A Man With a Mission: An Interview with America’s Leading Tubal Reversal Surgeon
By Lisa D. Hourmouzis, RN
Tubal Reversal Nurse
It’s 7:30 am at Chapel Hill Surgical Center. In a moment of solitude, Dr. Gary Berger meticulously scrubs for the first surgery of the day. As he stands there quietly, I can’t help to wonder about the story behind the man in the surgical mask.
How did he become the surgeon he is today? What drives him to succeed?
These questions led to the following sit down with America’s leading tubal reversal surgeon, Dr. Gary Berger:
When did you decide to go into obstetrics and gynecology?
GB – When I was beginning my fourth year of medical school, during the time when we had to decide what direction we were going to go in, I felt like I wasn’t really secure enough in my basic medical foundation to want to jump into a specialty. So, I made the decision I would take a year of internship in internal medicine. But I had already made the decision that year to start my OB/GYN residency after the internship in medicine.
What led you to Duke?
GB – I was always a very hard worker. I guess I believed in the adage, “No pain, no gain.” So, I picked the hardest program in the US which was the medical internship at Duke University Medical Center. They had that reputation at the time. You were on-call five nights out of seven, and it was a very grueling program. But I thought I needed that to feel like I had a basic medical education before I proceeded.
Did anyone influence your decision to enter OB/GYN?
GB – I had been thinking about going into obstetrics and gynecology, and it just so happened that during that time we had a visit from Dr. Carl Tyler from the Centers for Disease Control. He was looking to recruit physicians into the EIS program, the Epidemic Intelligence Service. He came to the University of Rochester where I attended medical school and made contact with one of the pediatric professors there. I remember being on my pediatric rotation at that time.
Unbeknown to me, my pediatrics professor had been an EIS officer; he also taught the courses in epidemiology and statistics, which I loved. Most of the other medical students weren’t so interested in them. Because I had done so well in those courses, he recommended that Dr. Tyler interview me. That was definitely a turning point in my life.
I was offered the opportunity to be in the U.S. Public Health Service at the CDC, but Dr. Tyler needed me to complete one year of my OB/GYN residency before I could join the program. That made my decision. I immediately started looking for residencies in OB/GYN. And as it turned out, that two-year period was probably one of the most influential periods in my life. It was an absolute amazing experience.
What did you like most about obstetrics and gynecology?
GB – The thing I liked about obstetrics and gynecology was the obstetrics. I really did not think I would ever have an interest in performing surgery. In medical school, my surgical rotation was one of my least favorites.
What changed your view about surgery?
GB – During my third and fourth year of my OB/GYN residency, I had the good fortune of working closely with Dr. Jerry Hulka, the inventor of the Hulka clip. He made a big impression on me. His interests, aside from developing this technique in sterilization, were laparoscopic surgery and tubal surgery. So, it was during that time I became interested in tubal surgery; and what really solidified it was when I had the chance to see microsurgery performed. I knew at that point, that’s what I wanted to do.
Why did you decide to focus on tubal reversal surgery?
GB – My ideal was always to be able to do this surgery. I’ve done infertility treatment, IVF. I’ve done almost every type of GYN operation there is, with the exception of cancer surgery, but tubal microsurgery was always my special love. Fortunately, that’s where I am at this point.
What drives you?
GB – I think it’s a desire to be successful at whatever I do. If I’m doing tubal surgery, I want to be the best at doing tubal surgery. I want to know the most about it, have done the most and not just have the most experience, but intellectually, collected the most information. To me, that’s enjoyable because then I feel like it’s something that I’ve mastered. And of course, I like being able to help the couples that come here. I really feel that we can help most people. I know that people are better off coming here than taking any other alternative that they have, in terms of having tubal reversal surgery.
What do you enjoy most about tubal reversal surgery?
GB – I like the challenge, the meticulousness about it. And I like being able to operate on patients and see them be comfortable and safe, and not dealing with complications.
I have a very idealistic view of things. If there’s a better way to do something, let’s find it and do it that way. I just think that’s a good way to practice medicine. But it’s not just about me personally; it has to do with everyone on our staff who is involved in it.
Where do you hope to see tubal reversal surgery in the future?
GB – I don’t know if the pendulum will ever swing back to tubal reversal, it was there when I started 30 years ago. It was the new, exciting thing. And then IVF became the new and exciting thing.
