Stefan M. Pettine Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

Dr. Pettine and the staff show respect and concern while making you feel comfortable and secure with them as your caretakers. rnNow that the surgery is over, I can honestly say that I feel I was very blessed to have had Dr. Pettine. The more contact I have with him, the more impressed I am with him. Throughout the process, you are encouraged to call with questions and concerns. There is also a very well planned aftercare program and unlimited support to make this successful for each patient. rnMy impression of his surgical competence is very high and I have to admit he has a great bedside manner which includes truly getting to know the patient and encouraging them. This is a team effort... you are not alone if you are fortunate enough to have Dr. Pettine as your surgeon.

My first impression was though a phone consult. I liked his direct, caring and honest approach. My first impression has only been reinforced. He and his office staff our outstanding in every way - great group of professionals. There was nothing I didn't like. He and two of his partners perform this surgery very frequently. They have refined the process to a exceptionally high level of care. Also because there are 3 of them (all great and so good looking) you really have a team of doctors there for you.
There was a strong emphasis on after care and a clear understanding that they expected you to call if you had any concerns or questions. They also made it clear this was a life long commitment on their part. They run a large monthly support group.
He was very, very upfront about the risks and at no time did I feel pressure from him to have the surgery. He and his team are tops as is the wonderful hospital he works in.
Well he has a delightful, warm bedside manner, but I came through the operation with so little pain and such nice, neat incisions it would be a toss up.
As hard as I try I can think of nothing negative to say. However the above was my personal experience and impressions and I am am making no statements about what you might experience.

Dr. Pettine is Great. My surgery went well with no complications. He was there when I woke up and knew what was going on. He checked on me every morning and I have seen him at every Dr. visit. I like that. He had time for me so many Dr.s send thier assistant, Dr. Pettine is a top notch surgeon he cares about his patients and stresses aftercare and has a wounderful program through Northern Colorado Surgical Associates and Poudre Valley Hospital. You get a team of DR.s when you use NCSA three Drs.that do gastric bypass. I picked Pettine because he was very out spoken and I knew he'd keep me on track. Plus I felt I got to know him after attending every seminar and support groups for 6 months.

11/06/03
I have a WONDERFUL AMAZING CONFIDENT FUNNY new surgeon and that is only part of it lol. He really is a great guy he doesn't sugarcoat anything he really is concerned about your mental health as well as your physical health and that is important to me. He was very clear on risks, what will screw it all up, what will make it work, But he also lets you know that he doesn't "need" you as a patient so if you are not ready to commit to this then don't do it. I appreciate this. His bedside manner in the office visit was great he talked to David and I and wanted to know our concerns. I asked about music in pre-op because this is how I relax and he said sure he would even plug it into his system while I was in surgery as long as it's "happy music" I'm so glad I went to him and nowhere else he seems to be so far a perfect match for Myself and My husband who as my support in all this needs to be able to communicate with the surgeon also. He is VERY set in his aftercare program I am impressed I will see him everytime I go in not just a nurse or PA that made me very comfortable because I don't always feel like I;m getting the same care or the same valididty on issues if I am just able to talk to the nurse and not the Dr. I rate him a 20 on a scale of 1-10 lol. Seriously he is a really nice guy that cares about his patients. I think surgical is important but I also feel bedside is important to and he appears to have both.
I have done 100's of hours of research on WLS and Dr's in Colorado and I have NEVER heard any negative on Dr. Pettine or any of the other Dr's he is in practice with, this played largely in my choice to go with him and the fact he did my best friend and his wife's surgery.

This part describes the surgeon I was going to use: Dr. Johnell. I DID NOT USE HIM!
Very quiet, his nurse also his wife covers most of the info you need. in the first app,. he has a brief discussion with you and a brief exam to see if you are a cand. for lap RNY. the second time I saw him was my pre-op meeting and he had loosened up a bit more relaxed I am conffident in his skills. His office help is awesome even when I screwed up and trying to get things straightened out they have bent over backwards to help me. Any future patients have to know if you don't follow the rules you will pay the price he wants to make sure youstay safe and healthy and will hold you to it. Aftercare is important here they have support groups 2x a month, they give you a bariatric angel list to use if you need, the hospital has a wellness center, post-op apps. are 1 week,1 month,3 months 6months, 12. months 18 months and I think annually after that. Yes they seem to have a good stuctured aftercare program. he was very clear in all the risks of surgery and said that he has has a patient with every complication we talked about but he had never lost anyone. I rate him a 9. To me bedside manner is almost as important as skill. because i feel that he really cares about his patients it's not ego.
I have one negative but it really is as much a reflection on me as it is him. when I screwed up my pre-op and he canceled I never saw him it was his staff that told me and his staff that dealt with me. He never talked to me to find out why I did it he assumed I was trying to harm myself or didn't care about the rules when in fact that was none of the reasons. As ashamed of myself as I was I would have appreciated him getting to know me a little better.

