"My first impression of Dr. Wittgrove was that he was extremely sensitive to the fact that I was scared, anxious and nervous about the surgery. He was very informative (he thoroughly explains the risks of surgery and will answer any and all questions), is patient, and kind. I was surprised that he was so tolerant and accepting of my sexual orientation and my partners questions. He looked her in the eye and spoke to her with the same respect as if my mother or father were sitting next to me. I am not one to trust doctors due in part to years of being discriminated against because of my weight. I weighed 445lbs and it was if he saw a beautiful woman standing in front of him. It was pretty surreal meeting him for the first time. I had heard his name before, but I didn't go in with idol worship or being mesmerized by his reputation. He had to be real and down-to-earth to impress me. In addition to that, he had to be on top of his game in the surgery room. Surprisingly, my impression of him was only validated with his consistency over time. He was everything I needed him to be. There were times when I was passed off to another Dr. in the office for follow-up, etc. All I had to do was specifically ask for him and they made the appt. Sometimes I had to wait a few days longer for an appt., but most of the time Monica (who no longer works there) worked wonders to find me a time and day that worked. I understand that he travels for seminars and teaches other Dr.'s how to perform this surgery. He also travels to have information seminars for bariatric patients, people interested in surgery, and medical personnel interested in learning about his specific technique and program. I applaud his efforts to train and inform. I only wish there were more doctors like him in the industry. His staff was very helpful and sensitive to my needs. I do sense a change, and although I cannot put my finger on it, their is something missing that used to exist in the office. Even given this factor, I do feel that Dr. Wittgrove still impresses upon his fellow doctors and office staff the importance of being real & down-to-earth, positive but not superficial, sensitive, compassionate, and \"available\" to his patients. I do personally miss Monica. I feel that she was a bright light of compassion, humor, and understanding within the office network. I feel that she went beyond the call of duty in staying in touch with me during my pre and post op phase. I can honestly say that I felt a sincere level of friendship with her, Dr. Wittgrove and Dr. Mellnecek (sp?). They were awesome!rnI really cannot say anything negative about him. Other than the fact that he doesn't fit in my coat pocket. I still have my temptations after two years, and sometimes I can see his smiling face giving me the one-two's and telling me to go back to the basics. In my mind's eye he's not an angel or a devil...he's kind of like jiminy cricket. If only he was the same size!"
