"I heard about Dr. De La Torre from a member on this site. She told me I should meet him before I made a decision on the surgeon I should use. I had already sent in a non-refundable deposit to be considered for another well respected program. After meeting Dr. De La Torre, it was an extremely easy decision to make. I gave up several hundred dollars without blinking to make sure HE was my surgeon. He's nice, compassionate, intelligent, extremely capable, and when you meet him you know you will be in great hands. I had no worries prior to surgery after that. He is amazing. I just KNEW this is where I was supposed to be.rnrnI've only seen him several times, but each time he has been reassuring, calm, and pleasant. I feel like I could ask him anything and he would take the time I needed.rnrnDr. De La Torre's office staff are incredible. I dealt the most with Nancy and Kathy, and both are very knowledgeable, professional, funny, and approachable. You can call them anytime if you have a question. They seem to love their jobs. Because of them, I am looking forward to my next visit! In fact, both came to see me when I was in the hospital and brought me some cool \"parting gifts\".rnrnDr. De La Torre's Weight Loss Program at SMM DePaul Hospital is a Bariatric \"Center of Excellence\" which sets it apart from all of the others. There is a wonderful aftercare program and support groups.rnrnAs far as the risks involved, Dr. De La Torres takes at least an hour or two to tell you all about the surgery, how it works, what he will do, and about all the risks involved. He does mention the benefits, but really emphasizes what could go wrong. Then he asks you if he has talked you out of the surgery. Only then will he give you a surgery date. He takes it very seriously, as he should. rnrnWhat I think every new patient should know is that Dr. De La Torre's statistcs are wonderful. He has very few complications and deaths as a result of this surgery, many times better than the national average. He has done this procedure over 3,000 times and holds the patent on many of the surgical instruments used in the procedure. He was one of the pioneers of Laproscopic RNY and can probably do this surgery in his sleep.rnrnIf I were to have to rate him on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, I would give him a 15! He's competent, kind, and a great guy. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, but I had a wonderful experience with him and an extremely easy recovery due to his skill in surgery.rn"
