Ascension Medical Group-Bariatric Institute of Wisconsin Bariatric Center

From the time Dr. Engstrand walked into the room I felt at ease. He was very nice. He seemed grounded. I liked him instantly. He talked to me, not at me. He made sure I was making informed choices that were in my best interest and supported them. He seemed honest and caring. He listened to me. I didn't feel rushed. I have a great deal of confidence in him. His nurse Lynn is great too. She is a former patient that is a year out from RNY. It was so nice to be able to talk about these things, which are so very personal, with someone who has been there.

I only saw my doctor once since completing all the paperwork and evals and tests. My surgery is set for June 3 when i will see him again. I talk to the nurse frequantly. The doctor was very nice but didn't spend much time with him. Have several questions before my surgery to ask him. The office staff has been very helpful and anytime I need to call and ask questions is fine. Dr. Engstrand has a good aftercare program and is very competent and concerned about his patients. I believe surgical competence is much more inportand but bedside manner is very nice also.
He is a very busy doctor and i would have like to spend more time with him and less time with the nurse that answered most of the questions. I have more questions to ask when I see him.

Dr. Engstrand was very caring, sincere, has warm and caring eyes. He didn't judge me, and I appreciated it.

I'm really glad I have him as my surgeon.

His staff is very nice as well and very responsive. Overall, I've been very impressed about all of the staff at the Bariatric Institute of Wisconsin.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say Dr. Engstrand is a 10, and his staff is a 9 (very good!).

BTC Initial consult - The staff at BTC in Schaumburg were very friendly. Dr. Berkowitz seemed friendly and answered all my questions. The nurse at the facility had the surgery herself 11 months prior so she was also able to answer alot of my questions - and she showed me her scar. Dr. Berkowitz seemed laid back and approachable and he clearly outlined any risks from the surgery and explained what would happen. Didn't get approval for surgery so I went on a 6 months supervised diet.

After my 6 month Dr. supervised diet I decided to find a surgeon closer to home. There is currently a 2 month wait to get in to see Dr. Armstrong. I will update once I've had my consultation. I originally met with Dr. Berkowitz at BTC.


I originally thought Dr. Armstrong was great. Then I had 6 months of waiting and testing with no surgery date in sight. I understand he went on a medical leave but just when everything was set to go I'm disappointed again. I searched around and found a group of 3 surgeons who have a more complete plan. You see the nutritionist and physical therapist. I met with Dr. Engstrand and after 1 1/2 years of trying to get my surgery done, it was finally done 4/30/04. Everything went great, there was minimal pain, I was out of the hospital on the 3rd day.

I really liked Dr. Burhop. He didnt seem rushed when he talked to me. Was attentive to my questions and answered them all. His staff was nice and many were also people who have gone through WLS so they understand. The office was set up for heavier people with large confortable chairs. I will see him again before surgery to go over any other questions I might have.

I had my inital consultation with Dr. Chiang on January 8th and I am looking forward to working with the staff their. Dr. C explained things in a way that was very understandable and calming. I am 100% confident regarding my decision to choose Elmbrook and Dr. Chiang as my surgeon!

Dr. Chiang is very caring and takes the time to talk to you and answer your questions. I felt that way from the time of my first visit and it has not changed. Office staff is great, the bariatric coordinator, Megan is great to work with. He supports the aftercare, dieticians and the support group. He was very thorough in outlining the possible complications/risks and addressed the lap RNY as well as lap banding. He advised which type of surgery he recommended for me, but would have discussed options with me. His surgical competence is great and he has a great bedside manner as well.

He takes his time and really listens to me. A very supportive person and very nice.If i have questions i can always get them answered.

I feel extremely confident about Dr. Engstrand and the staff from Brookfield Surgical Associates. Since the beginning, they have all been very helpful with any questions I may have. All appointments that I have had to make have been scheduled easily. Both the staff from Brookfield Surgical and Elmbrook Memorial Hospital have done a superb job on keeping the process moving!

I met with Dr. Chiang on 7/10/03 to discuss getting banded. His bariatric coordinator, Megan, met with my husband and I first. She's fabulous! Told us what I would need to do to move towards the first goal of insurance approval and answered our general questions.

After meeting with Megan, we met with Dr. Chiang. He is very pleasant and made sure all our questions were answered. He talked to us about the pros and cons of banding and RNY, but I had already made my decision. I was a little worried that he would try to talk me into the RNY, but it was never even an issue. Did a quick physical to check my heart and lungs, and we were done.

Both my husband and I were very pleased with Dr. Chiang. He made sure we understood everything that would happen before, during, and after surgery. He also made sure that we knew the risks and the downsides (like being really hungry while on liquids right after surgery). By the time I had spoken with he and Megan, I had all my questions answered. I would definitely reccommend him to anyone considering banding or RNY.

So, the ball is in my court now. I have to make appointments for psych and nutritional consultations, and then the info will go to Megan to send on to Humana.

Here's hoping all goes well and I'll get approved right away.