The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients. Thriving, not just surviving, after bariatric surgeryA trip to Disney World in 2023 was an eye-opener for Katie Crow. It wasn't the rides, parades or immersive activities that caught her attention but that she struggled to have the energy to go to the amusement park every day. "It wasn't the experience I wanted it to be. That's when I knew I finally needed to do something about my weight," says Katie, an endoscopy nurse with Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse,… 'I'm so happy we're here:' An unexpected diagnosis saves Rich Bugay's lifeRich Bugay had an appointment with the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on a Monday, where he had hoped to get answers and relief for what he thought was refractory acid reflux — until his doctor discovered a heart murmur. The next morning, Rich was told he had congenital heart disease and a severely dilated aorta that could rupture. Just two days later, Rich underwent lifesaving heart surgery. After… Sally Blackwell 'no longer on the sidelines' after life-changing surgery for rectal cancerSally Blackwell with her husband, Christopher Blackwell. Sally Blackwell was pregnant with her second child when she began noticing symptoms she initially brushed off as nothing. She was experiencing constipation. She wasn't gaining weight during the pregnancy. She figured the lack of weight gain had to be because she wasn't doing the daily Chick-fil-A runs she did during her first pregnancy. It wasn't until after her daughter was born in May 2021 that the symptoms became… Request an appointment ResearchCosts & insurance July 19, 2025 Share on: FacebookTwitter Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been recognized as the best Gastroenterology & GI Surgery hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about this top honor Gastroenterology and HepatologyDepartmenthomeSectionsOverviewTests & proceduresConditions treatedDoctorsDoctors by location and specialtySpecialty groupsExpertise & rankingsClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicReferrals SectionsRequest an AppointmentOverviewTests & proceduresConditions treatedDoctorsDoctors by location and specialtySpecialty groupsExpertise & rankingsClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicReferrals ORG-20308333 Medical Departments & Centers Gastroenterology and Hepatology