John Balfour Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

In my opinion, John Balfour is a very sensitive doctor; he knows the reason you are there and he is very supportive in both the physical and emotional sides of the surgery. On follow-up appointments, he is always VERY positive and he is always happy with my results! rnrnHe is the only surgeon I have ever had, but I am glad that he is the one that I had because he explained everything thoroughly, had the knowlege and experience and the kindness that you don't see in a lot of health care professionals these days. I only can thank him from the bottom of my heart for helping me to achieve health.rnrnI didn't spend a lot of time with Dr. Balfour, but he it seemed he is very down to earth and I like that...

It was a brief moment but he was very direct and to-the-point. It really looked like he was concerned and wanted to make sure every step was taken so that the surgery was a success during and after. I'm in a group therapy type of program called Ai'Pono which he sends his patients to. In Ai'Pono we address our eating habits and why we have them, what foods we need to eat, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I personally believe I would benefit from. Ultimately this is supposed to help insure the success of the surgery; especially since most of our eating disorders stem from some sort of psychological issue, anyhow. This makes it damn hard because you need to attend thie group for 8 weeks before the surgery and lose 50 or so pounds. But I can understand what he's trying to do and I can respect that.

This man is wonderful. He has changed my life and the lives of so many others. He has been doing Gastric Bypass for 25 years. His nurse Linda has been with him the entire time. I have never been to a doctors office that the stafff was so nice. Mahalo Dr. Balfour your and angel.

Very professional. He is very knowledgeable and caring. Very friendly and efficient staff. At first he seemed abrupt. He keeps close watch on his patients post op.Yes, I see him atleast every six months for the first two years. He was open and honest about the risk, truthful. Excellent doctor, knows his stuff. Surgical competence, you can live without bedside manner, but he has both.

i liked him immediately. he's very professional. he has been able to answer any questions i have or refer me to someone who can. i am involved in the medical community myself and he has been highly recommended by everyone i know. he has a pre and post care program but my military insurance did not cover it. i believe it's called ai pono and it's very comprehensive, covering the psychological as much as the physical aspects of the wls. :-( i have found him and his support staff to be wonderful, competent people. and he has hot residents working with him. ;-) the only complaint i have is that it took 10 months to get an intake appt and then surgery wasn't until 9 months after that. i don't know if others are having to wait this long but i am hearing reports of a minimum wait of 1 year between intake and surgery.

I was leary, but in retrospect, I think it was because of the enormity of the circumstance, not because of Dr. Balfour himself. I have found him and his staff to be phenomenal. It seems so understated to me, but they are. They have been patient with my personal situation and all my calls and extremely accomodating in all aspects of this walk I am now taking. They continue to be a benefit and positive influence. Everytime I call there for anything, whoever answers asks how I am doing and if there is anything they can do to help make things more comfortable. I think the thing I liked least was the initial appointment I had. There was a student or intern in the office with us (Straub is a teaching hospital). I am very uncomfortable with more people than necessary at any medical appointment I have, but I have come to realize that Dr. Balfour is an excellent surgeon and for him to want to impart his knowledge and experience to a younger generation and I am a part of that, then I am a small part of medical advancement and someone will benefit in the future - maybe someone from my family. He is matter-of-fact. He calls it like he sees it, but he just wants to make you aware of this very large leap you are taking and that there are no misunderstandings. And he doesn't want you to be blind when you do and he wants you to know he will catch you if you do fall. He is not pushy. He gave us all of our information and said "Go home; discuss it; research it and make sure it is right for you and what you want to do. Then call me back." His emphasis on post-op care is strong. He really pushes you to get to the post op appointments with him as well as his nutritional staff so you can be in the very best position possible as you journey down this road. He has a very structured post-op care program and makes you aware before hand and sends you home with a schedule on the appointments you need to keep and where. The only thing he does not do for you is make the appointments. The only one he will make for you is the initial post op (2 weeks). After that, he gives you the tools and expects that you will be responsible enough to call and schedule to fit your needs. As for the risks - he made no bones that it was a 'big' surgery. He addressed the risks and answered all the questions my husband and I had as well. He wants you informed. 100% Awesome doctor. He lives by the 'First do no harm." oath he took. Your good health, safety, comfort - all of these are important to him. I would have to say he is both surgically competent and has a great bedside manner. He was very easy to ask questions of. He was not condescending. He was polite and personable to BOTH me and my husband. And didn't treat me like I had a disease that was contagious because I am overweight, as many people are wont to do. But that it is a medical issue that needs to be addressed and cared for and together we can tackle it.

He is a very nice guy and very supportive. He is also connected with a Dietitian who is so active and always willing to listen and help out.

Dr. Balfour is a great Dr. I had no problems with him whatsoever. It took along time to just get a consult with him, cause he has such a long waiting list. But once I got my consult with him he agreed that I was a good candidate for the surgery. It only took me 5 months after I first saw him to have my surgery. His staff is very nice and very helpful. His nurse Linda was great. I loved her to death. She as always very helpful and reassuring that everything was going to turn out fine. The only thing I didn't like about seeing Dr. Balfour was the fact that you never got in on time to see him. He was always running late, and when you did see him, you were only with him for like 5 minutes before you felt like you were being pushed out the door. You have to be quick with him. The aftercare program isnt all that great. They dont have support groups or anything. The suggest you go to the dietician but thats about all. Dr. Balfour did explain the risks of the surgery, but that Dr, had done over 800 surgeries and he made me feel very safe. I highly recommend seeing Dr. Balfour and his staff. There a bunch of great people.

A Professional,good doctor, warm and easy to talk to. My impression did not change yet of Dr, Balfour. His staff is excellent. Very encouraging, understanding and helpful. Right now I have not found anything to dislike about Dr. Balfour or his staff. He is very helful, knowledgeable and wants what is best for the patient. He emphasizes alittle but one of the requirements before you are scheduled for the surgery is to go throught the Ai Pono 6 week class. Everything is discussed throughly in these classes

Dr. balfour is fantastic, he is very knowledgeable and very very concerned for his patients. I feel comfortable, and very confident that he knows what he is doing and I am excited I was referred to him and his staff, they are all fantastic. And on a personal note, Linda the Coordinator, is probably the sweetest person to deal with. She is very helpful and supportive as all coordinators should be, but she goes that step beyond. GREAT STAFF!!!!.