Hilario Juarez Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

Dr. Juarez was very personable and highly qualified to perform gastric bypass surgery. I was surprised when he asked me what I was doing there, but realized afterward that was his way of joking and showing his sense of humor. His office staff has been helpful in keeping me informed regarding where they are in processing all of my paperwork.

down to earth, no-show person
the office staff wonderful caring group

My first impression of Dr. Juarez was, he is someone that is very interested in providing a tool to help patients lose weight, but he is very forthright and honest about hte fact that your success and/or failures are left completely up to you. The office staff seems to be very caring and helpful, but also very busy. Dr. Juarez is also extremely honest about the risks of surgery, but he is also honest about the risk of living with your obesity and all the problems that come with it.

Very personable, caring person. Office staff very helpful. They have a very structured program. Your required to take 3 classes, one of which is on nutrition. Was very helpful in discussing how you have to eat afterwards and gave suggestions on practicing prior to surgery.

My first appointment at the surgeons office was with Emil the Physicians Assistant. He has very knowledgeable and explained both surgery options. He asked me what my goal was and informed me the LAP RNY was the best surgery for me. He spent a long time with me and my husband answered all my questions and made me feel good about my decision. I did not meet Dr Juarez at this appointment. I thought this was kinda odd. I then scheduled an appointment to meet Dr Juarez prior to my surgery and after researching his record on the board and asking additional questions I was ready to have him perform surgery. He and Emil were both present for my surgery and I had a wonderful experience. I have since had a hernia repair by Dr Juarez and Emil and would recommend them to anyone. The office is quite busy and wait times can be long. I recommend being prepared to wait up to two hours each visit. However, I have never had a bad experience and would do it again in a heart beat.

I know I've heard lots of complaints on his bed-side manner but I have not experienced this one bit. Dr. Juarez from day one has not made me feel rushed or scared about anything, he has always sat and answered all my questions at each visit without being rushed. His staff has always been pleasant with me. The thing I like the least about his office is, it is hard to get a hold of his office, I always get the answering machine and I HATE THIS. What future patients need to know is to make a list of questions you have and take them to each of your appointments and make sure he answers them. Also I reccomend your appointment be first thing of the morning or you will be there for HOURS. Dr. Juarez did address all the risks of this surgery and made sure I was ready to take them. At the point I was in I had many risks with out the surgery so I went for it. I myself thinks that surgical competence is # one and I think Dr. Juarez knows his stuff and is very good at it. I feel blessed to have had him as my surgeon.

1.He was very quiet, but I found him to be very informative, took his time and answered questions during my first visit. He did not hesitate to answer honestly about complications, etc.
2. I feel the same still as I did when I first met him in Jan.
3.His office staff is very helpful-he has an extremely busy practice, so sometimes you wait a couple of days for replies.
4.The busyness of the staff.
5. That he is very well respected in the medical community and by his patients- very experienced in this field.
6. He is very realistic regarding commitment to a new life style and using this surgery as a "tool" to success.
7. Yes
8. He addressed them very honestly and was straightforward regarding poss. complications.
9. Excellent
10. To me, surgical competence is most important, but bedside manner is a great plus!!

Dr. Juarez comes off very straight forward and honest during the first seminar. Even in our one on one consultation he was very honest in explaining everything, if you want the journey to be sugar coated than Dr. Juarez may not be the doctor for you.

His office staff is very prompt and friendly. They return your calls and respond to questions very quickly.

I am a blunt person and I respect that Dr. Juarez is straight forward.

Dr. Juarez has always been honest and positive about my treatment, which makes me feel positive. His office staff is at times hard to get a hold of, but they have been very helpful and have not skipped a beat when it comes to my treatment. Dr. Juarez is very straight forward when it comes to the risks of this surgery, anything that I have asked, I have received a honest detailed answer on. If I had to rate my experience so far, it would be an 11.

My first impression was that he was probably Asian descent, and he seemed to have a great personality, talking and laughing. I liked him, and at that time, I felt he would be a good doctor for me.

Dr. Juarez operated at me at least twice for bleeding--found a bleeding ulcer but also told my son he may have nicked a bowel. A nurse says he actually operated on me three times, the third time because he did not have the small intestine hooked up properly and was causing bleeding. He left me when he thought I didn't have insurance. I had Blue Cross at the time that ran out 6 weeks later. My hospital bills were 100% paid, but he didn't stick around to find that out. He showed up one afternoon about four months later (at the new hospital I had been moved. I was surprised to see him. He said, "This is my patient." And he started to move my bed as if he were going to take me out of the hospital. But I was hooked to oxygen and had a trake in my throat. He then said, "I can't do anything with this person." And he left. I never saw him again until last year about this time when I finally was able to go for my post op.

People should know that his office didn't try to get approval from Blue Cross and tried to tell me my insurance wouldn't pay for it. I called Blue Cross and they told me his office had not submitted the paperwork so they could make a decision. When I yelled over the phone, they were able to get quick approval.

Dr. Juarez, I feel, causes me much pain to this day. He says he cannot help me with the diahrea other than to operate again and take a small portion of my small intestine but there is no guarantee that it will correct the situation. He just said I was one percent of the cases that had complications.

He wouldn't remove the stitch that still existed at the top of my incision. Since then, the stitch has fallen out but left a gaping hole that no one knows quite where it goes. It is currently being treated by the Univ of Utah rehab to stop the infection that keeps occuring.

Dr. Juarez also said my final weight would be 128 lbs. That was fine with me, but I lost two more pounds this past month and currently weigh 107 lbs. I have to eat constantly and bring a portion of my meals to my room to reheat and eat during the day. I eat yogurt and take vitamens and medicine for the stomach aches I experience every time I eat. Please someone help me with the discomfort. I hate to eat any more because I have to lie down with lower intestional tract pain.

Also ever since the surgery, I have chronic bladder and urinary tract infections so that now I am seeing a Urologist at the Univ of Utah. I never had that problem until after surgery.

Overall, I would rate this doctor a "one" on a scale of one to ten due to his abandoning me after surgery, showing up four months later and leaving again with an explanation, not suggesting he give back money to Blue Cross who paid for the psychiatric care and diatician care I was to receive after surgery. I was too ill to ever go and never attended one session after the surgery. Somebody collected a bunch of money!!

Surgical competence is better than bedside manner, but I have always been fortunate to have both in all the surgeries I have had in my life. This is the first doctor I don't trust and I recommend anyone considering surgery know that I do not recommend him.