Specialties
- Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Surgery
- Surgery, General
- Robotic Surgery
- Hernia Surgery (open, laparoscopic and robotic)
Board Certification
|
American Board of Surgery (Sub: General Surgery)
|
Patient Rating
Patients consistently praise Dr. Vargo for his professionalism, kindness, clear explanations, and strong bedside manner; many note he listens carefully, uses drawings to explain diagnoses, and offers thoughtful non‑surgical options when appropriate. Several commenters appreciated his willingness to take on complex cases and to spend time answering questions so they did not feel rushed. A number of patients raised concerns about post‑operative continuity and responsiveness, reporting missed follow‑up calls, limited post‑op visits, and residents managing complications without direct contact from Dr. Vargo. Overall feedback is predominantly positive but includes repeated suggestions to improve follow‑up and communication after surgery.
Generated via Patient Reviews
The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments |
Surgery
-Professor (Clinical) |
|---|---|
| Academic Divisions |
General Surgery
|
| Board Certification |
American Board of Surgery (Sub: General Surgery)
|
Education history
| Undergraduate | Chemistry - University of Michigan | B.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Medical | Medicine - Baylor College of Medicine | M.D. |
| Internship | Surgery - University of Wisconsin | Intern |
| Residency | Surgery - University of Wisconsin | Resident |
| Fellowship | Surgical Critical Care - University of California - Davis | Fellow |
Would've appreciated if we could've done a telehealth call. As I live in Idaho was a long day flying back-and-forth for 15 minutes as well as as expensive need to consider us people living on Social Security flying is quite expensive especially for 15 minute visit.
Explains the hernia repair procedure well. He is very well reviewed.
I highly recommend Dr. Cargo. He is a very caring and professional physician who listens, understands and expresses himself in an easy-to-understand manner.
Personable, listened to me and addressed my concerns.
Exceptionally knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I feel very confident in his care.
He's the Best and I totally TRUST HIM to operate on my problem and I'm very grateful for his help thank you [NAME REMOVED]
Very professional and pleasant interaction. Diagnosis was quick and thorough. Excellent physician.
Dr. Vargo is the top surgeon and has made my case top priority in finding high quality surgeons for me ASAP as he is unavailable for several weeks. He said he would not recommend them if they could not give the same quality of care that he would give.
I was barely introduced to Dr. Vargo. He never examined me only his trainee. So I cannot tell you anything about him.
Dr. Vargo is awesome. He's easy to talk to and explains everything in a way that makes sense.
Dr. Vargo is great I am looking forward to having him do my surgery. I feel he listened and explained everything about my surgery.
Very kind and reassuring.
I loved his personality; he's very professional and kind. I feel safe with him. [TRANSLATED]
As our daughter accompanied me to make sure I had a good understanding of what to expect from said my evaluation & expected surgery; and she has been in the healthcare industry said, Dr. Vargo was so nice and kind, friendly in a gentle manner, far above that of most surgeons; and I agree, his bedside manner was so good; and he answered our questions & concerns to our understanding & satisfaction. We were early for my appointment and once his nurse took my vitals he came in and spoke with us, examined me and evaluated my condition, explained the situation & why; explained what had happened, what the next steps were, the length of the surgery, the working with his Nurse/Scheduler of his availability, the timeline for recovery, & answering what my expectations might be.
Caring and straight forward. Assured me my surgery could be done safely and explained where I need to be physically for this to happen.
Thank you Dr. Vargo for visiting with me about my concerns and unique physical situation. We appreciate you very much.
Very personable and knowledgeable.
I feel confident being under Dr. Vargo's care. He listens and explains well.
After my visit & consultation I'm feeling Confident being under his care along with the staff
A good, kind, respectful surgeon who has a lot of experience and knowledge. He is a great doctor. May God always be in control of whatever his hands touch and continue to give him spiritual knowledge in his work. [TRANSLATED]
He's very personable and easy to talk to and trust
DR. D. Vargo is a very kindhearted gentle man who always helps me the best that he can NO matter what terrible problems I have whenever I walk into his office thank you DR. Vargo for everything that you always do to try and help me with my LAME DUCK medical issues, that I'm very sorry that I keep having Sincerely [NAME REMOVED].
He is easy to talk to
Dr. Vargo's communications with me: Clear, concise, and crisp. He is very patient to listen, understand, and respond to my questions in an understandable English.
DR. D Vargo is a very good and kindhearted man who always help me in every possible way that he can thank you DR Vargo I am truly very humbly grateful for everything you always do to try and help me with my medical problem's
Dr Vargo really knows how to care for me in all ways. He has been very kind and knowledgeable from the very first time I met him Thank you so much Dr Vargo.
