UMC Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Center

I can not say enough about how awesome Dr. John W Baker was. My first impression of him was, he is black and white. There are no grey areas with him. His office staff were so great, I felt like I was part of the family. Future patients of Dr. Baker should know, he is really caring, and also firm. He does not want you to disrespect this surgery. The aftercare was exactly what I expected, very caring and also very strict. Walking and eating very healthy. I am so glad I have Dr. Baker on my side. He wants you to be successful!

HE IS A GREAT DOCTOR!!!! HIS OFFICE STAFF IS ALSO GREAT. HIS OFFICE MANAGER ACTUALLY HAD STOMACH SURGERY. HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME WITH ME. I WOULD USE NOONE ELSE!!!!!

My first impression of Dr. B was \"wow!!!\" He was so caring, so thorough, never downed me or talked down to me. He has a great sense of humor, and in my opinion, there is no one else to use. He has the worlds greatest office staff, they all made me and my husband feel like family while we were there. SSSSSOOOOOOOOOO awesome, I love Becky, Christie, and Cortney!!!rnHe is very strict on aftercare, and doing exactly what he says to do. If you dont, there will be problems, then there are more things that have to be dealt with that if you just do what he says, all is good. He was very thorough with what he wanted done after surgery. rnOverall, I think this man must walk on water out there somewhere, he is absolutely awesome in every way possible, his surgical competence is the greatest, and his bedside manner is wonderful, not only with his patients but to their family as well.

I was very impressed the first time I visited with Dr. Baker and continue to be very impressed through my Post Op visits. He tells his new patients that he is there for them the rest of their life. He is very straight forward and if you have any doubts about to have the surgery or not then he will tell you that it might not be the right time. He holds a seminar prior to surgery and he explains all of the risks involved and you have plenty of opportunity to ask questions. I rate him as the best in the nation and the world. His surgical competence and bedside manner is great.

Dr. Baker is an awsome bariactric surgeon. I have heard several sucessful stories. His staff is wonderful and extremely busy. But I was weel taken care of. He accepts no excuses for not exercising. He is very concerned with eating properly. You are given tons of info, but it is up to you to make the right choices. I would reccommend Dr. Baker to anyone.

My first impression of him was at the seminar. He gave every bit of small detail pros and cons regarding the surgery. He wasn't really sociable but he wasn't trying to \"sell\" me on the surgery either. I think this doctor only wants people who are serious about making a life change. He doesn't want people who are not fed up and just looking for a quick fix. I met him in my consult last week and he told me every possible outcome pros and cons. The office staff are very hard to contact. The reason for this is that they have so much stuff to do in one day for so many people needing their help. They try to divide their time equally, and I have dealt with them after clinic hours trying to get all of my requirements in early. I met them and they are just as nice and friendly as can be. Not stuck up at all! After care is emphazied and beaten into your brain! They are truly concerened with you achieving the results in a healthy way. Dr Baker has Bedside manner ladies, I have had drs talking about having sex wtih their patients..thats unprofessional. Dr Baker has manners, He is very kind, and just because he tells you what you don't want to hear doesn't indicate he doesn't have bedside manners. He just may be a little straightforward and wants to make sure that this is the correct weightloss surgery for you and that you are dedicated. I think he is able to be very competent as well. In one sentence, this doctor truly cares about you and doesn't want to see you pay for something that you are not going to follow thru with.

My first impression of Dr.Baker was that he was a very caring person and honest person and he was eager to help you do the right thing. He was very nice and he answered all of my questions. He was there everyday that I was in the hospital and he never said anything to discourage me.,but you must do as he says cause if you fail its cause you didnt listen . Everything he said was very important in the whole process.My impression has never changed and it probely will never change. His office staff are the greatest,if it were not for them I wouldnt of known how to do anything they practically held my had every step of the way with the paper work and the tests and even after my surgery they were there and still are.I have had people say he is mean and a hard butt so to say but when I met him I didnt see the meaness--just pay attention and if you are serious about this big step then things will be just fine he truly cares about his patients. I had to go see him 3 weeks after surgery,3 months,then 6 months ,year and then after that it is every year for the rest of your life. He told me everything that could go right and wrong with the surgery right down to the smallest things.I rate him a 10!! His bedside manner and competence are both great!! I could not of picked a better doctor to help me start to have a better life a \"Second Chance\".

My first impression of Dr. Baker was that he is a very caring man. He wants to make sure that you understand this is a life changing surgery and it's a life time commitment.rnrnAfter my surgery, I have continued to grow in my admiration and respect for Dr. Baker. He does all he can to make sure his patients succeed.rnrnHis staff is nice too. They seem to care about the patients and want to do everything possible to help them in this journey.rnrnDr. Baker is very upfront about his surgeries and the successes and failures (whether his or the patient). He discloses all serious complications and deaths during his more than 14 years of practice.rnrnHe has been quick to follow up when I have had questions or issues that I needed to discuss with him. rnrnI would rate him as an excellent surgeon!

Dr. Baker and his staff are absolutely wonderful. I could not ask for better care or a more competent staff. He truly cares about his patients' success.

My first impression of Dr. Baker is that he is one tough cookie. Thankfully, I had done a lot of research and reading prior to my initial consult, so I knew that going in. He requires that you follow \"Baker's Bypass Rules\" and that's probably why he has a lot of success stories. When you have your one-on-one consult, you can tell that Dr. Baker means business - he maintains good eye contact and sits close to you the whole time. He asks frank, pointed questions to assess whether or not you are serious about the surgery and willing to comply with the many changes it will bring. He has a very structured after care plan with a voluminous \"manual\" that you must follow, which includes what you can and can't eat, and tips on post-op self-care. He requires that you attend 4 support group meetings in the first year, and depending on the procedure you have, you must follow-up with him three or four times in the first year as well. What I love about Dr. Baker is that he uses \"stomal reinforcement\" (strengthening the anastomosis between the pouch and intestinal opening) with the patient's abdominal muscle tissue or synthetic (pig) membranes, which reduces the risk of the stoma stretching. I have not heard of many other doctors doing that, but it makes perfect sense looking at the long term...the whole 'stitch in time saves nine' menality. But Dr. Baker does NOT sugar coat anything for anyone - he lays the risks right out there in front of you, to the point that you almost feel like he's trying to talk you out of the surgery. He wants you to be completely informed when making this huge life decision. I really don't believe that this is about money to him - this guy seems to be in the business of saving and improving lives. Dr. Baker's office staff are wonderful as well. They're very efficient, kind, and caring. They're like WLS cheerleaders - you really feel like they are excited for you, too. I have dealt with Christy and Becky the most and they are fabulous women...he is lucky to have them, in my opinion. They do everything that they can to facilitate your needs, and really treat each patient like a first-class citizen. As far as I can see, Dr. Baker's practice is overall a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. I personally would choose no other surgeon, in Arkansas or otherwise, to perform my surgery.