Tubal surgery is quite different. I don’t think tubal surgery will ever suddenly become widely used or widely taught, but I think there is clearly a place for it. I like the fact that I’m training another doctor. And maybe in the future, one thing we might consider is becoming a training center where we could take physicians who are already at an advanced level like Dr. Monteith, and help them be able to do this type of surgery with expertise.
Tubal reversal helps a lot of patients, and there definitely should be the option for doctors to have additional education in it so that doctors don’t automatically send their patients into IVF programs when a simple tubal operation could be the solution.
Do you have a philosophy in your professional life?
GB – There’s an expression that I heard when I was in medical school, the quote was, “the secret in caring for the patient, is in caring for the patient.” And part of my philosophy is that I want to provide the exact type of medical care that I would want for myself, no less.
If I have to have a doctor, I want somebody who knows what they’re doing, is educated and a decent and kind person. Technically an expert, as knowledgeable about it as anyone, or more so than anybody else in the world. That’s the kind of doctor I would want for myself. Someone who will really take care of me if I have a problem and won’t brush it off or be too busy because it’s inconvenient for them. That’s the same thing that I want for my patients.
To learn more about Dr. Berger and Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, call 919.968.4656 or contact one of our tubal reversal professionals today.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Lisa, you are a wonderful RN and I’m real proud of you and your accomplishments. The world is a better place for your professional points of view and expertise. I only wish that I could have done as well as you and many ways. God Bless you and all the good work that you produce in the medical realm…you are a wonderful person and humanitarian.
Sam
August 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am
An excellent interview, thanks Lisa! This should really help people to know more about the person that is DR. Berger.
July 17th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Thank you for all of the wonderful responses. I especially enjoy reading the comments from past patients of Dr. Berger’s. It’s easy to see why so many women choose him for their tubal reversal surgery.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Dr. Berger’s honesty and consistent care for each patient definitely set him apart. His personal reflections allow us a glimpse into his career path that help to know him better. Dr. Berger deserves his reputation as the best tubal reversal doctor!
July 17th, 2008 at 12:39 am
This was a great read – having met Dr.Berger and had him perform my life-changing tubal reversal. I agree with previous posters that what really separates Dr.Berger from so many other doctors is his capacity to listen and understand his patients from only a brief meeting. I felt like he talked to me – not around me or over my head. He also gave us time to ask questions and receive complete answers we understood.
Thank you for this blog, it was interesting to read and learn more about Dr.Berger. Not only does he perform a surgury that restores and give hope, but he employs some of the nicest and most compassionate staff I’ve ever met.
The entire atmosphere at Chapel Hill and the staff is reflective of this wonderful man!
July 15th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Your interview with Dr. Berger, Lisa, was created in such a way that it felt like he was telling me the path of his medical career himself. Dr. Berger is kind and humble, as well as intelligent and professional. The responses from his patients to this interview say as much. Caring for his patients is his bottom line.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
What appears to set Dr. Berger apart from his peers in the medical community is that he actually listens, he actually cares, and he actually is driven by a desire to help women and their families either realize their dreams of having more children or restoring their health from the misery of PTLS. I have been 200% better and a completely different person since my TR, free from the misery of my PTLS that most other doctors deny exists. This surgery literally gave me my life back. If only we had more MDs out there as dedicated to their patients as Dr. Berger and his staff..millions of women out there would be in much better hands.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Lisa, you did a wonderful job interviewing Dr. Berger. Honestly, Dr. Berger is very humble. He should have told everyone that he IS the best in his field. When couples are looking for assistance from doctors, its just as important to find one with knowledge, skill and a kind and caring spirit. Dr. Berger is all of that. He makes you feel comfortable and at ease because you know you are in the hands of a terrific doctor and a wonderful person. Thank you all at CHTRC for all that you do, everyday!
July 15th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Thanks for the great blog post Lisa! It’s nice for patients to be able to read some more background information about Dr. Berger and his decision to become a tubal reversal specialist.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Thank you for the great interview, Lisa. I think the interview will allow all patients (past and future) to see what a caring and professional surgeon Dr. Berger is. I can’t imagine going anywhere else to have a tubal reversal because Dr. Berger is the best.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I enjoyed reading Dr. Berger’s story. We rarely get to get this type of glimpse into the person behind the mask. It is truely remarkable how everything fell into place for you to be able to be where you are today.
