Robert E. Cole Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

at first i thought how could Dr. Cole know any thing about being fat he is so small. but then he came and sat next to me and started talking to me and he was very straight forward and to the point yet so caring and sensitive. i felt very comfortable with him. the staff was great from the start and very helpful and caring as well. the ride is a 4 hour ride for me and don't regret any second of it. as far as I'm concerned he is the best Dr. i've ever seen in my life. he is very up front about the risks of the surgery, and lets you know that aftercare is very important and he makes sure that you are willing to come to every follow up no matter what. not only is his surgical competence great but his bedside manners are outstanding. if i had to do it again i would as long as Dr. Cole was the one performing it.

Dr Cole seems like a caring person. The office staff very helpful. I only had surgery last Wed so I will add more later.

My first impression of Dr. Cole, was that he seemed to be very compassionate and sincere.rnrnMy first impression of Dr. Cole has not changed, he is a very compassionate and sincere man. He very much cares for his patients and makes them feel as comfortable as possible.rnrnThe office staff is very nice, friendly, helpful, and also have a genuine concern for the patients.rnrnFuture patients should know that Dr. Cole and his collegues will treat you with the upmost respect and will give you all the information available to help you in your decision whether or not to have WLS. They are all willing to answer ANY questions you may have.rnrnAfter care is very important to the staff, they have set appointment time frames for the various stages of pre and post op. rnrnHe informed me and my family of all the risks of surgery including possible death, blood clots, etc. He also informs you of what he will do to help prevent any of these things from happening.rnrnI would rate my surgeon and his staff with a very deserved 10++++.rnrnBoth surgical competence and bedside manner were great. I would not have had him as my surgeon had he not had great qualities in these areas, both are extremely important.

Dr. Cole is very straight forward and to the point. I love his approach. He takes the time to explain the positive as well as the negative. He talked of the sucesses of the surgery as well as what can happen if you do not follow the instructions for aftercare.rnrnI am looking very forward to working with him and his staff to make this surgery a great success for me. I want to be on the losing side.

I had my first consult with him he was a very nice man.I go back september 5 to see him for my 5 hour intake appt iam really looking forward to getting the ball rolling.

My first impression of Dr.Cole was that he is very personable and very to the point. The staff were great.. loved them all.

'I met with Dr. Cole today and he was amazing. He sat down with me and got on my level being that I am in a wheelchair and broke down every aspect of the surgery to me. He took over an hour to answer any questions I had. The office staff was very accomidating. Originally I believed that there was going to be a $100 fee

I never felt right having surgery with Dr Tvetenstrand. So I found a differnet doctor. Dr Cole. He is amazing. I have been very pleased with his staff, with, his office, with his skill level and with the way he interacted with me and with my husband. I had my first visit at the end of Jan, met with the dietian, the Social Worker, the nurse praticianer, and the doctor again. Then sent in any other required test such as blood test and mental heath report. I had everything sent to insurence and was approved in three weeks. I then had my surgery date 2 weeks later. I had surgey April 26, 2006. It last 1 1/2 hours, I was in recovery for about an hour, ICU for a day. I was walking within 4 hours and walking the halls in 12 hours. I then was moved to a regular room and every time they took my vidals I got up and walked so I was walking about every two hours in the hospital. I was home on Saturday. I am doing great. I get my staples and drain out tomorrow. I can barely drink what is required but I am doing it. I walked 1/2 mile today a little at a time.

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT DR.COLE WONDERFUL I S THE WORD I BELIEVE THAT BEST FITS WHAT I THINK OF HIM. HE WAS VERY BLUNT AND TO THE POINT ABOUT EVERYTHING WAS ON MY LEVEL AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING AS I COULD UNDERSTAND IT BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY. HE HAS A GREAT AFTER CARE PROGRAM,HIS STAFF ARE AL SO WONDERFUL IN HELPING IN ANY WAY THEY CAN.

My first impression of Dr. Cole was that he was a pretty straight forward guy. He seemed to be a cut-and-dry person; he didn't mince words. He gave me the facts straight and I really appreciate that. It's funny because the first time I ever met him he came over to the bench in the exam room and sat next to me. I was freaking inside. I was like, "Why is this guy sitting next to me??" And then he put his hand on my arm!! But soon I relaxed. He wasn't doing it to make me feel uncomfortable; he was trying to make me feel more at ease. It's a stressful time, to be going to the doctor to tell him that you're fat and are at the end of your rope; that you don't want "morbid obesity" to be on your chart anymore!!! Over time, I got used to Dr.Cole placing his arm on my arm, as a reassurance that I was human and not just what everyone saw me as: A fat woman. I loved his office staff, and I still do to this day. It's funny, I'm post-op, and I feel like I'm bothering them sometimes. Not through anything that they say or convery through tones, but I just call them a lot. And you know? That's okay. They answer any questions you have with enthusiasm and encouragement! They're wonderful! As far as what I want future patients to know: Enjoy the process. It goes by very quick. Relish every minute of it. Your insurance WILL most likely cover this surgery, even if you have to take drastic measures to have them cover it! (I was approved after four days, so no drastic measures here!) Aftercare- Dr. Cole's office has a great aftercare program. They encourage going to the monthly support group meetings, you see Colleen up to the 5th week, and you have the opportunity to see Dr. Cole or Sarah whenever you need them. They are always available. That's what I appreciate about this program!!! Did Dr. Cole cover the risks of the surgery? Absolutely. He actually sounded like he was trying to talk me out of it! :) You know, though, for all the talking to he did to me about the risks and complications, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, could have prepared me for the emotions that I would feel post-op!! And the breaking of the bondage that I had with food....that was something I wasn't fully prepared for! People could tell me until they were blue in the face, but I just thought that I would do okay with that, and I did. I really did, but it was SO hard!!!! I can't stress enough that you need to face your food demons and try to right some of the destructive patterns before surgery or you will have a VERY difficult time post-op. I MOURNED the loss of food and the fact that I couldn't eat a Tour of Italy from Olive garden. How silly! But it was a real loss. I deal with food cravings and just substitute other healthy choices now. It is a constant learning process. Oh....but thank GOD that Dr. Cole's office is always available. The last questions is: "Which is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or are both great?" I think, for me, surgical competence was the most important thing. Dr. Cole could've been this amazing, gentle guy with the best bedside manner of any doctor in the world....and have a lot of patients with horrible complications because he's a bad surgeon. Luckily, he's got both things nailed down: A great guy with the amazing talent and skill to operate on people and give them their lives back!! Look at his patients: They are healthy and happy because of his incredible skill. How would I rate Dr. Cole, overall? There is not a number or a scale on earth that could measure my appreciation and satisfaction with this man! I cannot express in words how grateful I am to him for taking such care with not just me, but with my family. He has touched our lives and has enhanced mine. I will forever be in debt to this angel of a doctor! Thank you, Dr. Cole.