James Madura Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

Very firm and direct. TO THE POINT!!! My impression only got better of Dr. Madurea. He is a wonderful man! His office staff is not exactly friendly at times. He has a manager named Mary Kraus. She is a wonderful - amazing woman. She answers any and all questions you may have and takes time to listen. The receptionists are not that friendly and at times are rude, but NEVER allow that to dissuade you from going to see Dr. Madura. He is in a league of his own and KNOWS wqhat he is doing. You will NOT find a better surgeon! Before surgery he is very detailed and narrative in addressing all the risks and all of the possitives. His follow up after surgery is even MORE appreciated. Hefollows through with EVERY deteail he promises and all he asks in return is for you to do the same! In all, I would have to put Dr. J. Madura at the highest level possible. He does not just treat you as a "number," but a patient and human being, as well!!!

My first impression of Dr Madura was great. He saw me in the hallway as he was entering a room to see another patient. He said hello, shook my hand and said he was looking forward to seeing me and would be with me shortly. Most would have just walked on by. My impression has remained good. I have a great deal of respect for him. He was very clear from the first visit as to what the risks are. He makes no promises of sucess and is very blunt about telling you to have your affairs in order in case things don't go well. He made me feel very at ease because I was one of his lighter clients. He has a great sense of humor and a little levity always help ease tension. I would have to say his bed side manner is great and hopefully so was his surgical skill. I apprecated his honesty when I woke up with a drain I wasn't expecting to have. When I asked him why, he very clearly told me that he had nicked my liver with a retractor and although he fixed the problem, he was being cautious with the drain. I don't think many surgeons would have been that honest. I have had no problems to date (2 months post op). Dr Madura does not have a structured aftercare program, but is very clear about his expecting you to keep follow up appointments with him. His right hand person is Samantha, she is very pleasant and competant but also very busy. As for the reception staff, I wasn't impressed. They just appear to be herding cattle through the place. My overall experience with him and his staff has been positive.

I really liked the way Dr. Madura handles surgery. He is always willing to listen and answer questions. His staff if very available and always follows up. They do have an extremely busy office so plan to wait for an evaluation. All benefits and risks of surgery were discussed. He also has a wonderful bedside manner. As a registered nurse I would rate him very highly overall.

My only negative experience was during my initial evaluation he obviously had a very stressful day and he seemed quite annoyed. After that he did have a completely different attitude!

**I was very impressed with Dr. James Madura. He reviewed my file, and discussed the test results, answering all the questions I had regarding my health status, co-morbidities, and how they will effect my surgery. Dr. M went so far as to draw pictures and utilize anything in the office to describe and demonstrate how the surgical procedures would be done. He stated he would consult with other doctors and surgeons at Rush regarding some of my specific health concerns. He was very up front and honest about all risks I would face. He answered all my questions, and spent all the time I needed to address my concerns.
**The Staff was wonderful. They were very accomodating in finding seating for me when their waiting room was filled. Dr. M's nurse, "Samantha" is an 'Angel'. From the first time I spoke with her on the phone, through giving me my surgical date, she has gone above and beyond to make my journey through the appointments and tests, etc., a very smooth one. Samantha also gave me as much time as I needed, to answer my questions and take my phone calls.
** I am Pre-Op, so I will update this after my surgery.
**They have an aftercare follow up with visits with the surgeon at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months, and annually thereafter. We are required to have one consult with their nutritionist. We can request further visits if we wish (I do wish we were required to see the nutritionist at east follow up visit). Rush also has a Support Group that meets monthly. I attended one meeting, met many patients of Dr. M. All reported very positive experiences with Dr. M. and Rush.
** I am Pre-Op, so I will update this after my surgery regarding the other issues.

His office staff is very nice.

He is very nice and actually has a personality and sesne of humor, which I understand is a rarity among surgeons.

He is very thorough in his preop evaluations.

He is forming a better support group now. His original group was somewhat lacking in structure.

He is quite frank and does let you know that this can go without a problem but you also have the chance of dieing, as with any other surgery. Very straightforward about the risks and benefits.

Overall, I would rate him and his staff excellent, on preop, sugical, and postop care and so-so at this point but improving on the support group part.

I was very impressed with Dr. Madura on my first visit. He took the time to explain to me about the surgery. He explained all the risks that goes along. He also drew pictures. He came highly recommended by my sister in law. I feel confident with Dr Madura doing my surgery. He even replies to my emails!

I saw Dr. Madura on 10/13/03. I was orginally scheduled fot surgery on 10/06/03 with Dr. Frantzides. I won't say anything else about that. Lets just say that I got a different feeling with Dr. Madura. He is very warm and nice. Not cocky at all. He assured me that he was not moving and that my surgery won't be cancelled again. He is going to squeeze me in due to reason that bought me to him. I just have to complete a psychiatric evaluation and see his dietician. I don't mind doing these extra things. He wants to know that everything is going to be ok before and after surgery. He does seem like he cares for his patients. And he took his time to talk with me. I didn't feel rushed at all. He was worth the wait. I have faith in him and I am confident that he will get me where I need to be. On a scale from one to ten he is a 8. He didn't get a ten because nobody is perfect. Also he has a assistant named Samantha. She is GREAT!!! She is warm and fuzzy. She makes me feel like I am important and I definately did not feel rushed at all. She is very very busy, but although she is busy she still takes time out to talk to the patients. I had a very POSITIVE experience this time. I know that I gave Dr. Madura a 10. But together him and Sam is way beyond that. They are great and I would reccomend them to anyone!!

I have not met him yet. But I am a former Patient of Dr. Franztzides. I am grateful that Dr. Madura's staff is trying to make this an easy transition for me. I was very upset when I found out that Dr. Fran. left.

My first impression of Dr. Madura was that maybe he would judge me, but he was extremely kind and understanding. He listened to my complaints and reasons why I NEEDED this surgery and he was very accommodating to what I wanted.
He is very good at responding back to my e-mails when I do e-mail him, and I am surprised given the amount of patients that he sees on a daily basis.

Dr. Madura is absolutely fabulous! He has a wonderful bedside manner and unlike other surgeons I actually got to see him on all my visits. His office staff is great and very receptive to all your questions and concerns. He takes the time to answer your questions and I was impressed that he insisted that a family or friend accompany me to my final visit pre-op to assure I had a support network. He was very up-front regarding all risks and even candid on how successful he had been with past patients. Although, he doesnt seem to have a structured aftercare program, he gives you the tools you need to continue on a lifelong path to better health. It is up to you how you use those tools. There are support groups for his patients to attend post-op and gain additional knowledge on follow-up. Both his surgical competence (I havent had any problems that I know of yet...lol) and his bedside manner are equally exceptional. Thanks Dr. Madura!!!!