David Kim Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

I love Dr. Kim. He and his assistant, Greg, are awesome, very caring and attentive....everything you could possibly need in a surgen!!

I first saw Dr. Kim at the seminar in September, 2004. He seemed very knowlegable, and confident in his bariatric program. Dr. Kim is very low-key, not really a joking type of doctor. He's very kind and caring in his quiet sort of way. He is honest with your expectations and will tell you exactly what you're doing right/wrong.

His office staff seems to be great. Pam (the program coordinator) seems to be everywhere, all the time. She visited me in the hospital (much appreciated) and took over the application process with the insurance.

The aftercare program is a major part of the program. Dr. Kim strongly urges you to attend the support group. The support group meets every month, and seemed to be more like a family reunion than a Weight Loss Surgery support group. I immediately felt like a long lost family member.

The risks were explained to me clearly, several times. My view was that the risks of remaining obese outweighed the risks of surgery.

I would rate Dr. Kim a 10 out of 10 in surgical competence (NO problems post-op) and a 9 out of 10 in bedside manner. I wanted a little "hand-holding" and Dr. Kim just isn't the hand-holding type of doctor. However, Dr. Kim knows what he's doing, and to me, that's more important. My husband held my hand and I was happy.

Dr. Kim is soft spoken. He is very knowledgable and straignt forward. I wish he would spend more time with his patients. My visits from him in the hospital and office visit after surgery was very brief. I felt as if he rushed through my Dr/patient time. Even with this said I have no complaints about Dr. Kim. He did a great job with my surgery. The nurses in the Bariactric unit in North Hills Hospital were the best. I love each one of them. They are specially trained for the Bariactric unit. They were awesome. Pam, Dr.Kim's coordinator/RN is wonderful. She is very helpful and always returning calls. I really appreciated Pam throughout this whole process. I would recomment Dr. Kim to others who are looking into the surgery.

Dr. Kim and his stakk were fantastic. They were so supportive and caring. They made me feel very safe in their ability to not only successfully perform my surgery, but in the overall outcome of my life.

My first impression of him was... I thought he was a nice guy that knew what he was talking about. Each time I go in to see him, I like him more and more. He is laid back and he treats you like a person, not a paycheck. His staff is awesome!!! They are very personable and help you in any way that they can. If there is anyway that you can see Dr. Kim (even if you have to travel), you need to go to him. He addresses all of the risks during your initial consult and tells you to really think about your decision and weigh all of you options before making your final choice. Dr. Kim is an extraordinary doctor and on a scale of 1-10... I would rate him a 12!!!

My first impressions of Dr Kim was at the first seminar I went to. He was very infact and up front about the surgery. He told it like it is, but in turn made me seem like it would be a positive and safe thing. He was a very caring and safe physician. He would not release me until I was 100%, He is a good and caring physician and his staff is the best!!!!!I would rate him and his staff especially Pam his coordinator a 11.

Dr. Kim is a wonderful man. He answered all of my questions. He cares alot about his patients and seems like a friend instead of a Dr. From a 1 and 10 I would give Dr. Kim a 25 he is great if you get the chance to meet him you will not be sorry.

my first impression of dr. kim was complete shock. he treated everone at his seminar like a normal person. never did i feel he was looking at anyone as if they were beneath him because he was thinner. i felt a great vibe from him and his staff. i've been dealing with dr. kim for about 6 month now, and evertime i see or hear from him or his staff, its great. there really isn't anything i don't like about dr. kim. he's a wonderful man who is helping people regain life. dr kim is big on the support gruops and after visits. he says he wants his patients to get the most out of the surgery. he told me all the risks of the surgery, but also told me the risks of being obese. i felt the surgery risks definately we in my favor more that the weight. he is most of all my lifesaver. he is going to make me a new woman .

My first impression was that he was going to be a very competent doctor and he is. I did, however, feel as though he had an underlying dislike for me due to my super obese status. I went in to the office at about 416 pounds. I lost around 15 pounds before surgery, but he wanted me to lose another 50. I got the feeling that he wasn't comfortable trying to do surgery on me at 400 pounds. I told him I was willing to have the surgery open, but he still seemed uneasy. It made me cry. When you've waited 3 years for surgery and you finally have a date and everything, hearing the surgeon ask if you could lose 50 pounds (which you've never been able to do before) is like a kick in the stomach. I don't think he understood that. Luckily, he was able to do the surgery Lap on my original surgery date and everything went fine. I developed a bladder infection the week after I got out of the hospital and was readmitted. After four days of antibiotics I was feeling great and was released. So far things are going well. Just don't question his advice or course of treatment and you'll be fine. He doesn't seem to respond well to that. He was very focused on the risks of surgery for me due to my higher weight and discussed them a lot. He also emphasizes aftercare and I hear that he's got a great support group, though I haven't been able to attend yet.
The office staff is incredibly helpful and nice. They were willing to put up with me when my fax machine died and I needed my FMLA paperwork faxed 3 times! Pam is the Bariatric Coordinator and she is amazingly helpful and nice! She is also very caring. She is easy to talk to and has lots of answers when you have questions.
Of course, all of this is my opinion, and does not mean to imply that anyone else will have the same type of experiences. As for the surgical competence of Dr. Kim, I do believe it is second to none.

My first impression of Dr. David Kim was "what a kind and caring person". I first met Dr.Kim as an employee in the hospital and saw first hand how he treats his patients and co-workers. He is very soft spoken, kind, respectful and caring. My impression of Dr. Kim has not changed one bit, I have known him for over a year now. His office staff is great, very friendly. Pam, the bariatric coordinator at North Hills Hospital is wonderful. She is there to help you every step of the way. Pam and Dr. Kim are there to support you after the surgery as well. The support group meets once a month and is so much fun and very helpful and informative.
Dr. Kim's credentials are very impressive. His surgical background is extensive.
Overall I think Dr. Kim is the BEST! He is the most caring doctor you will ever find. He will be your biggest fan. He is truly interested in making your life better.