More physisians need that kind of drive to truly meet the needs of women. This drive is what helps families become complete and women to feel whole again.
Thank you Dr. Berger for being the one to say enough is enough. Women all over the world have benefited from what you have chosen to do with your career.
Good Luck with your continued success. Prayerfully, your dream of training more physicians will come to fruition. As determined as you were to be the best at Tubal Reversal, I can imagine you will train others as well to be the best.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Fantastic interview, Lisa! Dr. Berger’s professional philosophy is one that all physician’s should have!
July 14th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Great interview! I had my TR surgery with Dr. Berger in 2005 and RAVED about what an amazing bedside manner Dr. Berger and every staff member had! The care was personal, friendly and thorough from the second you are calling with questions about scheduling a surgery to the moment you walk through the front door (they take a picture of you and put it with your file – I was told this is so the staff and Dr. know the FACE of the person they are talking to when they correspond with you!) and then it just gets better as you proceed to the surgical consult and surgery itself.
When we considered getting a Tubal Reversal I was quoted a very large sum of money from a local doctor who had only performed a few of these in his career despite being a locally renowned fertility specialist. I was more than APPALLED when my husband said he wished we could find someone who did this as an outpatient to save on the high overhead of the hospital stay. “This is my body we are talking about!” I told him venomously. However, I did search for just such a thing – and when I found Dr. Berger, we knew that he was the man for the job! Anyone who does this surgery 4 times a day, 5 days a week must be quite knowledgeable and skilled. THIS is the kind of doctor my husband I felt we could entrust such a delicate surgery to vs someone who only did a few a year.
Our trust was not misguided. The surgery went flawless, with me saying over and over again in the years since that it was more like going for a visit with extended family that you are just meeting than it was going for a surgery. Even better though! When you leave his office you have the opportunity for new life that you didn’t have before!
Thanks to Dr. Berger’s skillful hands and the excellent advice and care from the staff – we were blessed with our first “Berger Baby” Addison Faith on July 25, 2007!
July 14th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
This was a great interview. I think the best thing about this interview, is it is all one hundred percent true. I had some follow up treatment after my TR in my home town, and posted my story on the message board. Jennifer O from Dr Berger’s office saw the post and personally called me. When I called the office back, Dr Berger spoke with me personally to make sure everything was ok with me, which, it was. I have had 4 different abdominal surgeries to date, and Dr Berger is the ONLY doctor who took time out of his busy schedule to speak with me personally afterward.
Dr Berger, as well as his staff, practice the most caring atmosphere I have ever experienced in a medical practice. I could tell that everyone on the staff truly cares. Sorry if I ran on a bit, but I can not express how wonderful every person at The Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center was to me.
Thank You all.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
The title of this blog should read, “A Man With a Huge Heart”. I enjoyed reading about Dr. B’s schooling and motivator, this is important, for sure. I’m sure it took him a long time to gain such an impressive showing…BUT… what really sets Dr. Berger apart from others is his heart. He wants to heal every woman, despite our income, our previous births, our appearances, or any other attribute of judgment.
From the first time I saw him, I knew I was in the hands of a Miracle Worker. Love shined from his eyes. Tenderness could be felt from his hands. He even surrounds himself with a staff that has the same love and tenderness. I can’t say enough, thank you Dr. Berger.
Gwen Brancato,
Future mother to as many Berger babies as God will allow.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
What a wonderful interview. I know that many women will appreciate this. Dr. Berger is truely a caring professional who raises the bar for excellence. One can truely see that he is dedicated to tubal reversal surgery and his patients. This story shows that base for his mission is based on the care of the patient. This is just one reason why Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the best place for women to come who desire tubal reversal surgery.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Thank you, Lisa, for writing this article on Dr. Berger. I have worked for Dr. Berger since Jan. 1990. That’s a long time to work for just one person. I still enjoy hearing about his “paths” through his medical career that he chosen and how they all led him to where he is today. He truly has been a dedicated servant to his passion, helping women become pregnant. I am very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work for him. I look forward to working with Dr. Monteith and Dr. Berger in the months to come.
Donna Sisson ST