James Balliro Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

Dr. Balliro is very professional and cuts right to the chase about everything. He is an excellent surgeon and I recommend him to anyone looking to have this surgery done. The program he has you follow is very defined and from my results, well researched and implemented for all his patients.

GREAT SURGEON! I WOULD USE HIM AGAIN FOR ANY SURGERY I NEEDED.

Great Surgeon

My initial impression of Dr. Balliro is that he is very confident in his competency as a surgeon. He gave me the facts of the surgery, answered any questions I had, and told me I'd be an excellent candidate for surgery in his capable hands. He was not cocky, only confident in his abilities. I left his office knowing that I wanted this man to perform my WLS.

Dr. B is very serious and down-to-it. He does a lot of surgeries, not just WLS, so he isn't prone to chit-chat.

He is a good and caring doc, if a bit serious. But who wants a clown for a doc?

his office staff is awesome. Laura and Katie know their stufff!

Don't let his nature put you off. do you want someone who is a joker or a good surgeon?

After care is essential. Don't sign up if you don't plan to follow-through. Lynn, the nutritionist, is always rushed but she has good info. You decide whether it's worth $350.

Surgical risks were stressed, as was pre-op education, including visual aids.

Overall, I'd give him an 8.5 our of 10.

Dr. B definitely gets more points for competence than bedside manner. But I didn't hire him to hang out by my bed.

He was a very nice, caring Dr. and he also makes sure that you understand everything that there is to know about what you will be under going.
My impression of him has not changed any.
They are all very nice people, and answer any questions that you might have.
I liked everything about him, and his staff.

This guy is very matter-of-fact and down to business. I like that in a surgeon. His staff was a little aloof and unfriendly, but as long as they did their best medically, that is all I care about. He does a lot of these procedures and was willing to try it laparoscopically before cutting me open. I have 99.9% trust in him. ( I never trust 100%) They have a great focus on after-care and nutrition. (Though my sister saw him in the cafeteria between surgery grabbing a quick donut, rather than a nutritious snack. I thought that was kind of funny) Dr. Balliro's surgical competence was much more important to me than his bedside manner; I would rather be alive, healthy and have him be gruff and deadpan, rather than have him be a great conversationalist at my funeral!!!! Anyway, he did make a little joke on the day I was going home; maybe he is just a little shy until he get's to know you inside and out. (Groan!Sorry about that one)One really great thing that he does to ensure your health is a barium swallow to check for leaks after the surgery. It is nasty stuff, but worth it for the peace of mind. And that is excellent medical care in my opinion.

I had heard DrB was abrupt, curt...distant. I didn't find him that way at all. I guess it WAS good to learn that his eye contact isn't the best, because then when it happened, I wasn't put off by the fact that he rarely LOOKS at you when speaking. He does look now and again. It's not that big a deal.

Yes, he was all business, but that's what I wanted. Someone who is experienced (1500+ performed - the first to do Lap RNY in Fl) and with an excellent record of successes. He is funny, with a dry sense of humor... very professional.

I had my consult with him on 4/16 and was notified of approval on 4/27! Tomorrow, I'll learn when my surgery date will be.... for Lap RNY, we hope.

So far - PERFECT.

Office staff are another story. One has had the surgery and has SUCH a sour attitude, I think she needs attitude correction surgery now! She puts me and most people on edge because she is such a negative, snarly kinda person - seems to be perpetually upset.

Surgery date is now scheduled for July 9, 2001. Seems so far away....
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June 30th - 8 days and a wake up until I cross over to the other side.
Relationship with DrB aka Hands continues to be positive. When I saw him in June I asked him to leave me less of a common channel than he normally does on women my age. He didn't promise anything, but said he would consider my request. I'll be reminding him again before we go into surgery. He is on vacation right now, resting up, I hope!

So far, no reason to doubt my faith in him.

All systems go - more or less.
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July 24, 15 days Post-Op -
DrB still gets my vote. Only problem I'm having is some pain and burning that just started in the pouch and nearby whatevers. I have my first post-op with him tomorrow and am concerned about this change for the worse. DrB is available to me and other post-ops by page and answering service. I feel I can get to him if I need to. I believe he is a highly qualified surgeon that I would recommend to anyone. Personally, just my opinion, but his front line folks still need some training in positive, quality customer service. I don't know if others feel this way, but so far, I don't have lots of warm fuzzies related to his office staff.

Dr. Balliro has a reputation for not having a great "bed side manner", so I was prepared for the worst. But I am happy to report that I enjoyed meeting him and talking with him.
He has a very very dry sense of humor and has a "cut to the chase" method. He explained the procedure in detail and answered all of my questions.

He expressed concern that so many patients are non-compliant about something -- what they eat, vitamins, exercise, water... He said his revised handbook tried to address this problem -- he is emphasizing that this surgery involves a lifetime committment.

I asked about potential for reversal: he said "We do not reverse this surgery just because you decide that you want to eat more." Blunt & to the point.

He recommended that I sign up to work with his on-staff nutritionist. I have been told that my insurance (BC/BS) does not pay for this and that is about $300. I plan to do this.

He is not a person to emphathize about the burdens of fatness, but as my psychologist said she wouldn't want me to her surgery and I shouldn't expect him to be a great listener.

He talked a lot about aftercare and his handbok spends a lot of pages on that. He is committed to doing the operation as a LAP, if at all possible.

His office staff seem harried.

One of the had the surgery and shared some of her experiences with me. She looks great and had very positive things to say about the surgery. They seemed very knowledgable about the insurance approval process.

The chairs in the waiting room are on the small size to accomodate people of size.

I have been emailing back and forth with Dr. Balliro and he has been especially helpful. I am considering traveling from Idaho to his new Wyoming facility in September if I can get insurance approval by then. He has been very informative and responsive to my questions. The Wy facility is brand new and sounds great. I'll keep ya updated.
Carissa