bariatric surgery.

The only advice I could offer Dr Schweitzer, try to relaxe your patients a little before the surgery...after all, you have their lives in your hands.

I had my visit with Dr. Schweitzer on August 17, 2004. I had ready postings by others so I was prepared for my visit. He was very nice and informative. He asked questions as he read the materials I provided to him regarding weight loss attempts, medical issues, etc.

His staff - especially Merry is top notch. She has helped me each step of the way.

Dr. Schweitzer's website is top notch. Any questions or concerns you have are completely written out for you.

Great staff, attentative, very friendly.

Being post-op now, I had a relatively good visit at Bayview. The only concern I had was that none of the nurses, techs, or pretty much anyone not on my surgeons staff, knew anything about lap band surgery. I felt I was constantly having to explain that I didn't have the RNY surgery and than telling them the differences between the two surgeries.

I was so impressed with every aspect of my visit. I have spoken with his staff several times and they have always been very helpful, but meeting them in person was just as pleasant. Dr. S was very friendly which came as a bit of surprise because I have read where he is not the touchy feely type. I felt he explained everything well and was very supportive of my decision. He is also rather young looking ( I have read this alot!) but not like the Doogie Howser kind of young. It was a wonderful visit and I look forward to moving forward on my journey with Dr. S as my guide.