Hilario Juarez Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I was very pleased with Dr Juarez. I knew that there were large waiting times regarding this process, so I wasn't terribly surprised when I called for a consult in February and wasn't scheduled until May. It took only about 6 weeks to get my approval--the first five weeks were waiting for Dr Juarez's office to submit, and about 2 days for Aetna to approve. I am scheduled for surgery for the end of Oct., so, beginning to end this process should take about 9 months.

I think that if you are not aware of the sheer volume of patients this Dr sees, you may feel rushed and unimportant, however, the fact that he spends less time with one in order to see more people, enables us all to have a chance for transformation.

My first impression was good. He came into the room and smiled at me. This put me at ease. He was friendly during the consultation and answered all my questions. He never rushed me and made sure I had asked everything I wanted to know. He explained the procedure clearly and completely, even though I'd done my research ahead of time. He made me feel important and that he really wanted to help me. I liked that he listened to me talk and didn't make me feel hurried. I also like his sense of humor. I would recommend him to others seeking wls. I had read both good and bad opinions of him and could not find anything to support the bad opinions about him or his office staff. I had done my research on him before I made my consultation date, as well as researching the other bariatric surgeons in AZ. My insurance, Pacificare, does not allow for me to take advantage of an aftercare program so I have been doing my homework in this area and trying to educate myself as much as possible. His office staff was polite, informative, and timely. After I had given his staff all the necessary paperwork it took less than a week to be approved for surgery. I give Dr. Juarez and his staff an A+ so far.

The firdt time I met Dr. Juarez was at a seminar explaining the different types of surgery, and what types he performed. He seemed to be a very pleasant man with a good sense of humor. But also very serious about what he does for people like myself. I liked him much better than the other 2 Docs I had gone to seminars for the WLS. They office staff their has been very courteous, and helpful with the whole getting an approval process. Which went so much smoother than I expected. They even refered me to a new primary physican who was willing to recommend me for the surgery, since my 1st one thought I should try Weight Watchers(again!). They have always returned my phone calls in a timely manner, and have answered any questions or concerns I had. So far everything is going real well, just playing the waiting game for my surgery date to get here. But am very excited, and anxious to begin a new life as the new me. Godd luck to anyone who is in the process, has had the WLS or is debating whether it is right for them. Take care, and God Bless! Kimberly

Hello,
I saw dr Juarez on Sept.6.
I found him to be a nice man and a very carefull surgeon. You have to be prepared with questions when you go in. I got all of what I needed answered by him. He took the time we needed even though I know there were at least 12 people in there to see him in rooms and in his office.
He went over all my medical records with me and recomended on the side of caution because of my medical record. He explained all his reasons for discontinuing meds I am on and why he wanted to do the open instead of lap on me. He addresses all the risks of surgery and all the risks of a patient on prednisone.
His office staff in person are better then on the phone. I think they are way too busy as the day progresses.
Unfortunatly, here in Phx. the doctors are so very busy with this surgery. The wait for surgery will be 5 months at least after a consult with Dr Juarez. The wait for a consult for me was from calling in May till one open in Sept. Four months total wait just till consult. They are overworked because of huge patient loads. You just have to be patient.
I will update as I know more.

Knowledgeable, personable/good sense of humor.

Stay very nice, but shorthanded and somewhat over worked.

He seemed ok, but only saw him in group seminar presentation.

Be prepared to wait to get approved and a date.

n/a now

yes

Yes

N/a now



BOTH

Very kind and friendly, but rushed. Told me he had no doubt that I would be approved and he was right! Office staff very efficient and friendly. Did take a month to get my information to Aetna, but they had double the usual people in that month.

There has been no emphasize on aftercare. Because Aetna no longer contracts with Saint Luke's and that's who emphasizes all the aftercare. Also he told us (aetna patients) that we would have to do our own dietician/nutritional program. I'm sure my PCP will give me info, plus i've learned a lot from this site!

UPDATE: Aetna has re-negotiated with St. Lukes so I will be having the surgery there. Which means I have access to all the nutritionists, so I'm happy about that

My PCP adores Dr Juarez. I have seen him twice......and haven't really formed an opinion of him yet.

His staff met none of my expectations for rudeness and inefficiency. They got me in, and got me approved.

Now that I am 7.5 months out from my surgery I would like to add that Dr Juarez is an incredible surgeon. He isn't a people person, but that's ok, I don't need him to be.

Dr. Juarez is a great surgeon! His skillfull hands left me the smallest of scars that after 6 weeks have almost disappeared. His bedside mannre was fine for me but he definitely don't like to "chit-chat".
His office staff is very nice but very busy. The nurse Jackie is great!

I first encountered Dr. Juarez at his informational seminar in December, 2001. I liked him immediately. He is very knowledgable, has good people skills, and seemed to be at ease addressing the group. He did not seem to be hurried and answered every question that was posed, even those that were repetitous. He was very open about the risks and possible complications.

My second encounter with Dr. Juarez was my initial appointment with him in his office. While his office is very busy and I did have to wait a while to see him, I felt that he was thorough and allowed time for any questions that I wished to ask regarding the procedure, risks, complications, and the insurance issues.

Dr. Juarez's staff has been very helpful to me. They processed my records quickly and I received an affirmative answer from my insurance company within two weeks of my initial office visit. My approval came approximately March 1, 2002, my surgery date was scheduled for July 3, 2002. The office staff was very efficient in sending a packet to me immediately detailing pre-op instructions as well as post-op info. I also received a pre-admission packet from the hospital complete with a map of the parking areas. Included in the hospital packet was an information sheet outlining the complete clinical pathway for the course of my hospital stay. I found this to be very helpful and reassuring. I felt confident that I was well informed and knew exactly what I could expect. This was great from a mental health standpoint!

While Dr. Juarez does have an aftercare program, it is required that the surgery be performed at St. Lukes Hospital in order to participate. Unfortunately, St. Lukes cancelled their contract with my insurance company (Aetna) prior to my surgery. I am unable to acces the aftercare program because my surgery was performed at Good Samaritan Hospital. Good Sam. does not offer any kind of aftercare. If there is one downside to my experience, this is it. I feel rather overwhelmed trying to find all of this information on my own without the support of an aftercare program. My PCP is not knowlegeable about the procedure or my special needs now that I am post-op. I may have to consider making a change.

I would rate Dr,Juarez as a 10 on a scale of 1-10. He is very busy, I can live with that. I felt so completely confident in his abilities as a surgeon that I can truly say that I felt very little anxiety in the hours just prior to surgery. Even after I was admitted and was waiting in the pre-surgery prep area, I felt very confident. Dr. Juarez came in and spoke to me and to my family before I went to the operating room. He was at ease, confident, and personable. His demeanor made me feel very comfortable and confident. I saw Dr. Juarez each day that I was in the hospital. He always ended our conversation by asking me if I had any questions or concerns. While he is very efficient and doesn't waste any time, I have never felt that he was rushing me or that he didn't want to take time to talk with me or answer my questions. In my opinion, surgical competence is the most important factor when selecting a surgeon. I feel especially fortunate because I believe Dr. Juarez possesses both surgical competence and a pleasant manner.

He was very nice and informative.

I have not had the surgery yet so I have yet to find out.

The staff is good so far.


Still finding out.

He is informative and thurough and word of mouth on him is great.
Very much. Encourages you to meet with dietician who will contact me by phone if need be.

Honestly but sensitively.

So far he's great.

Both are great of course!