R. Walker Byars Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

First impression of Dr Byars was great. He asked questions and listened to what I had to say. He covered everything regarding the surgery, pre and post op, possible complications, etc. I look forward to having him as my surgeon.

Dr. Walker Byars was very informative and really explained the LapBand procedure to me. I have heard alot of great things about Dr. Byars and his partner, Dr. King. I will have my surgery at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford, MS. I am glad that I'm going to have my surgery there instead of Memphis or Jackson.

Dr. Byars had a very helpful office staff. They were all very friendly and made me feel comfortable. Dr. Byars told me the pros and cons of LapBand surgery and we discussed my case and I am set up for surgery on Nov. 8, 2004. I was told by Dr. Byars and his staff that aftercare was very important. My overall impression of Dr. Byars on a scale from 1-10 is a 10.

My surgeon will be Dr. R. Walker Byars, from Oxford Mississippi, Not Oxford Tennessee (Typo in one of the OH websites).

My first impression of Dr. Byars:
The first time I visited the office, Dr. Byars seemed like most doctors; straight to the point, short and sweet. I thought he was relatively young looking, which made me kick myself in the pants on my way home. All I could think is that he would have been one of my college classmates if I had done the things I should have done when I was growing up.

How did my impression change over time?:
Well, the next visit with Dr. Byars was to have an EGD and a vena cava filter implanted.
They have to do this via your groin... Somehow, I held these parts very private, and I never expected to see myself lying naked on a table with my crotch on display....under a million candle watt bulbs no less... but I really started to feel more comfortable when he made a funny joke about things I said while I was sedated for the EGD. AND...he gave me pictures of my guts. Thats a gift no one else has ever given me. My new impression? Two brownie points so far.

How would I describe Dr. Byars' office staff:
These people are wonderful. Aside from a minor scheduling misunderstanding, everyone in the office staff is very attentive. Every time I have called the office to ask a question, they have either given me an answer on the phone immediately, or they call me back as soon as they have found an answer.

What did I like least about Dr. Byars:
The one, most upsetting thing about my visits with Dr. Byars has been knowing that the patient before my EGD just had a colonoscopy.

What should future patients know about him/her?
Try to schedule your EGD before the colonoscopies!

How much does he/she emphasize aftercare?
Well of course he does. Ive never met a doctor that would perform major invasive surgery on someone and then never follow up on the patient.

Does he/she have a structured aftercare program?
I believe the answer to this is yes. At first, he doesnt give you much information as to what you will be doing after surgery (other than walking, following the diet, aftercare, etc) until after youve had surgery. Every patient is different, so I suppose he waits to tweek his aftercare program until he knows exactly how youre progressing.

How did he/she address the risks of surgery?
Well, he told me frankly that every surgery carries risks, and I already knew that this one carries an exceptionally high risk.

How would you rate him/her overall?
So far, I feel very confident in his care. Even though I like to plan ahead for things, I like the way he sets everything into a "make the right choice when the right time comes" kind of perspective. I havent had surgery yet, so this is only my summary thus far.

Which is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or both?
Well, technically speaking...when it comes down to it, surgical competence weighs heavier than bedside manner... but a good bedside manner ABSOLUTELY makes all the difference in the world when it comes to positive results.... even if those results are simply a more comfortable death. I dont believe a doctors job is to prolong life, but to help make the life that one has left..a good, quality life. A good bedside manner is sort of like the psychological and emotional stitches a patient needs to heal completely.... Smiles heal hearts and minds, ya know?

The first time I saw and met Dr. Byars was at a seminar held in Oxford, MS in February 2003. I thought I don't know that I want such a young doctor operating on me. Well...sure enough, he was the one to do it! I could not have asked for anyone to be so caring, patient, and understanding with me! I had so many questions to ask him, and he so patiently answered them all....along with questions from my mother! Every time I have been for a check-up since my surgery, he has taken the time to really listen to me and to answer questions! This man truly saved my life! The office staff -- what can I say? THEY ARE WONDERFUL....all the nurses and people behind the scenes I have grown to truly love! I would definitely recommend Dr. Byars and his entire staff to anyone who is looking to have this surgery! He is an angel!!!

My first impression of Dr. Byars was a good one. The first meeting was short because he was called to an emergency. I was pleased to find out that we both graduated from Delta State University, of course several years apart. I was impressed with his staff. They were extreemly nice. My impression of him has gotten better. When we were not able to spend much office time talking because of an emergency he actually called me to see if I had any questions about the surgery or EGD. I only asked him for pictures of my stomach and small intestine. He made sure to take plenty of pictures and gave them to me. He also described to pictures to me. He was really sweet and gentle.
He described the risks of the surgery very throughly. We talked about the vena cava filter but decided against it. We figured it would cause more harm than good. He is a bright intelligent doctor and would recommend him to everone I know. If I need another surgery for any reason he will be the first choice.
I rate him an A. He does tend to speak in medical terms more often and that can be a bit confusing.

My first impression of Dr. Byars (aside from being YOUNG and CUTE) was that he was very informative and very thorough.

Dr. Byars was very attentive and listened as I spoke. He wanted to make sure that I was informed on every level of the surgery. I know that he will be a good choice surgeon for me.

His staff was very friendly and helpful.

Dr. Byars went over the surgery procedure with me and told me of all the things I would need prior to surgery. He also told me that they had done thousands of these surgeries and had the Before and After books to prove it.

I can't wait to be under his care after my surgery.

I can't say more nice things about Dr. Byars. I absolutely adore the man. He came to visit me twice in the hospital and his colleague came during the weekend. He is very knowledgable and professional.

Baptist Hospital staff was fantastic. The nurses there were so terrific. I was never treated any way other than kindly. Viola was the nurse who had to get me out of the bed and walk. She was harsh but I loved her and miss seeing her. I couldn't have asked for better care from a hospital.