DR Vargo is always very kind to me and he helps me a lot thank you
"Professor" DR. D.J. Vargo is without any doubt the very best in his field of surgery, and I thank you for all that you have ever done for me, AD.
From the first time I met Dr Vargo I felt very at ease and knew I was in good care. I appreciated the times he would explained procedures to me so I could understand them. He is very kind and patient as well. From the first meeting he was positive he could help even though there were some issues in the way. Thank you sooo very much!!
Dr Vargos was very professional. He treated me with upmost respect, and diagnosed issues concerning my health, and treated me as a human being. I applaud him. Thank you for your care.
I received excellent treatment from Dr Vargo. He is a skilled surgeon.
He was an excellent doctor who explained everything before the surgery
Thank you for your patience in my questions and concerns. Thank you for getting on top of proper technique and applications to repair my injuries!
Dr Vargo was so very kind & explained things great & talked with me like I mattered & told me what our next steps will be & said yes to doing my surgery which was so important to me. I was so uplifted by my visit & can't wait till we meet again for my surgery planning & visit. Very kind Dr & answered me & talked with me like I was important which meant a lot to me. Thank u Dr. Vargo
He made me feel comfortable.
DR. Daniel J Vargo is top in his field and his reputation for his and expertise in his field of knowledge is outstanding throughout the medical community and within a lot of other non-medical related communities in this state and in many other states, and I very humbly thank you for all of your kindhearted help. Sincerely [NAME REMOVED]
Dr Vargo was very professional but very kind and reassuring.
He made me feel confident he would do a good job of repairing my hernia so I would not have a reoccurrence in the future.
DR. Vargo is AN. outstanding professional in his field of expertise and his reputation says it all, and I have been extremely fortunate to have been operated on by this DR. and his team who are in the top of the field thank you sincerely Aart D.
Dr. Vargo is the pillar of his field. Very compassionate. He explains your health issues and his plan to mitigate them so you can understand. He involves you in the plan. He's the best of the best!
Dr. Vargo was amazing, kind, explained things well and answered questions. Left feeling comfortable about the surgery. Tammy
DR. Vargo is a true knowledgeable expert in his field of expertise, and I should never have taken my medical needs to a place that was closer to my home and the U of U hospital, and its clinics are a lot further and out of my way to travel to but very well worth the time and effort to go there given their advanced medical practices. sincerely [NAME REMOVED].
I feel like Dr Vargo is a great surgeon; however I felt somewhat uncomfortable during the follow up appointment. I am happy my care with him has concluded. If I needed him as a doctor for additional care I would seek another physician.
I can't say enough about Dr Vargo. I had quite complex abdominal reconstruction! The-out come was frankly amazing. They stayed up on pain management while I was in the hospital and out, they took care to make sure my recovery went smoothly and that any questions or concerns I had were addressed. Thank you Dr Vargo and Staff!
I actually saw Dr Adam's. Not Dr Vargo.
Very professional nose, his business and extremely nice man
I felt Dr Vargas was very knowledgeable and kind. He answered all my questions and did not seem rushed or hurried. I would highly recommend him.
Although I was an hour late having traveled three hours to the appointment, Dr. Vargo and his staff were understanding and kind. He listened attentively and was sure to go over my cat scan slowly explaining in terminology we could understand. Dr. Vargo was courteous letting me think about my options and was thoughtful to explain pros and cons of a much needed surgery.
Very thoughtful and thorough in finding the best way to perform the surgery
I really liked how he introduced himself and looked me in the eye while talking to me. He expanded what needed to be done
Dr Vargo was professional, explained the issue thoroughly, and gave the process forward. I was very impressed with Dr. Vargo.
Very caring both dr and person training.
This is my 2nd trip to consult with Dr.Vargo regarding possible surgery. After being turned away by my two local surgical teams that told me they could not help me, my PCP sent a referral to Dr Vargo for help. I was able to get to Utah and after my consult, Dr Vargo will be doing surgery for me. He was very willing to hear me out and said he would do his best to take care of my.problem.
I am very confident and trust that Dr. Vargo will make my situation a a pleasure to have him as my doctor.
Dr. Vargo is kind, gentle, and personable. He explained things about my condition in a way that made it easy to understand. He drew pictures on a white board to illustrate what is going on and to explained his thought process on how he came to the diagnosis. He was very patiently answered my many questions in a kind and reassuring manner. I appreciated that even though he is a surgeon, he recommended I try a non surgical option for treatment first. By doing this I felt that he truly cared about my well being and made sure I had access to the best care possible for my diagnosis.
Very personable. Was straightforward discussing the rarity of my problem.
Consummate professional; very knowledgeable; time efficient and caring.
I have full convinced in Dr Vargo's complex hernia expertise. My hernia repair and treatment was successful..
