Michael Barker Bariatric Surgeon

What can I say about Dr Barker, I will first say that I am truly upset that he is currently away on assignment and I have to be followed up by his colleague that I am not happy with at all. He is a VERY knowledgeable person, is kind, hard working and will not stop till he knows you are healthy. Not only did he do my RNY but he saved my life from a bile leak from my gall bladder. In the beginning I was not too sure about him, he is straight and narrow but the man knows his stuff. I noticed after the surgery itself he loosened up a bit more, I loved the fact that he never set a "goal" weight but told me to strive for a healthy BMI. Would I recommend him to someone, Yes and in fact I do everytime I talk about my surgery. Now to figure a way to get rid of the surgeon I have now, really dont like her at all, but that is for another post.

I had my first appt with Dr. Barker on October 22nd, & it went great! I was taken back to the examination room pretty quickly, after height & weight measurements, but there was quite a wait once I got into the room. About an hour, so make sure you have plenty of time for this type of visit. It was well worth the wait, though. After waiting a month to go to the appointment, I think I would've waited all day if I had to. lol. Everyone says he's so serious, but he smiled & acted like a normal person(a very smart normal person. lol). He talks quickly, but I had no problem keeping up. He is very professional, & answered all my questions thoroughly(I had a lot). There was even a student with him during the visit & he was teaching him as we went through the appointment. He was very supportive of my choice to have RNY instead of the band or other types of WLS. Thankfully I don't have many health problems aside from being overweight, so after discussing my lab results, EKG, & chest x-ray, & explaining everything, he answered all my questions, & told me to come back after seeing the nutritionist & health psychologist. He said he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't be approved. I have my psych appt on November 15th, & my nutritionist appt on November 16th, so the process is going much faster than I expected. He said I will only see him two more times before surgery. Once, after I'm approved at the psych & nut. appts, to get my final approval & a surgery date, & then again in four weeks to discuss the two week pre-op diet. I was surprised to learn about the pre-op diet, though. He said two weeks of clear, calorie-free liquids. So basically..water. lol. I'm kind of scared of that, but I know I can do it if I set my mind to it. Overall, he was very friendly & informational, & got me out of there fairly quickly. Can't wait to have my next appt with him! If you have this doctor you are VERY lucky! Everyone who I've talked to, who has had him for WLS has said that he is an amazing doctor, & he does loosen up during post-op. I've heard he's the strictest in the practice, but gets the best results.. :o)

My first impression was that he was a toughie, and this did not change the further I went through the process and surgery. He has not softened that much now since I am post op, but he seems to have more answers and really seems to listen to what I have to say.
He has not changed that much over time, but I am glad of that. He is known to have very good results and because of this, I am glad I had him as a surgeon. I don't want to be patted on the back for every 10 lbs I lose, I want a doc to push me more.
I liked the staff-and although it is a military hospital, the staff seems to understand the sensitive nature of this surgery, and are willing to talk to you about it.
I really didn't have anything that I disliked about him, other than it seemed like he was always in a hurry. But I understand he only has a few minutes per pt, and that is fine.
After care is a very big thing-and so is the aftercare program. He has a very structured aftercare program-which is good, but good luck having the appointments on the correct date-there seems to be a lot of appointments and although the appointments are set by a bariatric nurse, its a lot of trouble getting them to answer the phone.
Dr. Barker really talked to me about the risks of each type of surgery he performs, and because of this, I was able to decide very easily about what surgery I wanted.
I would rate Dr. Barker at a 9.5-the rating being dropped because he was always in such a hurry. His bedside manner was great-but I hardly ever saw him-because he was SO busy, which is understandable. He did great on my surgery, but I am newly post op, so it seems a little early to really rate the surgical aspect of it.

At first I wasn't sure about him because he is so different from everyone else. That ending up being a good thing. After surgery, he seems to have losen up. I really like him. He just wants you to achieve the best results that you can have.

Dr Barker is awesome!!! He didn't mess around and always made me feel like I was important. He checked on me quite a bit and made sure I had everything I needed!! I would recommend him to everyone!!! Thanks Dr. Barker for giving me a second chance to a healthier life!!!

Dr Barker is compassionate and stern. He has a plan to gain the best possible outcome and I think he is the bomb!!! rnHis office staff is fabulous and very client friendly. They have all made me feel comfortable and are there if you need them. All patients should know he wants to make sure you are in the right frame of mind to have this procedure and he is very strict on his guidelines. rnHe has extensive follow up for two years, and has a great aftercare program for you to follow.rnWe talked about the risks of surgery but I personally did not want to talk about adverse outcomes too much. We talked about the lap band and when he said it was reversible i told him I have had reversable all of my life so RNY it is. I had great confidence in his abilities.rnI would give him a 9 out of ten overall not to say he does not deserve a ten but none of us walk on water.

He's actually in Portsmouth, VA not MA. LOL! Nice guy. Good bedside manner. Very forthright. Extreme compared to the other docs in the practice but he has an excellent success rate.

Dr. Barker is very professional, competent and has a great bed side manner. The office staff at his office is very helpful any time you call or have a question. Dr. Barker is very helpful when it comes to asking questions about aftercare. The web site that is offered to the patients after surgery is a BIG help. It really helps you keep everything in order so you can achieve your goal with ease. You can't go wrong with Dr. Barker! He has been doing this for many years and has had a lot of successful patients. Just listen to his instructions, go to your fills and watch what you eat. It's simple really!