Phoenix Bariatric Center

I knew that I needed to have weight loss surgery and weighed out the myriad of options and spoke to several doctors. I decided against lap-​band and gastric sleeve surgeries based on long-​term success rates. I decided that a gastric bypass was right for me. I found Phoenix Bariatric Center online and met with Dr Sprunger who explained everything to me. I was very fortunate that my insurance paid over 90% of the cost of the surgery. I only paid $ 800 out of pocket for everything.
I was of course concerned about everything, but everything turned out to be great. I was apprehensive about St Luke’s Hospital downtown, but after my pre-​op visit I felt very comfortable with it and when I was a patient there, the staff was fantastic. It’s been just over three months since my surgery and I’ve lost 70lbs. I’ve gone from wearing size 44w to 32w jeans. I know my results aren’t typical, but I’ve really been focused on getting back to the gym and dedicating myself to improving my health.
Since the surgery, I’m off all diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol medications. I no longer have sleep apnea as well. My family doctor, who had to sign-​off on my procedure, wanted to make sure I understood everything about the procedure, which he knew I would look into every aspect. He signed off and six weeks after the procedure I had a check-​up with him and he was amazed at my progress and remission of all my «fat guy» illnesses.
I can’t recommend Dr Sprunger enough. It’s been a quick and dramatic change for me and I feel so much better, and people I know, don’t recognize me and are amazed at my results.

Dr. Sprunger is amazing. He really cares very much about his patients. I had gastric bypass 7÷10÷15. I’ve had a complication that was not at all Dr Sprunger’s fault. But he did fix it and had my best interests at heart and fought with St Luke’s hospital on my behalf when they wanted the money up front. To let me make payments. He is very direct and I understand that some people don’t like that, but he is this way because he wants to see his patients successful. If you fallow his guidelines he is amazing if you don’t he’s going to let you know, and because of that I have a lot of respect for him. And yes his office is just him and an assistant, but I’m not a number there because of it. They know me by name, they know my husband’s name. They don’t have so many people working there that you have to tell them your history every time you go in. I love them wonderful people, and they take amazing care of me.

Dr. Sprunger is I’m sure highly skilled and if I had the guts to get the surgery I’d go with him. I heard really good things about him from other medical professionals in the Valley. But I was on the edge of my surgery date and my meeting with him a week before surgery confirmed for me that my 2 previous contacts with him were not abberations in terms of his attitude. He’s a little arrogant, curt and gruff, and I was looking for comfort and assurance, not a confrontation over my concerns about potential complications.
I had been doing my research the way any bariatric patient would (online and talking to acquaintsnces and family who had had the surgery themselves). But he chastised me for reading on my own and flat out told me not to. I would have trusted him a lot more if he had told me to «research to my heart’s content» but ask him questions afterward. But then in the year long pendency of my insurance clearance phase I could rarely get ahold of his skeleton staff by phone and usually had to wait 1 to 7 days for a return call or email.
I got the strong sense he cares more about money than his patients. The skeleton staff is another indicator… But if you want a skilled surgeon who (probably) has a low complication rate, and dont care whether he cares about your welfare, and dont care if he only wants more money in his pocket, and dont care if he’s mean and arrogant, and dont care if he instructs you not to educate yourself online, then choose Kurt. UPDATE: Today the FDA approved stomach balloons as an alternative to traditional bariatric surgery, but I think Sprunger only does gastric by-​pass. Maybe THATS why he was so uptight… he knew this medical announcement was coming. I’m happy with my decision not to get the surgery. I’m working on doing it on my own, but I’m incorporating tips and methods recommended for post-​bariatric patients to follow, at least partially.