Dr. Pettine and his staff at Northern Colorado Surgical Associates were so caring and compassionate. It was the first time I felt comfortable walking into a doctor's office. They made sure I was educated on the procedure and aware of the possible complications. Dr. Pettine was was adamant on diet and aftercare. He is no-nonsense yet has a wonderful bedside manner. I feel he and his staff are well educated and above all, compassionate, caring people. I did my homework, checked backgrounds and talked to alot of people. After meeting with other doctors pervious to Dr. Pettine, I knew immediately I wanted him to be the doctor attending to my procedure. I felt totally educated about the pro's and con's. Not only was Northern Colorado Surgical Associates a wonderful group, but Pouder Valley Hospital in Ft. Collins, CO was an awesome hospital! I've never had better care. I live about 4 hours from Ft. Collins, so the drive back and forth took some planning, but I couldn't be happier about the choice I made.

That he is a fine surgeon and that I am trusting him with my life. It hasn't and I don't think it ever will. They were great and very curtiess. That he puts your needs first. Greatly stresses that. On the aftercare program he stressed that I would be responsible for the most part.He talked about the risk and if anything were to go wrong I hope that he would be able to correct the problem. In my book he is a 10. Both

I had the opportunity to see and hear from the 3 different surgeons in this practice prior to meeting with Dr. Pettine. I had originally had a consultation with another surgeon but when Dr. Pettine started speaking to the support group I was attending I was immediately impressed with his personality and sense of humor. Being a rather funny gal myself I knew that I would be more at ease with someone who could joke and I didnt get that feeling with the other 2 doctors, so I changed my appointment. My consultation was great.....he cracked me up while being serious about what could happen,etc. I am very confident with the decision I made and know that he will get me through this safe and sound.

I went to a seminar offered by Dr. Snyder and his group. I felt very comfortable with the information presented and felt that I would like to use him as my surgeon. He covered the surgery, complications, aftercare and answered many questions from the audience. He comes highly recommended. I had heard that he responds quickly to any questions sent to him by Email. I had a question and sure enough, he responded in a day or two. His office staff will also reply promptly. I was disappointed when I called to make my first appointment. My appointment is in June, 6 months away. I hope that the appointment may be moved up if there are any cancellations. I have also talked with someone who used Dr. Snyder and they really had nice things to say about him. I look forward to meeting with him, hopefully before June. He has also arranged for a support group every other Thursday and I will attend my first one on Jan 23. July 21,2004 Well, it has been a while since I added anything to this. I just have to say what a great doctor Dr Snyder is! I am going to try for approval and have set up an appointment on August 4th. Since my insurance paid for another employees lap band procedure, I am just going to see what happens to me. Dr Snyder is so encouraging and really cares about the after care of his patients. He is arranging for support groups all over the city and all different days. I feel the support group is one of the most important part of the success of this surgery. So, I will see what happens next.
August 2004 Well, how things change. I will be looking for a new surgeon. Since Dr. Snyder has moved to Rose Medical Center, he will no longer do WLS on someone who refuses to accept blood, if needed. Rose Medical Center does not want the risk on an elective surgery. I would argue that line of thinking, but I won't. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and will not use blood. I went to my consultation and was so shocked when he told me he could not do my surgery. I have been planning on using him for about 1 1/2 years. I have had my insurance as a brick wall, until now. Dr. Snyder said he could recommend another doctor, so I will look into that. That is the way somethings go. Dr. Snyder called Dr. Pettine and they called me. I have just sent all my paper work and will be waiting for an appointment. I read several reviews on him and he seems to have a great medical reputation. I am excited to meet him and get things moving. Two years is way too long!!!

I met him before my consultation at a support group. He made me feel comfortable right away and I liked his way of putting others at ease while giving the facts. My impression of him got better because he remembered me two weeks later, as did the nurse. At this time I can not honestly think of anything that I did not like about Dr. Pettine or the staff. They are all very knowledgable and help you gain the information needed to come to your own decision. I think I had already made the decision and just needed to clarify things. So far, the ratings for the Northern Colorado Surgical Association is TOP NOTCH!

I loved my surgeon's care. He was very personal, friendly, and open. I felt like I was talking to a friend when I came in for my follow up care and when I had concerns that turned out to be nothing, he still treated them as if they were important to him. He made me feel very comfortable in coming to him for help. His nurse, Becky, was a huge help as well and very proficient at returning my calls and helping me after surgery. I've recently moved to Wisconsin and he still insists on following my care through email updates etc. I've gone back to Colorado to see him I enjoy him so much. Since my wls he has performed the removal of my gall bladder and an emergency appendix removal after it ruptured. I wish I could still see him on a regular basis!! I would recommend him to anyone, even my closest family. My family has all met him and all like him very much.