I appreciated Dr. Vargo. Feel confident he can resolve my problem with hoped for great results and recovery!
Excellent rapport unlike other doctors I've sought help from also in the U of U Health system.
Dr Vargo was patient, understanding, thorough, highly skilled, and easy to talk to. I left with a very high degree of confidence in his care.
Dr Vargo is always prepared before speaking with me. He reviews MyChart and understands all of the issues that may impact our decision to proceed with surgery.
I was seen by a physician assistant and Dr Leonard. The visit was very professional and informative.
Dr Vargo was so kind and caring. Any surgery is scary, but having a complex case is terrifying. Dr Vargo made me feel that I was safe, and that the surgery would go well.
He had reviewed my records. Showed interest in my issues. Provided clear options for my way forward.
A very caring Dr. He took the time we needed to understand the course of treatment.
Dr Vargo is kind and was able to explain my questions in great detail
Very care and concerned. He was professional and explained what was happening, and my options. Very smart man and very good service.
Dr Vargo addressed my issues with care and made available all options for my care
Exceptionally knowledgeable and thorough.
We didn't feel rushed taking time to explain what was going on with my body and what possible options if any to fix the problem. He seemed up front and honest about carrying for me. He listened to what I had to say without cutting me off.
Dr Vargo listen to my concerns about possible surgery. He answered all my questions. He made me feel at ease and of value. He explained the facts and options and gave me the respect to decide on surgery or not.
Friendly, responsive, easy to talk to.
Dr. Vargo was patient and thorough in his explanation of my problems and answers to my questions.
Appreciate him taking the time to answer and explain in depth what exactly the surgery would entail.
I was not told to stop taking Oxycodone. I have been taking Tramadol and hope that is okay?Also, the clinic notes state that he discussed the possibility of incarceration/strangulation. He did not tell me what I need to watch for and do if that happens.
Very nice Dr and staff. He was thorough in explaining everything.
Dr Vargo came highly recommended. He explained everything in great detail, and answered all my questions, even the dumb ones. I feel like he didn't judge me or my situation.
Very impressed with Dr. Vargo's professionalism and friendliness.
Surgeon seemed a bit brusque, as if I had annoyed him or was wasting his time. In just about 3 minutes just said he couldn't help me and to be satisfied to live with the problem. He's certainly an authority, but he had no advice for what to do or not do to keep the problem from getting worse. This was a major concern for me but I simply felt "dismissed."
I'm coming all the way here fromReno, NV! So I know your better then what I have there!
Great experience. Felt listened to. Good explanations.
The only glitch was a little gal who is learning to be a doctor told us to keep doing what we doing. That was the last thing we wanted to hear. It wasn't working! After 45 minutes she came back with Dr. Vargo and "we have decided the mesh needs to be removed." That's what we came to hear.
Dr. Vargo was terrific!
I would have liked to have had the doctor go through the information and exam. The PA spent sufficient time with me and was good, but I would have preferred to have had the doctor.
Dr. Vargo is a great doctor.
All good.
Not sure- seemed like I was encouraged to choose surgery but I was there to find out if I really have a hernia that needs surgery. I only met Dr. Varga briefly & he never examined me. Only the resident with a nurse looked at me. Now I worry that I'm going into surgery on a young resident's recommendation. I hope he doesn't plan on doing the surgery. I only want Dr. Vargo To make the decisions & do the surger
Dr Vargo was fantastic! It was the nurse practitioner that I didn't care for her attitude!!!!
Excellent
Dr. Vargo not only addressed my issue in a clearly understandable way, but also educated me about exercise alternatives to prevent a flare-up.
Dr. Vargo's resident was very helpful and described everything very clearly and succinctly.
Clarified my concerns and answered my questions.
Dr was very clear on how procedure would occur
We felt that we were safe
Very knowledgeable. Able to discuss problem and provide concise but clear recommendations.
very impressed with Dr. Vargo
Doctor is excellent! I am happy to refer others to him!
Both fellow and faculty were professional, pleasant and listed multiple options when appropriate
good
I do not feel like I was heard. I left feeling like it was a complete waste of time and money for all.
explained thoroughly what was going on with my issues and options I have for correcting my issue.
just not enough info it was a very very short visit. not so rushed
Dr. Vargo was very thorough in his explanation of the problem and his recommendations for treatment. all of my questions were answered in a complete, patient manner.
I felt like I got all my questions answered and felt no pressure to have the surgery.
listened to me, explained my options and treatment. I felt like they were taking time to hear me and not rush back out the door.
I feel Dr Vargo is very knowledgeable and experienced in the procedure I need.
Dr Vargo is extremely competent and explained everything very well.
I cant say enough about Dr Vargo. He is extremely caring and informative!