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

Dr. Maher was in Iowa, he is now in with Dr. DeMaria. Dr. Maher will be doing my surgery. He was VERY nice (and not bad lookin either LOL) he has the same staff as Dr. DeMaria.....office staff was very pleasant.
Dr. Maher was there to talk to me before I was taken into surgery and was there to talk to me after. I was very pleased with him and his staff thru my surgery stay. I can't say enuff good things about MCV and Obesity Surgery Program.

My first impression of Dr. Maher was that of competence. He was very matter of fact and direct. His staff is friendly and efficient. MCV/VCU has a highly structured lifetime aftercare program including a NP, dieticians, and lap. fellows. Future patients should read about Dr. Maher's impressive professional accomplishments. He addressed all questions directly including clear review of the risks of surgery.Dr. James Maher is a superb physician with a great bedside manner and concern for his patient's physical well-being.

I was very impressed with Dr. Maher. He answered all of my questions and seemed to be very knowledgable. He did not try to "sell" me on the surgery. He and his staff were very friendly and helpful. He made sure that I understood all of my resposibilities in my before and after care.

The waiting list at the U of I in Iowa City is incredibly long but well worth it. They do a great deal of research there and I'm very confident with their after care requirements.

Dr. Maher is a teacher and has several residents who assist in the surgery. He is very competent and I feel 100% comfortable with his work. I'd recommend him anyday.

The aftercare program at the U of I is lifetime rechecks once a year. Calls to nurse Debi with questions are answered quickly. If you call with an emergency they page the attending resident immediately and help is given while you are still on the phone.

Many are discouraged by the requirement to diet before surgery. Now that I am post op I understand why. They want to make sure you're ready to make the life time committment to keep the weight off and also to prepare you for after surgery. Mourning food really stinks but it is easier since you have already been dieting for sometime.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE U of I. They do an excellent job of preparing you for surgery and expect nothing but the best for you.

i liked him he takes time with you preop and i think does not do this just for the money he really cares his office staff is great they give you numbers fax and emails if you have any questions at all you need answered of if looking for help while preparing for surgery and the diet. i would recommend him great deal of after care they have an after and before surgery program so far i think very highly of dr maher

My Dr. was James Maher of Ia. City, Ia.. This man is a hoot. When you first meet him, you kinda wonder why he hasn't had the surgery himself. He is kinda a big boy. This tends to intimidate people. But don't let this big boy fool you, he is a sweetheart. Your visit (when you finally get one) may seem breif with him, but he gets all the information he needs to give you a safe sugery. The man knows what he is doing, that is why his waiting list is so long. (Think about it). If your trying to find another dr. with a shorter waiting list, think for a second, is this going to be safer? Probably not. He's worth the wait. His head nurse Deb is also a trip. She always looked like she didn't know if she was coming or going, but when it came down to it, she had her head screwed on tight. She also has a great sense of humor. Her and myself were always laughing about something. But she gets serious when the need arrises. The hospital staff in Ia. City is just great. They really work with you, they know their stuff. I was 306lbs. before surgery. I lost 160lbs excactly one year later. I was down to 146lbs. But it didn't come easy. My mind still wanted me to be hungry, but my stomach said no. There were many days I just sat there and cried wondering if this was all worth it. Three times that first year, I was in the hospital with very low pottasium 2.6 and severe dehydration. But after that first year, life started getting back to normal. Today Feb. 2003 I am around 153lbs. I still don't have much energy, but more than I had before. For the first time since I was 18, I wear a bikini and look ok. I still have excess skin that the current insurance company won't pay to have removed. But I'm definatlly happier than I was. If anyone has any questions about Dr. Maher or the sugery, please email me anytime. Barbara

Have not yet met with Dr.Maher, I am on the waiting list for an initial appointment. I have decided that even though I am apprehensive of the surgery yet I will go to the Dr. when able.....maybe he can help me calm my "fears".
June 2002-
Met with Dr. Samuel, who works with Dr. Maher...The staff at U of I were very understanding and friendly. Dr. Maher will be assisting as I understand it, so I have to meet him yet, but so far I feel good with the decision for U of I.
January of 2003- Met Dr. Maher, and I trust him and believe in his ability. He is a rather large individual, but let me know that his first concern is my safety, I like the staff at the hospital, they enjoy a good laugh and treat me like an individual, not a fat lady.

I had an open rny done by Dr. Maher and his team on 11/21/02. I was very impressed with the whole staff at the University of Iowa. Since the waiting list is so long, ask to be put on the cancellation list and you will get called sooner. I had an appointment within a month and a half. Yes, Dr. Maher makes sure that you are serious about wanting to do this proceedure and you will have to stick with the program's diet and exercise program before he will agree to a surgery date. While unhappy with the forced diet and exercise in the beginning, I now realize that it has helped me extremely being a Post Op. Every change in eating habits that I was forced to make before surgery was one less thing that I had to change after surgery. Dr. Maher and Deb, his head nurse, really care about what they are doing. I felt totally safe and confident in Dr. Maher's hands. I have had no complications at all. I highly recommend him.

I thought Dr. Maher was very willing to be informative. I asked to be seen as a group to get into the program sooner and I figured the waiting during appts would be great. Which it was. That was my choice. But, I was pleased with Dr. Maher and his staff. My impression with the person in charge of the program (deb) was pretty nice. But, I don't think I would like to be on her bad side. I think my attitude helped. The program teaches modification of diet and behavior. It was pretty difficult...meaning another weight loss regimen. We've all been through this before. Nothing makes this any different. Lose/gain, lose/gain. Pretending to have had the surgery to train yourself to chew/eat/drink appropriately was really not the easiest thing in a fast paced world. Yes, this is what I WILL be doing...right now it doesn't come easy with a MUCH LARGER POUCH.

I liked Dr. Maher he was very comfortable talking with us and explaining each alternative
His Nurse coordinator Deb H was the best she helped me get scheduled and got made sure I understood all that was expected of me she was very straight forward and I felt I could be too. Although she sometimes takes longer than expected to return phone calls she is very well informed and incredibly nice