Santiago Horgan Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I met with Dr. Horgan's associates. I haven't met with him yet, but he has a fantastic reputation. The office staff are ALL so pleasant. The staff is welcoming, and attentive. Also, those that helped me in getting insurance approval were available almost immediately via email, which was so helpful. I like the fact that they stress that this operation is a "
tool" in weight loss, and not a magic pill you take, and wake up skinny and healthy! I would also like to say that if you are considering this operation for only cosmetic reasons, please reconsider. Surgery is a serious thing, and the best reason to seek this sort of surgery is because you are facing serious life risks in the long term, and your quality of life is suffering because of your weight.

01/04: After attending an info session several months ago (which was hosted by Dr. Horgan's student surgeon along with the program coordinator, Megan), I finally met Dr. Horgan. I found him smart, sharp, and very talkative, actually. As he consulted with his student (a Fellow in the laparoscopic fellowship program Dr. Horgan directs at UIC) and with me, I felt like he was bringing me in as part of his team. What I mean is, he was careful not to talk down to me, he was frank with his answers, and he treated me like an equal without being condescending. Dr. Horgan was quick to make clear that though I was considering another surgeon, he would take the time to help me think about the benefits of choosing his team. "Let us handle the insurance," he said. "Your responsibility is to do your part to make the surgery successful." I came to Dr. Horgan for a reason--he's a brilliant, world-reknowned Lap-Band surgeon--but I left feeling as if he and his staff were there to take care of *me*. That was a great feeling. I made the decision the next day to choose Dr. Horgan and his team. I hope to have my surgery in a month or so. <br><br>

6/04: Well, it's taken a long time to get to this point but I have a surgery date scheduled for June 9th, 2004. Dr. Horgan has been difficult to deal with but I have complete confidence in him as a surgeon and am positive that he will be terrific in the operating room. I should note though that he is very difficult to talk to when you have as many questions as I did (he gets offended by too many questions and worries that you'll get angry at him later on down the road and sue him or some other nonsense). I am not choosing Dr. Horgan because I think he is a good office manager (his staff seem to come and go quite regularly), nor am I choosing him because I like him as a person (I think he's a bit of an egomaniac, but aren't most surgeons?? ;-)). I am choosing him because he is the BEST THERE IS. I am sure of that. As long as he's got good hands, that's all I need. <br><br>

6/28/04: I'm nearly 3 weeks post-op and doing great. Because of the 10-day clear liquid diet that Dr. Horgan requires of all his patients, I lost 11 pounds. I lost another 6-7 pounds after the surgery, so now I'm home and starting the mushy/soft phase of the post-op diet. Turns out that Dr. Horgan is absolutely wonderful on surgery day, although when it took the anesthesiologist a while to find a good vein, he teased her about taking so long. But it all worked out fine, and he was really quite sweet to me and my family afterward. He really believes in what he does and he is very proud of his patients' progress. I felt great leaving that day and when I returned 10 days later for the post-op consult with one of his fellows.

Actually, I have not met Dr. Santiago personally. I had my surgery assessment June 7th with his associate, Dr. Harris.

The registration process you have to go through each time before you can go to your scheduled appointment at the University of Illinois Nutrition and Wellness Center is outrageous.
I actually received a reminder call from the Center stating I should come one (1) hour early in order to register before my fourth appointment! I thought it was a mistake since I was already in the hospital's computer due to my prior three appointments. Mistake it was not!
I got to my appointment approximately 20 early and took a number. After 25 minutes and NO new numbers had been called, I started to walk towards the Center's door to tell them I was indeed in the building but stuck in the registration line.
As I walked away one of the two registration clerks loudly called out to me, "Where are you going?" After telling her I was only going to check-in at the Center to let them know where I was, she stated, "NO, you can't go in there. You HAVE to wait until we see you and print out your [patient] labels." Just the manner and tone of voice that this woman spoke to me in, not counting the disrespect shown, really got to me. I continued walking away saying over my shoulder that I WAS going to check-in because I didn't want to lose my appointment, thank you very much. Oooooh! I was hot. Inside the Center I complained assertively about the manner I was treated and was allowed to register via telephone from behind the desk. Something I had no ideal was an option for me.

I'll complete the rest of your questions when I have experienced them.

My first impression of Dr. Horgan and his staff was great, they are all very friendly and informed, I have only met with them once so I will ad more later.

I just attended an infosession with Dr. Horgan at the Minimally Invasive Bariatric Center. I was extremely impressed. His demeanor is professional but friendly, and he has a gentle sense of humor as well. He presented a concise but complete picture of both the history of Lap-Band and gastric bypass surgery and a good comparison between the two.

He is very direct about the amount of control he expects his patients to take over their progress, but emphasizes that he is there to help for as long as is needed. It appears that the amount of aftercare you require is completely up to your and your progress.

He did address the risks of surgery and went through each complication that could potentially happen, and his personal experience with each.

The only thing I would say is that he does have a strong accent, and some people might have more trouble understanding everything he says, but I didn't have a problem with it.

After over a year of deliberation, I am confident to put myself in this doctor's hands. His professional reputation, show of knowledge and manner are equally impressive.

10/07/03 I met with the Laparoscopic Fellow on 10/06 and was impressed with not only him, but the entire University of Illinois Medical Center. At first I was upset that I did not actually meet Dr Horgan, but his fellow seemed to know what he was talking about. I found everyone helpful, and in fact was able to register by phone so I did not have to deal with that the day of my appointment. The lady at the check in desk was nice. If you paid attention at the seminar you were prepared to fill out all the paperwork, and I sure was ready! I went in prepared, knew what I wanted, had my questions ready, and everything was discussed not only the procedure, but what to expect afterward. Vanessa, the dietician came in and she was also quite informative.
If you do not have a good experience, it is because you expect them to lead you and do your "homework". I would rate my experience a 9-1/2 out of 10. Will see how fast they get my letter of medical necessety written and sent out!

Dr. Horgan is very committed to the LAP Band procedure. I think him and his staff did an excellent job explaining the pre-op and post-op procedures. I have had no difficulty in getting questions answered and working with the program coordinator pre-op testing and questions.

They are very supportive of their patients. I would highly reccommend this surgeon.

Dr. Horgan is very charming, and remains so. His office staff is a wee bit slow returning calls, but persistant in receiving insurance coverage.

He has excellent surgical skills and expects pre- and post-op adherence to his recommendations.

I rate him highly, and hope that he drops his prices for his post-operative fills. The first one is included in the surgery, the subsequent ones (2-4 may be necessary because it's adjustable and depends on the individual) are $250 as of July 2002.