"I REALLY like Dr. Bortz. He is mild mannered and easy to talk to about symptoms. He even cracks a joke here and there which helped put me at ease. It can be hard to discuss a medical problem when it concerns the colon and the areas that go along with that. (if you know what I mean.) He, and his nurse, explained everything that would happen with the exam and I felt completely comfortable talking with them. I've had two Colonoscopies and an Endoscopy with him. No problems whatsoever."

"Excellent care and felt comfortable with Dr.Robotham"

"This surgeon is very good. He's nice funny. He explained step by step during my biopsy. Great doctor! Deserves a 5/5!"

"Dr.Bortz is great! He really (and I mean really) listens to you as a patient. He goes over any and all concerns that you may have. When I see him he takes the time to help me to understand everything that is going on. I see a LOT of doctors. I have a lot of medical conditions. He is one of the best docs that I have. Highly recommend!"

Rhianna Dixon struggled with pain for “at least five years” before receiving a hernia diagnosis. Previous providers had diagnosed her with gallbladder problems and then fibroids, but her pain kept getting worse.

“I couldn’t stand for more than 10 minutes before having to sit down,” Rhianna says. A new OB/GYN suggested she talk to a surgeon, so she met with Anthony Calabretta, MD, of WCH Surgical Associates.

“I had never had a surgery before, and I was scared, but the pain and interruption of my life was so much that I considered it,” she says. After Dr. Calabretta diagnosed her hernia, he explained her options. He was “very matter-of-fact, I appreciated his confidence and how he communicated possible solutions,” she says.

In April, Rhianna received a robotic-assisted laparoscopic ventral hernia repair with mesh at Wooster Community Hospital. The staff were “attentive” and “kind,” she says. After a “pretty quick” surgery and recovery, she had very little scarring. While she had to limit her activities for about six weeks after the procedure, she is now back to normal and “completely pain-free.”

“With robotic surgery, we are able to repair a variety of hernia types and sizes in a minimally invasive fashion with less pain, providing quicker return to normal activity,” Dr. Calabretta says.

“All of the problems that I had before are gone,” Rhianna says. “Sharing my story, is kind of like a public thank you note to Dr. Calabretta.”