Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery (CHRIAS) Hospital

From my very first appointment with Maryellen Sparks right up until the day of surgery, I found the hospital staff to be freindly, helpful, knowledgable about the proceedure that I was having done.

Dr. Irgau is the best in this area. I immediately felt comfortable with him. He is very professional yet warm. I love him.

First Impression was he was caring and knowledgeable. Staff is very kind and pleasant. He stressed the pros and cons of the surgery. I would give him an overall rating of 10

When I first met Dr. Wynn in 12/04 she impressed me right away. She is very professional and kind but also has a great sense of humor. Her office staff is extremely personable and helpful. They will go out of their way to answer questions that you have.

<b>My 1st visit was w/ Dr. Wynn, but she was going on Maternity leave. She was very informative and down-to-earth. She stated she has done/assisted with over 900 WLS in the past 4 years. I also met Dr. Iragau, who ended up being my suergon. He was extremly friendly and made sure ALL of my questions weren't left unanswered. They did explain the risks to me (1-200 deaths for GB and 1-2000 for LB). They emphasized that aftercare and follow thru is CRUCIAL.

Their office staff is extremly helpful and friendly. I feel VERY comfortable there. The surgery coordinator, Misty, is SO easy and nice to work with. She did ALL the work for me. (BIG shout outs to... Caroline & Nicki) :-)

St. Francis has a new bariatric unit and after recovery you are moved to an ICU bed for extra special attention. All the staff -- from the greeter at the front door, to the housekeeping staff is very friendly and helpful. There is a real sense that they care about you. In the bariatric unit they are sensitive to our "special" needs -- ex-large gowns, wide wheelchairs, comfortable sized beds, etc. The OR staff talked with me to help alleviate my anxiety. I never once had to wait for a response when I needed something. And as a Christian, it was nice to have people willing to pray for and with me and to see a crucifix hanging in my room.

I had a LapBand surgery performed. This was to be an overnight stay. ALthough it was not a "Major" surgery I was forced to be in ICU while there. The impression I received was that the ICU to to provide proper care that I probaby wouldnt have received if placed on a routine postop care unit. I felt like I was "imposing" on the staff anytime I asked for anything.

On first meeting Dr. Peters, he presented a very serious, business-like personality, which I decided is good, because making this life changing decision serious business. He made sure I was comfortable, informed, and determined before he allowed anything to move forward. It was during this pre-op period with all the "clearance-work" that I saw the gentle sense of humor within the businessman-doctor. I am confident in his training and skill, and I go into this surgery knowing I have a Dr. who is prepared for everything and can handle anything.

When I met with Dr Wynn, she was about 7 months pregnant and a happy smiling, down to earth person. She went through descriptions accurately and with detail although without medical jargon. The office is arranged to accomodate larger people and they don't even seem to have the smaller size of blood pressure cuff anywhere! The staff doesn't make you feel bad about your size, they actually make you feel comfortable, encourage you, answer questions, and work with you. They treat it as you "getting better" just as you would a cold or pneumonia even, it's an illness, not a socially unacceptable lifestyle. Two of the office staff have had these procedures done already and have had great success, so they have an insider's view on how the process is for patients and are happy to answer questions. It's a great office, I recommend it to anyone in the area. They even have a nutrition store where you can buy your high protein foods if you want them!

My first impression was a good one. I felt comfortable talking to Dr. Irgau. He seemed very knowledgeable about the surgery and told me very to the point what I could expect and what would be expected from me. He was up front about the dangers of the surgery and I felt that he truly likes helping people. His staff is great. They answered any questions I had with ease and several of the girls have also had the surgery, so some of it was first hand knowledge. They were very quick in obtaining the approval from my insurance. I really like the fact that you know upfront the risks and what you can expect from the surgery as long as you follow what the doctor tells you. They made me understand each step that I needed to take to be successful with the surgery. They do have a structured aftercare program that I feel very comfortable with. I give Dr. Irgau an big #10. I am so happy that I found him and that he did my surgery. My whole experience was so much better than I had expected.