DePaul Health Center Bariatric Center

I met Dr. de la Torre at my pre-op class. He came in and talked to us a little bit. He is a very confident surgeon, which I think is a good thing. I have heard others say that he was bragging on himself or blowing his own horn, but he has accomplished so much & it made me feel more comfortable knowing how much he has accomplished in his carreer. I feel totally comfortable having this surgery knowing that he will be doing it. No Doubts whatsoever.

I first met Dr. De La Torre on 7/25/08 in a class in Columbia,MO He seemed to be a very nice and funny man,but at the same time he is very serious about these surgeries and he really emphasizes the risks,what you have to do before/after surgery,aftercare and what to expect. He told us step by step what to expect the day of surgery and if he have any questions or problems, NOT to hesitate to call his office. That is what he is there for. I will let you know more after the surgery.

I really did not see much of him. I seen him for about 10 mins on the day of my orientantion when I found out my surgery date. Then I seen him for about 2 mins before my surgery and about 10 mins the day that my staples and drain were removed. However, I know for a fact that his office staff are an amazing group of women. His partner Dr Scott is nice as well. I would have to say that he is a great surgeon however you really do not get the chance to know him.

My first impression was he was very nice and professional. The office staff is the best. They went over the risks and patient education ad nauseum, which I guess is a good thing.

Excellent overall experiance. could not be happier with my choice of surgeon. the office was a bit rough dealing with at first, but eventually very very helpful.

5/8/08 I had my consult with Dr. Scott today. He seemed professional, very brisk and caring. He looked me in the eyes when he spoke with me and asked me lots of questions, told me what he thought and asked me what I wanted and if I had any questions. You could tell parts of what he was saying he had said lots of times to others. He picked things he needed out of my responses to help me get the help I need. He had someone set me up with the all day class later this month and I was told I would likely get a surgery date at that time. His staff seems busy but very friendly and accommodating.~~5/21/08 Had my pre-op class. Very looong. Talked to the Dr, nurse, dietician, and exercise guy. Did pre-op testing like EKG, bloodwork and got a date!~~5/28/08 Dr. Scott was a lot more personable and reassuring going into surgery. He was very much in his element. What I did not like was that going into this he knew I have an anxiety d/o. On the a.m. of surgery I couldn't take my meds and asked if I could have something. Dr. Scott told me to ask the anesthesiologist who told me no-flat out. I think that the situation was poorly handled.~~5/30/08 Into surgery again. Dr. explained why and was very understanding of my fears. I reached out to him and he held my hand. Did not see him much after the surgeries and he asked for lots of bloodwork (but I DID have complications) even though I am an extremely hard stick.~~6/8/08 Dr. very prompt in returning all the calls we made to him. Confident without too much pride, he makes me feel like he knows what he's doing and he's done this all before. Also very understanding of my pain. I was never made to feel bad for letting him know I hurt and he does something about it.

rnrn

I first saw Dr. Scott because I had VBG in Dec 2002 and needed a revision. He was very thorough and took copious amounts of notes. He also went over various revision options for me, and scheduled an endoscopy. After the endoscopy, he determined that I had a gastro-gastric fistula and a blockage. Essentially, my staple line tore due to my opening being blocked. The only remedy for this is RNY, which I will have on 7/30/08. Due to the complications, both Dr. Scott and Dr. de la Torre will perform the surgery. I had a slight problem with my insurance company, initially, because they didn't like the cpt code the doctor was using. Dr. Scott spoke with my insurance company's medical director personally, and even gave them his personal cell phone number. They were able to agree on a valid cpt code that worked for both the doctor and my insurance company. I'm a little nervous about the surgery because I know the risks are increased with a revision, but I have full faith in the surgeons competence and skill.

He was/is great. Not very personable but treated me very well.

Dr. Scott knows his stuff, and so does his office staff. I was impressed by the ease with which the insurance process was handled. In addition, every piece of guidance that they've ever given me was right in line with generally agreed-upon guidelines according to my research. I've never gotten some kind of crazy \"what are they thinking?\" type of advice like I've heard other people's surgeons give. Even more impressive, Scott/DeLaTorre & staff are constantly updating themselves with new research and changing their guidelines accordingly -- the manual that I'd received in September was already out of date by January!rnrnTheir aftercare program is responsive and comprehensive. This is not a cut-'em-and-shove-'em type of practice; they are truly concerned that each of their patients be successful in the short- and long-term.rnrnMost importantly, my surgery went very smoothly with no complications! I felt at ease going into the surgery because I had complete faith in Dr. Scott.rnrnStick with DePaul -- it's head and shoulders above the other program in STL.