Alan Wittgrove Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

He is amazing.

Dr. Wittgrove is a nationally renowned surgeon, and a "nice guy". These two things rarely coexist in the same body. My impression has not varied an iota over time. My only criticism of him is that he needs to take more time off for himself...even though not on call, he will telephone the nurses every night around 9 or 10 just to check up on all his patients.

His office is top flite, the nurses and practitioners are the best, and the aftercare is structured and advice is readily available.

I know that not everyone in the country can use Dr. Wittgrove, and I know that there are other surgeons who are excellent as well (many of whom were trined in part by Dr. Wittgrove). Eight other surgeons were present the day I had my surgery just to watch Dr. Wittgrove work.

Bariatric surgery is not a hobby, it requires a dedicated surgeon. Make sure your doctor has experience, as well as a team in place. And if you want to meet a nice fellow who just happens to be one of the most experienced and talented surgeons in the field, then take a trip to San Diego.

(Please note: I am a brain surgeon. I am NEVER supposed to say anyone can do any surgery better than I can...but in this case, because I owe him so much, I will relent.)

Dr. Wittgrove is an amazing person. Not only did he make me feel as though I was in very good hands, he was extremly understanding and patient. Dr. Wittgrove also remembers all his patients. He connects with them on a personal level before the surgery and continues to work with them even afterwards. I went on the reunion cruise that Alvarado does once a year, and Dr. Wittgrove cam right up to me and told me how proud of me he was. I have some great memories of that weekend!
The reason that I chose Dr. Wittgrove was not only his amazing credentials, but also because I met a wonderful woman who had her surgery performed by him. She was the one who helped me convince my parents that gastric by-pass was the right choice for me. Seeing as how I was only 17 at the time, weighing in at 280lbs and 5'3", my parents were a little concerned about such a life changing surgery. Dr. Wittgrove was MORE than patient with my parents and their endless questions, making them feel comfortable with it as well.
Dr. Wittgroves after care staff is also wonderful. I will never forget my day nurse Rose. The morning after surgery, at about 8 am, while I am still drugged on Morphine, she was in my room, making me get up and walk around the hospital. Rose won't let you get down on yourself, and she won't let you complain. She is also very caring and helpful. If you ahve any problems at all she is right there by your side making sure that you are taken care of. Overall I would rate Dr. Wittgrove and his staff #1 in bariatric surgery.

Dr. Wittgrove is, in my opinion, far and away the BEST surgeon in the country. He has an incredible bedside manner, he's confident, and competent. The office staff is great and the aftercare is top knotch. From 1-10, everyone there is a 10+.

My opinion is that there is no better bariatric surgeon than Dr. Wittgrove. I was willing to wait several extra months and to travel out of state because I wanted the very best care. His technical expertise is unmatched and his people skills are wonderful. His is a role model for other doctors and I feel very lucky to have had him perform my surgery.
View my before & after pictures at:
http://www.wworw.com/

I first met with Dr. Wittgrove July 3rd - (five days prior to my surgery). We had a nice visit about things in general and then
he gave me an overview of the procdure. I didn't have many questions because I was totally committed and had done quite a bit of research prior to selecting him as my surgeon. Dr. Wittgrove is a very nice man
with a kind demeanor. You just felt his confidence, which I feel is a good thing. He
is obviously quite busy and isn't chatty, but I didn't feel ignored either. The clinic staff has been very good to work with. This is a high volume organization, but everyone I have dealt with to date has been very helpful.

I will not be able to take advantage of the aftercare program in full because of the distance. However, it appears that the program is well structured for long- term follow-up and even though I won't be able to attend the monthly support group meetings I am expected to keep in touch by phone.

Overall, I would rate Dr. Wittgrove's surgical competence very highly - in fact, I can't imagine anyone with more LAP RNY experience. His bedside manner was also good, but as I said , I had already made the decision to go with him prior to meeting him personally.

Dr. Wittgrove was incredible to my husband and I from the first moment of our intial consultation. Having been in the nursing field I could easily follow along with what he was saying, but my husband also knew exactly what he was saying. He treated me with respect and was a lifesaver (literally) he never made me feel bad about myself and made it perfectly clear that this surgery is a tool and not a cure. He made clear the risks, the side effects, the unpleasentness that would be part of the post-op experience. But he also made clear the rewards and explained throughly what was going to happen in the upcoming days and weeks following surgery.

My pre-op day was Friday, 4/11.
Got all my tests done and met Dr. Wittgrove in person. We'd previously spoken over the phone.
I don't think I've met a more proffessional group of people.
This is becoming big business and these folks will do well.
I learned most of my information on the internet, Doctor's websites and obesityhelp.com.
Dr. Wittgrove added to my information and made me feel very comfortable.

My wife had Gastric Bypass surgery with Dr. Wittgrove 11 months ago and she and I were extremely impressed. Before the surgery on Preopt day I only saw Dr. Wittgrove 1 time. Again, I was very impressed. I felt completely comfortable and confident to go through this surgery. Dr. Wittgrove exudes confidence and gives the patient all the time they need to answer any questions. He explains the surgery so that anybody could understand.On the day of surgery Dr. Wittgrove came by and reassured me that previous surgery was completed very successfully and that I would breeze through It. I really appreciated his incouragement. The Hospital Staff I was mixed on. I had 2 terrific nurses most of my stay in the hospital that made the experience good, however, the rest of the nurses were horrible. On my day of release from the hospital,I had the misfortune of getting a fill in nurse. She was stupid,ditsy, and hardly ever came around when I called. I waited hours after the doctor signed me out to have my IV line removed and to be released from prison. I am impressed with the after care. I went through classes 11 months ago with my wife and again this time they do a good job and don't leave you out in the cold.

My first impression was that he was the best, and that impression never changed. I was so scared to have this surgery after my best friend had passed away weeks after his gastric bypass. I felt in the "right" hands with Dr. Wittgrove all the way through.

His office staff is wonderful, and very thorough. Their aftercare prgram is the best...I just wish I lived closer to take advantage of it.

I think his surgical competence is likely better than his bedside manner, but I only feel that way because I think he is one of the best GB surgeons you can find. His bedside manner, however, is nothing to complain about.

The hospital (Alvarado) was great too...all the nurses are trained to work with GB patients.

Their eating protocol, I understand, is different from many other surgeons/programs. I was eating food after a week. I hear many other programs only have you on liquid protein for 10 weeks.

I wanted to be in good hands, and I was.