NJ Bariatric Institute Bariatric Center

I haven't had my first consultation with Dr. Bertha yet. Can't wait to meet him on April 16th, 2003.

Well it's April 17th! 3 month wait for Dr. Bertha was worth it! He was very nice and answered my questions. Seemed knowledable about everything, He was quick to look over my chart and checked me over a bit and said that I was a good candidate for the surgery, wanted me to have my gallbladder checked before I get the surgery and I went home. I got my surgery date today! It went that fast! Now, I just wait for insurance approval and I go on July 29th! I am ready to go! and Psyched!

Although we had many problems with my on again off again insurance coverage. It's respect and true gratitude I have for Dr. Bertha. I feel that he had given me a new found hope. Even though I'm only one week post op, He has given me a chance at a new beginning. THIS TIME I WON'T MESS IT UP!!!!

i am very excited to meet DR.Bertha, i only had a chance to hear him talk at a meeting at morristown hospital. i have my first appoiment with him on April 15 (i so cant wait to get started on my loosing lerney)
I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I THINK AFTER MY APPOIMENT

DR. NICHOLAS BERTHA WAS A KIND,COMPASONATE CARING PERSON.HE WAS CONSISTENT AND NEVER CHANGED OVER THE TWO YEARS I"VE KNOWN HIM. HIS OFFICE STAFF IS NOTICEABLY UNDERQUALIFIED. THIS IS MY ONLY COMPLAINT. A PATIENT HAS TO DO HIS OR HER OWN HOMEWORK AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS. DR. BERTHA IS AN EXCELLENT, THOROUGH DR. HE EMPHASIZES AFTERCARE AND AND SUGGESTS RETURNING TO MEETING AT THE HOSPITAL EACH MONTH.DR. BERTHA HAD AN RN MARY MELOA, WHO NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE HOSPITAL. SHE HAS SUPPORT GROUPS FOR RNY PATIENTS. SHE IS SURELY MISSED BY THE OBESITY CENTER. GETTING HER BACK TO THE HOSPITAL WOULD NOT ONLY BE AN ASSET FOR THE HOSPITAL BUT TO ALL THE PATIENTS SHE CARES FOR. SHE IS TRULY AN EXCELLENT NURSE WITH TONS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT RNY SURGERY. SHE HERSELF HAD RNY. HELP GET MARY MEOLA BACK TO THE OBESITY CENTER, SHE IS WORTH WHATEVER SALARY THE HOSPITAL HAS TO PAY HER. SHE IS A GREAT LOSS TO THE PROGRAM AT MORRISTOWN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

I found Dr. Bertha to be very kind, courteous, professional and intelligent. He really seemed to care about me and what happens to my body!

The office is in charge of getting approval from the insurance company. *VERY* nice to not have to worry about it!!

His office staff is helpful and very nice.

I first had my appointment scheduled for Dec. 12, 2002. I got to Dr. Bertha's office with my mother (we both had left work for this appointment), when I said I was there for my appointment I got a very quizzical look from the receptionist who then ran into the back of the office and brought another girl up to see me. Then I was told that the doctor was not in today and that someone had left a message that my appointment needed to be changed. Well, obviously I never got that message so there I was at the doctor's office and no doctor. After my initial disappointment I scheduled my appointment for the next day at 3:00.
When I got to Dr. Bertha's office the following day the waiting room was packed. I got there alittle before 3:00 and was told that there was a 2 hour wait. At this point I lost it. I felt like I was getting the run around and if the office staff was any indication of Dr. Bertha then I should reconsider going to him.
I chose Dr. Bertha because he came highly reommended and also I went to school with him although he was 2 years younger than I. That in some way made me feel better about choosing him.
My first inpression was that he was a VERY busy man. That his office was quite an assembly line. I still feel this way but when I met him and got to have answer some of my questions I knew that I had made the right choice.

Anyone who is considering going to Dr. Bertha just keep in mind that you will be there for a good 2 hours. But he is worth it.

My first impression of Dr. Bertha was that he was very handsome! In addition to that, he is an extremely caring and knowlegeable surgeon. Even though he leads a very hectic schedule, he will always take time to answer any questions I have. My surgery went very smoothly and I was home within 48 hours.

Dr. Bertha does emphasise after care, and Morristown Memorial Hospital offers free support group meetings once a month for both post and pre op people.

The risks of my surgery were very clearly stated to me. In addition to the information Dr. Bertha provided, I also had to receive a psychological exam, pulmonology visit, and meet with a nutritionist.


I believe that surgical competence is of the utmost importance. However I'm lucky to have Dr. Bertha as my surgeon because he also had an excellent bedside manner.

He was very open and down to earth. He answered all of my questions. I have only meet him once, but others have told me what a get surgeon he is. His office staff is excellent. I do not deal with the insurance. There are two ladies, Josephine and Maria that take care of the insurance end of it. They get approval and fight for you. There are two doctors in this practice. While one performs the surgery the other assists. They do the surgery laposcopically. I have been told that Dr. Bertha is very thorough with his work. I needed a Psychologist consult, Dietician consult, blood work and a letter from my doctor in order to get the date of surgery. At our initial consultation he gave my all the risks of surgery including the risk of death. So far to me he seems like a great surgeon.

Dr. Bertha was not my surgeon, but I want to review this doctor because I had to deal with him as my discharging doctor and as the on-call doctor since my surgeon (without letting me know) was not the surgeon whom I would speak to after my surgery was over.

Two days after leaving the hospital my fiancee' and I noticed that the hard, red area around my main incision was growing quite large and that it was now very hot to the touch. We called and got Dr. Bertha as the on-call doctor that day. After having to have him paged TWICE he finally called and informed me that the swelling and heat and growing mass was perfectly normal and would probably get larger before it started going down.
The very next day I was napping in my recline and awoke feeling very thirsty. I got up to go to the kitchen and found that the large mass and incision was now open and I had puss and fluids running down my leg. It had drained so much it has soaked the side of my shirt up to my armpit and then drained all the way down to my knee (all while in a horizontal position) We immediately called the answering service again and told them it was an emergency. Once again we got Dr. Bertha who once again said it was all perfectly normal, not to worry and Dr. Abkins would see me in the office at my next appt. This was a sunday afternoon and my appt wasn't till Thursday!!
We called the office the next morning to be told that if we didn't like what Dr. Bertha was saying go to the ER. We told them we just wanted to know what was going on cause it seemed like a horrible infection. We were advised it was just normal fluid drainage from the surgery, don't worry about it. It happens to everyone they said.
Upon my visit on Thursday we found that it was indeed a massive infection, they had to re-open my incision and I've had to have a nurse come to my home to help clean and pack the wound for the past 2 weeks and it's still not over!!!

DO NOT SEE THIS SURGEON AND DO NOT TRUST WHAT THEY TELL YOU OVER THE PHONE! FOLLOW YOUR INSTICTS! IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG, CALL YOUR PRIMARY OR GO TO THE ER!!

Dr. Bertha also in a hurry and upset cause the hospital had to call him back in cause he overlooked me when it came to my discharge day, mis-wrote my pain pill prescription and I had to go without it for an entire weekend! This doctor does not care! He talks down to you and treats you as if you are a complete idiot and that he knows everything!!!!

10/30/02 My first impression of Dr Bertha was he is very nice looking man. I must say my first consultation was not what I expected. I thought we would sit in his office and discuss the surgery. Instead we spoke quickly in the exam. room. It was a good thing I did extensive research about the surgery aready. I asked a few questions I had. I felt a little rushed but I'm still happy with my choice in Dr Bertha. He said I had the perfect abdomen for lap surgery.