Helmut Schreiber Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

09/17/02: Attended Seminar at CCBS. Very informative. I was impressed with the number of surgeries they have performed and the fact that the surgeons have developed new techniques to decrease risks of complications during and after surgery. I was also impressed that my surgeon, Dr. Schreiber has been teaching other surgeons across the country these newly developed techniques. And I was especially impressed with the fact that they have had only 3 deaths in over 2100 surgeries. Although, you can never take anything for granted in this life, it is somewhat comforting to know that I have a very strong surgeon assigned to my case. As for Dr. Schreiber himself, he was factual and straight forward. He answered all of my questions, and I had a ton of them. I was his last patient after his 14 hour day (it was after 8:30 pm when I left his office) -- he did not rush me and since I was already pre-approved by my insurance company he did not waste time with any type of "sales pitch" presentation. We got down to business - I appreciated that.

He was precise and to the point on the explanation of the surgery. The staff also was efficient. They explained the risks in detail. The provide followup group meetings but I live over 50 miles away from the hospital and did not return for the support group meetings. I already had a guilt feeling about my inability to maintain a healthy weight and felt uneasy coming back when I started to gain weight again.

MY DR RIGHT OF THE BAT WAS TO THE POINT AND TOLD IT LIKE IT IS. HE WAS VERY NICE AS WELL AS HIS HELP, THEY HAD GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE SURGERY.

<y 1st impression was that He's not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy, but he was very nice and answered all my questions thoroughly. I was really impressed with the vastness of his knowledge and the fact that this is the only kind of surgery that he performs. The office staff of CCBS is excellent. Very helpful and very BUSY. They are so patient and understanding.

The week before my surgery, I was called by CCBS and was told Dr Schreiber had ruptured a disk in his back and needed to have surgery too. Would I mind Dr Sonpal? Nope! He was and is really wonderful. He has a great sense of humor and I think a little bit of an ornery streak ;o) But that's a good thing! He kept my family informed and they were really impressed with him. He came to see me everyday in the hospital and was very sweet during my 4 wk visit. He said my progress was excellent. He really made sure all my needs were met. I would rate him as a 9! His bedside manner and surgical competence were equal. I didn't have any complication then or since.

Dr. Patterson, who was my orignal surgeon will not be back from her maternity leave in time for my surgery. So I now have Dr. Schreiber. He is very busy and was running behind when I met him. He seemed nice but very professional. I understand that he is the best so that is fine with me. I just want this over with.

Well, my surgeon was out at the time of my consulation.
So I had his co-worker Sompal. We laugh and joke about
my job and I felt very confortable with him. He even
made an impression on my husband and mom.
So far the staff has been great. Any thing I have
needed I got within a few days.
When I went for my pre-testing the staff again was
cheerful. The gentleman that gave the overview of what
was going to happen a week before the surgery, the day before,
the day of and days after had been through it. I wasn't like
talking to someone that just knows,,, he lived it. And that
made a true difference. No SUGAR coating it.

The doctor let us know that this is a SERIOUS
surgery. Gave us all the what if's and if nots.

I believe you have to go into this knowing the risks.
Any Surgery is HIGH risk and anyone that tell you
different is lying.

At this point he is my surgeon and I do trust
him. I do not know what he will be like after
surgery but before, he has my vote.

He was very professional. Answered all my questions. Spent considerable time with me. The first person I dealt with was very cold, unfriendly. Melissa in his office is wonderful! She is helpful, kind, responsive.

He was very professional. Answered all questions thoroughly. My first contact was cold and unfriendly. Melissa in his office was so very helpful, pleasant and understanding.

Dr. Schreiber seems to really care about his patients & wants to give them the opportunity to make their life as healthy, enjoyable & productive as he can. While I was in the hospital & Dr. Schreiber came to check on me twice post-op, I was surprised @ how business-like he was. The office staff is overwhelmed by the amount of patients that are trying to get the surgery done so, it is rather hard to get ahold of them on the phone & takes a little patience while getting your paperwork approved w/the insurance company. Once that is done the process goes a lot quicker. The medical staff is very concerned & very friendly. What I least like about him is when he goes into a business-like mode. Dr. Screiber has the best informational info on the procedure, what to expect & how to care for yourself. It is a very comprehensive & thorough program. The staff goes over the risks of surgery but does everything possible to prevent any. I would definately recommend Dr. Schreiber for this type of procedure. I think his surgical competence is the best.

Dr Schreiber is a no-nonsence,straight talker who gives you all the facts and then lets you decide if you want the surgery. He is not "overly emotional" but to be honest, you don't want your surgeon to be like that.
He always answered all my questions directly,
and although very busy, never "rushed" me.
His staff was courteous,knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The whole program at St.
Vincent's Hospital is comprehensive from start to finish. I work in a hospital that does bariatric surgery but was willing to travel 90minutes to have it done there. From start to finish an A+ organization!!